The Four-Fold World - The Old Bear and his Friend

This is one of the many tales that is told of the Old Bear.

It was a beautiful day.  A day meant for sitting on a river bank and fishing.  A day meant for sharing a jug of mead with your best friend.  So that is just what Old Bear and Pico* were doing.  They had been sitting all day basking in the warmth of the sun and drinking.   And just like a man would be and an old bear might be they were quite drunk.  And just like a man would and an old bear might they were boasting.

Pico beat on his chest with one hand and said,  "I am such a good fisher, drunk as I am, that I can still spear the fattest salmon in the river!"  Saying so he stood up.  After he had swayed back and forth a bit he made a casting gesture as though throwing a spear.  When there was no splash he looked surprised.  Old Bear chortled deep in his chest and passed Pico his spear.  Pico bowed low in his gratitude, almost falling into the river, and standing again he flung his spear into the river.  He quickly reeled it back in and pulled it out.  There on the end caught in the barbs was a plump, fat salmon!  Old Bear roared his approval and cuffed his friend on the back nearly plunging him into the river.  "My turn now", he said.  He got up on all fours and squinted into the river.  Suddenly he scooped with his paw and the bank was covered with flopping salmon.  Pico cheered his friend on.  

Ever since that day though the river has had no salmon in it.

After they had dealt with the fish they went back to their drinking.  They drank some more and when they were through another pot Pico smashed it and stood up.  "I have to pass water," he declared.  "But I am so mighty I will piss right across the river.  Watch this."  Sure enough he stood there and a mighty stream of water shot across the river much to the distress of some ducks dabbling there.  Again, Old Bear roared his approval.  He shook himself and stood up.  "I cannot claim to aim so well but let's see what i can do".  So he squatted to make water like a bear does.  And what a water he made.  The stream of urine was so mighty that he cut a deep well right there beside the river.  In fact the well was so deep and wide that suddenly the bank crumbled and with a mighty roar the river changed its course and flowed down into it.  If the ducks had been upset before they were even more upset when their quiet pond disappeared into the underworld.  Pico and Old Bear looked at each other sheepishly, then shrugged and guffawed.

Ever since that day the river has dove underground and no one knows where it goes.

Sitting there with their legs dangling down over the lip of the deep well Pico struggled to think of another contest he could challenge his friend with.  Finally he had it.  "Old Bear, I, drunk as I am can still weave the most beautiful basket you will ever see!"  Saying this he gathered an armful of reeds and started his weaving.  Sure enough he did so while all the time Old Bear sat there watching bleary-eyed.  It was indeed the nicest basket a drunk had ever woven.  Well Old Bear couldn't let this challenge pass.  He looked around and didn't see any reeds as Pico had harvested them all or the river had dragged them down the well with them.  Then he spotted a forest that had been turned into stone during the Magician's War.  Just the thing.  He ambled over and grabbing a bunch of trunks he started flexing and bending them.  After he had softened them up he began to weave them together into a huge basket.  When the basket was finished he carried it to the mouth of the valley and dropped it across the opening to keep the bad people out.

Ever since that day the mouth of the Bear's Valley has been blocked by The Basket.

And Pico and Old Bear looked at the baskets they had woven and laughed and laughed and then went back to their drinking with their arms around each other's shoulder.

*Pico is mentioned in many of the old tales of Old Bear.  High on the mountainside north of The Reach is a massive cairn that is said to be the grave of Pico.

Created July 23, 2012.  Last updated July 23, 2012