Once upon a time there lived two brown bears, a mother bear whose name was Lynn and her young cub who she had named Paul.
They lived in a wooded part of the Earth near a giant river that ran through the forest. The river always had many fish for the taking and it was common for Lynn and Paul to go there to hunt. One day Lynn asked Paul if he would like to go hunting, to which his answer was almost always a speedy yes. Sometimes the answer didn't come quite so quickly if Paul had just barely woken up, which was the case today.
After a long moment of silence as Paul thought the question over he finally nodded his head with a lazy yes. He and his mother walked along the trail that led to the river. Paul had begun to test his mother's patience by asking a question he knew she was sick of.
“Why can't we go to the other side of the river, ma?” Paul asked even though he knew what her answer would be.
“It is too dangerous,” Lynn answered as Paul knew she would.
He left it alone for now, they swam around for a bit enjoying the cool water on their fur before catching a couple of fish to eat.
They had returned to shore and quickly devoured their dinner when Lynn noticed Paul looking across the river at the opposite shore.
“You would do well to get that idea out of your head,” Lynn said in a stern tone.
“Why is it so dangerous, though? What makes us so fearful of it?” Paul asked curiously.
“I don't know,” Lynn answered. “All I know is that animals have gone over there and none have come back.”
“Then I will be the first!” Paul cried in a courageous voice.
“Please, Paul. Please promise me you won't go over there. The last time someone went over there before you were born you could hear their cries for help. They were horrible screams, please don't put me through that,” Lynn begged.
“Fine,” Paul finally agreed. Lynn smiled happy that the matter was settled at last. They returned home and went to bed for the evening.
In the morning before Lynn awoke Paul crept quietly out of their cave careful not wake his mother. He followed the trail until he got to the river. He swiftly swam across it and he found himself on the forbidden shore.
Paul laughed to himself as he hopped around gleefully. His cries of joy quickly turned to cries of pain as he landed on a bear-trap. The vicious metal clamped around his paw and refused to let him free.
The wind carried Paul's cries of agony back to his sleeping mother. She came swimming across the river calling out trying to find her son by his crying.
“Are you alright?” Lynn asked when she found her son.
“Does it look like I'm alright?” Paul snapped. “This is your fault!”
“My fault? How is it my fault?” Lynn asked, confused.
“If you had just let me go yesterday I wouldn't be here!” Paul yelled.
Lynn didn't see the point in arguing so she started the task of freeing Paul from the trap. She pushed one side of the clamp down with her muzzle while holding it in place with her other paw and pulled back, opening the trap and releasing Paul's injured paw.
She tried to get close to Paul to inspect his wound but he pulled back and would not let her see it. She started to walk back their cave, Paul climbed onto her back and Lynn swam across the river carrying Paul with her.
Back at the cave she tried to nuzzle her way close but Paul just kept pushing away. Lynn gave up and left him alone. Some point in the night though Paul had a change of heart and snuggled up close next to his mother.
The next day when Paul woke up he found his mother's face peering at him.
“How is the paw today?” Lynn asked.
Paul was about to yell again but then changed his mind. “You really do just want what is best for me, don't you?” he asked in an apologetic tone.
“Now and always,” Lynn replied.
“I guess I should just listen to you every time, huh?” Paul asked.
“That would probably be for the best,” Lynn replied. She cleaned the wound for Paul to the best of her ability and gave it one final kiss to heal it.
Eventually it was nothing more then a small scar and they both lived happily ever after.

The End

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