It was the end of winter and a bear was hungry for food.
He came out of his cave and walked up to the lake. It still looked frozen with a fresh layer of snow covering the ice.
On the other side of the lake there was a large collection of blooming bushes with lots of berries.
First he saw a deer cross the lake to eat some of the berries.
Then he saw a fox run across the lake to have some berries, too.
Animal after animal crossed the lake without any problem at all. The bear was hungry and ready to eat those berries, too.
A mouse saw the bear about to cross the lake and said, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“Listen here little mouse. I have watched a deer and a fox and a dozen other animals cross that lake without any problem at all. I’m a small bear–the smallest in the forest. I can cross this lake, too,” said the bear.
“Suit yourself,” said the mouse and he scurried away back into the forest.
The bear grunted towards the mouse and began to make his way across the lake to the berry bushes.
The bear felt solid ice below his feat and began to run in excitement for the berries.
When he arrived at the middle of the lake, the bear heard a crack. Then he felt the ice begin to break below his feet.
He didn’t turn back. He kept on running and running thinking now that he could outrun the cracking ice.
He didn’t. The ice broke and the bear fell into the water below.
He was able to climb out and slowly make his way back to the shore shivering all the way back to his cave.
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)
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