Their feet were starting to freeze as they trudged
through the deep snow on the frosty cold night. The three of them had traveled in the freezing weather without
sleep for several nights. Mayi seemed to be the
only one the cold was not bothering, but after all he was a polar bear.
Toby, the big grizzly was the oldest of the
group. He kept an eye on, and dispensed the discipline to Joho, the little
black bear. Joho had an over abundance
of energy and kept running ahead of the other two mature bears.
The three bears met on the road as each had a
purpose, a trip that they knew they must take but none knew why. Each had a skill and intelligence to
survive, which they carried with them.
Mayi was the biggest and helped carry food, he carried winter berries and
nuts for the other two to eat. Toby had firewood. He was a practical bear and
he knew the winter weather could got cold. Little
Joho was a skilled fisherman and could always catch enough fish to feed them
all.
They continued to trudge along. At sunrise they found empty caves to rest in
and huddle together to keep warm in the frigid cold. At sunset they were off again on their quest, still not knowing
where they were going, or why.
Along the way Mayi would gather more nuts and
berries. Toby collected all the dry
wood he found in the villages they passed through. Little Joho caught more fish
than the trio could possibly eat. The
loads they carried slowed them down somewhat, and Joho’s friskiness got them
off the path at times. Still they kept going.
After weeks of travel, one frightfully cold
night, they found the light at a cave in the side of a hill. The trio moved cautiously toward the opening, for they sensed the cave was occupied.
Toby was the first to peek into the cave. apprehensive of what he may
find; but curiosity drove him to look.
Joho was close behind, hiding his face in the warm fur of Toby’s
back. Mayi stood back watching guard,
he felt that something was not natural.
Inside there
was a very small fire in the corner of the cave. Toby opened his eyes wide
to see in the dull light. Focusing he
could see some forms near the fire.
Moving into the cave a little more he could see the forms were a man and woman. Suddenly he heard the cries of newborn baby. Startled, he realized that in the dim cold
cave a family lived. It seemed to him that they were poor, for the little baby was
covered with straw as it lay in the livestock-feeding bin. The family looked rather cold and
hungry. Yet they seemed to show contentment
unlike anything Toby had ever seen on a human face before.
When
they reached the family, the father stepped aside and the mother held the baby for them to see. The bears we astonished as they looked at
the beautiful baby boy. The baby seemed
to be too wise to be a newborn babe.
He smiled and nodded, with a look of knowledge, at the three bears. The
same radiant glow came from his face, maybe even a little brighter. The bears felt a warmth surge through their big furry bodies, unlike any they had felt before. The other two bears slowly crept into the
cave, and stopped in astonishment at the sight before them. The bears thought something seemed curious
about this family. The mother saw the
three bears and smiled. There seemed to
be a glow radiating from her beautiful face and the bears felt at ease. The new mother then nodded to the three and
motioned for them to come closer. They
moved slowly into the center of the cave, each still carrying their load. The
‘wreath’ Mayi carried around his big neck was loaded heavy with bright juicy
winter berries and huge woody nuts. The
load of wood on Toby’s back was so big and heavy he walked bent over. Joho held
in his mouth a vine that tied together an abundance of fish he had caught
during the trip, this dragged behind him. All three bears then moved down to the ground
on their big bear knees, then bowed there heads at the baby.The bears actually turned the corners of their mouths up in a smile. Little bear
growls came out from deep in their throats as if they were singing or
praying. Mayi was the first to stand
up. He shook his body and slid the wreath off over his head in front of the
family. Joho followed with his stringer
of fish. Toby immediately started putting wood on the fire until there was a
golden glow.
The father gave them a thankful look and
gathered up the food. The baby snuggled
down in the straw, closing his eyes in the new warmth of the cave. The father
and mother then ate the fish for dinner and enjoyed the sweet juicy berries and
hearty nuts for dessert.
The three bears stood back in a corner of the
cave later that night. They watched as shepherds and village folk came in to
see the family. These visitors also
knelt down before the baby boy. Everyone seemed to have the same look of
contentment on their face as they left the cave.
When the evening settled down the bears
snuggled together in the warm cave to sleep.
Maybe, they thought, they found the purpose of their quest. Maybe the meeting on the path was no
accident as each was drawn on a mission he did not understand. And that star in the sky, it just could have
guided them here to help out this young family.
For the first time, Mayi, Toby, and Joho felt
completely happy and full of joy. This was a special adventure for them. The
three bears snuggled together. They drifted off to sleep that night to the
sound of joyous singing outside the cave.
※※※※
Three
bears in the cold travel through the night
Answering
a call they know not from where
Searching
for something knowing not what
Meeting
on the road to travel together
Following
a path traveled not before
Keeping
close together knowing not why
Each
has talents born within him
Warmth
- food - intelligence
Holding
their treasures knowing not for whom
Having
instinct to guide them
Their
hearts filled with joy
Following
the path knowing not where
Finding
the star guiding them on
Surrendering
their treasures with hearts full of joy
Contentment
they now know
※※※※
