The Bear And The Crow Poem by Stephen Katona

A young black crow liked to enter the lair,
Of a large grizzly brown bear,
In the hope of some fruit,
Or other tasty loot.
Every day at feeding time,
He'd attempt his crime.
Vali the bear did not mind,
For he had a heart that was kind.
There was always plenty of food,
And the crow showed his gratitude,
With a nod of his head,
Or a wink instead.

One day a piece of bread made the crow drool,
As it floated in the bear's pool,
And tried to grab it quick as a flash,
But landed with a mighty splash.
He flapped and flapped but could no longer fly,
Wet and cold he started to cry,
"Please don't let me die."

Now people who watched the crow in the pond,
Thought they knew how a bear would respond.
They gazed at the water,
Waiting for a grizzly slaughter,
As Vali the bear grabbed with large paws,
And pulled the bird out in powerful jaws.
They said to their children, "Look away,
This is sure to be the crow's last day.
It's soon to be a feathered treat,
As all bears love the taste of meat."

How could they know,
This bear would save the crow,
And choose not to feed,
When he had no need.
Vali put his friend on the ground to dry,
And lay down to sleep by a rock nearby.
"Silly bird", he said with a sigh.

Remember this amazing rescue,
On a happy day in Budapest Zoo.

If Vali the bear could speak,
He'd tell us all to help the weak.