A sheep has fallen from a high rock. Now it lies dead at the bottom of the ravine. The birds of prey cannot see it because it is hidden by the tree, but the bears have smelt it from a long way off. There bear have come to feast on it. Among them is the great male bear. He is the father of all the cubs, but he is hardly ever seen. Male bears leave all the work of rearing the young to the females. The she-bears have the task of feeding, protecting and teaching the cubs, and they do it very well.
If a cub disobeys, his mother strikes him with her paw to teach him a lesson. A cub is not allowed to walk in front of his mother. She makes him follow along behind her, and he must stay with her until he is two years old. By that time he is almost as big as she is. Sometimes the oldest of the cubs helps the mother to bring up the younger ones. But the father never takes any interest in them, except to forbid them to hunt on his territory when they are grown up. The cubs obey his order.