Sir Bear was a noble knight of the order Carnivora. Their order were some of the powerful few who drank in the sacred bloodright. Most of those in the kingdom ate of the neighboring kingdom’s weak and defenseless masses, but Sir Bear and his many kin were gallant warriors.
Some mocked Sir Bear for his choice of prey, that the salmonkin were hardly a quarry at all, and that they knew he snuck off to pluck the berryfolk from the bushlands when he thought nobody was looking. That he spent most of his time sleeping and getting fatter. He cared not that they thought him weak. He would simply ask them one question.
“Why do you think Sir Tiger does not eat Salmon? None in the Animal Kingdom could face me, Sir Bear the Grizzled, in single combat. I could destroy you with but a swipe of my blade. But I will spare you, because you are of a foul tasting flesh and I will not waste my energy killing a meal I will not enjoy.”
Some could ask: “What of Bishop Elephant? Or Minister Hippo?”
But they are not of consideration to Sir Bear the Grizzled, who had not crossed their paths in anyone’s living memory, even Bishop Elephant himself could not recall such a thing ever happening.
“I’ve seen some of the other members of the Bear clan, but Sir Bear the Grizzled has been grazing the plentiful lands out since there was land out there to be grazed.”
So the Animal Kingdom watched as Sir Bear grew fatter and fatter, until one day, when the Salmon were not spawning in nearly the numbers they used to. Many fishfolk were vanishing from the realm, their kind in greater quantities than any other order. It was puzzling. It harmed few as much as it harmed Sir Bear, who was travelling further and further in search of berryfolk to sate his hunger. But bush only fueled him enough for fifteen strides, and the bushes were more than fifteen strides apart.
Sir Bear had such great hunger, he began turning on his own order. First young and defenseless ones like Sir Otter, and Sir Cat, but they hardly filled him more than the berries. He ate Sir Puma, the Lion of the Mountains, and he felt better. But Sir Puma had taken one of Sir Bear’s eyes in their battle.
Half-blind, far from home, and finally sated for the first time in weeks, Sir Bear rested. In the night he was visited by all manner of creatures, who mourned the loss of Sir Otter. Sir Felis and Sir Cougar visited the sleeping knight too, each having lost one of nine siblings, and not wishing to risk another life in revenge.
Around the sleeping giant they discussed what could be done.
“We could all run as far as we can, and hope he starves himself in the chase!” Said Page Rabbit.
“We could bite deep into his hind legs, and leave him crippled.” Said Sir Cougar.
“Are you volunteering yourself?” Asked Sir Wolf.
“Not in the slightest. My kin already took one of his eyes.”
And so they argued and argued about what could be done about Sir Bear, that none noticed the great knight had stopped breathing in his sleep, and his body slowly faded into the aether. Gone like that Fool Dodo.
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