Orthodox Parables and Stories: The Bear

Metropolitan of Kazan and Sviyazhsky Cyril (Smirnov) was taken into exile. One dark night, he was thrown out of the car at full speed. It was a snowy winter. Metropolitan Cyril fell into a huge snowdrift, like a feather bed, and did not hurt himself. With difficulty he climbed out of it, looked around. All he could see was forest, snow but no sign of housing. He walked for a long time in the vi snow and exhausted, sat on a stump. Frost made his way to the bones through a worn cassock. Feeling that he was starting to freeze, the Metropolitan began to read the prayer for the dying. Suddenly he sees something big and dark approaching him. A bear was looking at him.     

“It will eat me” the thought flashed, but there was no strength to run, and where? But the bear came up, sniffed at the sitting man, and calmly lay down at his feet. Warmth came from a huge beast and complete goodwill. He tossed and turned, turning his belly to Vladyka, stretched out all the way and snored. Vladyka hesitated for a long time, looking at the sleeping bear, then he could not stand the chilling cold and lay down next to it, clinging to his warm belly. Lying on one side, he turned to the  the beast to keep warm, and the bear breathed deeply in its sleep keeping him warm with its breath.

When the dawn began to glimmer, the Metropolitan heard in the distant roosters crowing. “Housing is near,” a joyous thought flickered, and he carefully got to his feet not to wake the bear. He shook himself and wandered into the forest. And the rested Vladyka soon reached a small village.