Once upon a time in Berry Woods, all the animals were rushing around. It was autumn and everyone was busy gathering food to store away for the winter. But there was one who didn’t feel like working at all. This was Benny the Bear.
Benny had a very grizzly face, but that was because he always scowled. Now he was scowling because all his friends were gathering berries. There were even a few schoolboys collecting nuts, but there was no one to pat Benny on his heavy head.
“I will rest and keep the boys’ noses out of mischief,” said Benny, as he lay in a sunny place by the roadside. He smiled as he thought of how well he was serving his friends while they had to work.
Now Benny never had very much to eat, and for many months he had gone without a proper meal. His friends brought him something to eat every day, it is true — but that was simply because he did not know how to look after himself — and of course because they liked him. But he thought he would soon get enough to eat.
“I do not want any berries, I don’t believe I shall need any at all,” he grumbled. He scowled again from bitter disappointment as he sat and watched the others busily gathering. They were much more fortunate than himself, for even the little Siskins had enough to live on for many days.
So Benny was left beside the road for company. The light-hearted ones that flew quickly past were hard at work. They had made preparations before for hard times, and some were even travelling to distant woods to bring back winter food. Soon the others took to flitting among the bushes to pick berries.
And Benny sat still and scowled.
Winter frosts soon set in; rounded white snowflakes began to fall and the cold winds cut like a knife. The grapes grew sweet, the silk hung from the bushes, and December snow lay thick upon the ground. December freed the little schoolboys from thought of nuts, and freed the animals from thought of schoolboys.
And soon all wandering came to an end. Life seemed at a standstill and Benny lay behind his rock. But winter had much pleasant food in her pocket. The squirrels, and finches, and doves, and blackbirds had all that they could eat from day to day; and Benny, too, had enough. Each one of his friends found it set beside his nose, or under his lucky stone or sleeping place. His brown hairy arm was closely followed by something which many a starving creature cast a longing eye upon.
But one morning none of his friends seemed to have thought of him, so he came to the sunny front door of his house nowhere to be found. He turned towards his friend the Squirrel, and then towards the little field mice and fowls that lived all round. But wherever he looked it seemed empty of all life. He raised his sad eyes to the branches above him — nothing there! Everything had gone, and with it all chance of finding anything to eat.
Then came a heavy knock upon his door, and, glad was he, once again to see a friend. It was the Sage old Raven. Without ceremony he straightened his claws, gave a spring, and settled down upon the heavyweight bear’s nose.
“Whooo!” cried Benny, in dismay. “You have no food for yourself, old friend! And why do you come to me?”
By good fortune the Raven’s cupboard was well filled. “You did not work for your winter stores as we others did,” he said. “But now we will share one another’s.” There were many little deliciates in the Sage old Raven’s cupboard, some SUMMER, others AUTUMN, or WINTER food; they were all within easy reach of the old man’s claws. Something for himself he must have, however.
Yes! Scolding within that ancient seemed to overtake much. Had it not been that his cupboard was well saved what would have happened!
“I have learnt by my mistake,” said Benny, with a slant in his voice.