The Wolverine and the Bear

Once upon a time, there lived a shy bear and a sulky Wolverine in the jungle. The bear would spend most of his day searching for food. He would eat berries, honey, flowers, grasses, herbs, tubers, nuts of all kinds, ants and other insects. Occasionally he would find fish, small marine animals, and other small animals such as squirrels. Sometimes he would get lucky and find the carcass of a dead elk, moose or a calf.

The Wolverine on the other hand had no interest in food. He would listen to his radio and would sleep most of the time. In his sleep he would regularly fidget and occasionally scream, "Jean !".

The bear, being the shy animal he was, did not approach the Wolverine for friendship but felt sorry for him. The Wolverine being the sulky animal he was had no interest in any sort of friendship with the shy bear. Their paths would occasionally cross and they would nod to each other acknowledging the others' quiet presence.

The bear was content with his life. There was enough food for him in the jungle, all the small animals were scared of him due to his sheer size. He was a shy bear and did not mean any harm to any animal (unless he was hungry). But the scared look on the other animals' faces gave him a sense of power and he felt satisfied with himself. He would go on walks along the small rivulet flowing through the jungle and would lazily try to catch fish while musing on the deep existential themes of life and his purpose in the grand scheme of things.

But sometimes a sense of loneliness broke through his contentment and he felt the need for a friend with whom he could share thoughts, go on hunting and spend some time.  When such thoughts would consume him he would look longingly at the Wolverine lying in his cave adjusting the radio or sleeping. On one such occasion, the Wolverine caught the bear staring at him filled with a gaze full of longing. The bear immediately turned away, embarrassed, and went his way.

The bear returned later that night when the Wolverine was asleep and felt sympathetic for him when he heard him scream again.

Finally, when the bear could not take the Wolverine's condition anymore and also his own loneliness felt overwhelming he decided to approach the Wolverine. But ,being a shy animal he was, it took the bear three days to muster enough courage to approach him.

Finally, he went up to him and said, "I know it's none of my business but I see you every day screaming in your sleep and I feel sorry for you. You know, it is a big jungle and there is a lot one can do to keep oneself occupied. Whatever past events of your life are troubling you, you must learn to let go and move on. You lie here each day fidgeting and screaming … Who is 'Jean' anyway? A former lover? … sorry if I am overstepping but I 've had enough, seeing you lying here and wasting away. C'mon man, get your life together…"

The bear felt relieved at having finally let it all out. But all the Wolverine heard were a series of grunts and hoarse growls. He just waved him away and the bear left.

That night was a dark and stormy one and a hunting party arrived at the jungle armed with arrows laced with illegal poison in an insufficient dose. The shy bear was unfortunately tracked down and shot. The bear felt a sharp pain and then remembered nothing until he found himself lying on the ground. He felt all his energy had been drained away. Suddenly everything came back to him. He remembered having been shot by an arrow, feeling a bit drowsy and then felt angry. He had found a tent and in his rage had killed all the four hunters in there. Feeling drowsy from the poison in the arrow he had limped away and fell on the ground some distance farther.

The Wolverine came up to him from behind. 

"What the hell !" said the Wolverine.

"Yeah, I know right. Some hunters shot me with something and I went crazy and stuff and killed four of them. But I feel alright know. Just need some time to get up." said the bear.

The bear took out his paws and scratched the ground making four lines indicating the number of hunters he had killed.

The Wolverine saw the four lines on the ground and said, "Don't make me do this."

"Do what? What are you talking abou- ?"

But the bear could not complete his sentence as the wolverine had stabbed his throat with his claws instantly killing him. In the Wolverine's mind, the bear was going to die anyway from the poison arrow so he felt that he must at least ease his passing. The sulky Wolverine was a soldier and felt that the bear deserved an honourable death. Also, as he was a soldier he had a strong sense of justice and felt that the hunter who got away must be punished for what he did to the bear. So, the Wolverine pulled out the arrow from the bear and started to make his way to the city. Only one thing was on his mind: Where on the hunter's body would he stab him with the arrow when he would find him.