Hrvatski / B1
Medvjed i drijen
Medvjed je rano u proljeće izašao iz svoje rupe i ugledao drijen u cvatu. Dok na drugim stablima još nije bilo cvjetova, drijen je već cvao.
Zato je medvjed zaključio da će i njegovi plodovi dozreti prije svega drugog voća. Ako je prvi procvao, mislio je, mora i prvi dati zrele plodove.
Legao je pod stablo i počeo čekati da njegovi plodovi dozru.
Dok je medvjed ležao pod svojim odabranim stablom, sve je ostalo voće dozrelo i prošlo. Njegov zaključak o redoslijedu sazrijevanja pokazao se pogrešnim.
English summary · includes the ending
A bear leaves his den early in spring and sees a cornel tree already covered in blossom. The other trees have not yet begun to flower. He takes this early blossom as a sign that the tree's fruit will also ripen before all the others.
The bear lies down beneath the tree and waits for its fruit to become ripe. While he continues waiting there, every other kind of fruit ripens and its season passes.
The story ends with this contrast. The tree that flowered first did not provide the first ripe fruit, as the bear had expected. His mistake was to assume that the order of flowering would also be the order of ripening.
No other animal tricks him, and no further search for food is described. His own conclusion keeps him waiting under one tree while he misses the time when the rest of the fruit is ready.
Adapted for Lejrbål from the credited source.
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