English Short Story “A friend in need is a friend indeed” for School, College Students, Moral Story for Class 7, 8, 9, 10, Class 12, College Exams.

Two Friends and the Bear

Story No. 01

There were two boys in a certain village, Ram and Shyam. Both claimed to be fast friends. Both of them vowed to help each other in all adversity. One day they had to go for a long journey. They had to pass through a thick forest. They went on and on happily. While they were going their way Ram saw a dangerous bear coming towards them. Without warning his friend he immediately ran up a nearby tree. He reached the top of it and hid himself in the branches. Shyam could not understand the whole affair Soon he saw the bear and was alarmed. He was greatly frightened. He did not know what to do. He could not climb a tree as Ram did. So he at once lay flat on the ground as if he was dead. He had read in some book that bears never touched a dead body. Now he lay down motionless. He held his breath. The bear came upto him and smelt him from all sides. Taking him a lifeless body, the bear went away without harming him. Thus Shyam was saved only by his timely presence of mind.

Now Ram came down from the tree and began to show all sympathies for him. He began to shed crocodile tears. Actually be was not his true friend. He was both selfish and cunning. Shyam did not tell him anything and they started on their way. Once in a good mood Rain asked Shyam mockingly. `Ram, can you tell me what the bear told you in your ear while smelling your Ram burst out immediately and told him that the Bear had given him an important piece of advice that he should not trust his selfish friend. Ram was ashamed beyond limit. He could not face him in his face.

Moral: A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Story No. 02

A Friend in Need as A Friend Indeed

John and James were two friends, who were crossing a forest, when, suddenly, they stumbled across a huge black bear. Imagine how terrified they were! They attempted to flee, but the bear chased them. John managed to climb up onto a tree. James, just as he was about to be caught, fell to the ground and pretended to be dead. He knew, “A bear only attacks something if it is alive.”

The bear sniffed him all over, while the man tried to hold his breath as best as he could, hoping that the animal would not discover the pretence. In the end, after sniffing thoroughly, the bear must have thought that the man really was dead because it ambled off on its huge paws.

With the danger over, John came down from the tree, and as often happens after a big fright, he felt like making jokes. So he asked his friend, ‘Well, what did the bear whisper into your ear?’ But James was not in the same mood for jokes, and he did not appreciate the question at all.

‘The bear said,’ he answered, looking at John straight into his eye, ‘It would be advisable for you not to travel again with a friend, who runs off and abandons you when danger threatens!’ Because “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”

Prosperity gains friends, adversity tries them.