Once upon a time, in a forest far away, there lived a grizzled old bear named Hoary. He was so old that his fur had turned gray and his eyes were cloudy from age. Despite his hoary appearance, Hoary loved to explore the forest, looking for fresh berries and new adventures.

One day, as Hoary was strolling through the forest, he came across a young, immature bear who was having trouble climbing a tree to reach some juicy red berries. Hoary offered to help the young bear, but the young bear declined, saying that he could do it himself.

But no matter how hard the young bear tried, he just couldn't reach the berries. Hoary saw that the young bear was getting frustrated, so he decided to help after all. With a few quick steps and a big stretch, Hoary plucked the berries from the tree and handed them to the young bear.

The young bear was so grateful that he thanked Hoary and asked him if he would like to be his friend. Hoary was thrilled and the two bears spent the rest of the day exploring the forest together, finding fresh berries and having lots of fun.

From that day on, Hoary and the young bear were the best of friends. The young bear learned many things from Hoary, who taught him all about the forest and its secrets. And Hoary learned that it's never too late to make a new friend, even if you're old and grizzled like he was.

Reflections

1. Why was Hoary's fur gray and his eyes cloudy?
2. Why did the young bear have trouble reaching the berries?
3. What did Hoary teach the young bear about the forest?
4. Why was Hoary thrilled to be friends with the young bear?
5. What did the young bear learn from Hoary?