Hrvatski / B2
Medvjed i drijen
Izašavši rano u proljeće iz svoje rupe, medvjed je primijetio drijen koji je već bio u cvatu. Ostalo drveće još nije ni počelo cvasti.
Taj mu je prizor bio dovoljan za zaključak: plodovi drijena sigurno će dozreti prije svega drugog voća. Redoslijed cvjetanja, pretpostavio je, mora vrijediti i za sazrijevanje.
Medvjed se stoga ispružio pod stablom i ostao čekati da plodovi drijena budu zreli.
Dok je on ležao pod drijenom, sve je ostalo voće dozrelo, pa mu je sezona i prošla. Završetak otkriva pogrešku u njegovu zaključivanju: stablo koje najprije procvate ne mora zato prvo ponuditi zrelo voće.
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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