Theme: Free
will
The bear Pipo
Pipo was a strong and beautiful bear, friend of the
animals of the forest. He liked to talk, but what he
really liked was to rest.
At any time of the day, it was possible to find Pipo
lying down, taking a nap, or just lying on his back on
the ground, admiring the treetops or the blue sky.
Pipo used to stay under a large tree, which, he said,
gave perfect shade. But there was a problem: the ground
under this tree was full of rocks and since Pipo started
to lie there, he started to complain.
- Oh, what a back pain! Oh, how hard these stones are! -
Pipo said to those passing by.
- Wow, friend, this place is not good to lie down. Don't
you want to find the shade of another tree to rest? -
said the animals, advising Pipo.
But the bear replied:
- No! Never mind! I will continue right here.
Time passed and, more and more, Pipo felt his back
aching.
Some days it hurt so much that it took him a long time
to get up. He felt that he couldn´t move. The other
animals didn't understand why Pipo didn't solve that
situation.
One day, the dove, the coati and the monkey met their
friend, walking, with difficulty, to the river and said
good morning to him.
- Good morning people! In fact, the day would be good
even if my back didn't hurt so much today - said the
bear, with a forced smile.
Friends knew there was no point in giving advice
anymore. Not knowing what they could do to help Pipo,
they decided to look for the Lion King, who was a very
wise king. They explained the case to the king but were
surprised and somewhat disappointed to find that he
already knew everything.
The monkey could not contain himself and asked:
- Your Majesty, if you already knew that Pipo the bear
is not well, why haven't you done anything until now?
The king smiled calmly and explained:
- Dear monkey, all measures were taken as soon as I was
informed of the situation. I asked the squirrels to find
other trees with good shade. But Pipo did not want to
change his resting place, mentioning defects in each of
the options. I asked the armadillo to evaluate whether
it would be possible for us to make a joint effort, to
remove the stones, but he advised against it, because
there are so many that a huge hole would have to be
made. I also asked the forest doctor to examine Pipo and
recommend a treatment. Dr. Beaver assured me that Pipo
was aware that in order to definitively solve the
problem, he would need to move. But Pipo didn't want to!
You can see that what was possible to do has been done,
but no one can help those who don't want to be helped.
Now what we need is patience and respect for Pipo's free
will.
The animals listened to the king's explanations and the
dove still wanted to know:
- But, Lion King, I still don't understand. If Pipo
knows what's wrong with him and still doesn't want to
move, why does he keep complaining?
- Because the pain is enough for him to complain. But
they are not enough to make him take the attitude of
leaving the tree he likes and looking for a place that
is good for him, where he can really rest - replied the
lion.
The dove, the coati and the monkey thanked the king for
his attention and left thoughtfully.
They began to pray for Pipo and had to exercise patience
to accept their friend's choice.
Some time passed and one day Pipo noticed that he was
even getting wounds on his back. That day he felt very
sad. So sad, he decided he didn't want to go on like
that anymore.
Pipo decided to look for the lion king and ask for help.
The king was very thoughtful, and the bear soon found a
great spot for him to lie down.
The dove, the coati and the monkey called other friends
and threw a surprise party to inaugurate Pipo's new
resting place.
The bear was very happy and thanked everyone.
Pipo began to lie down on a very soft grass and in a
short time the wounds and pains healed.
He soon got used to the new location and began to like
it a lot.
After a while Pipo hardly remembered the other tree and
the rocks anymore, and when he thought about them it was
just to make sure he never wanted to go back there.
He had known a much better life. And learned that
friends can even help us, but it's our own choices that
lead us to a happy ending.
Translation:
Larissa Martine - larissa_am@hotmail.com
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