Black Bear was startled and took several steps back in succession.
His round, glossy eyes fixed on the red glow, sensing no danger but feeling a cozy comfort instead.
An inchoate spirit intelligence told Black Bear that this red glow seemed to be a treasure.
Clearing away the debris, Black Bear discovered that the source of the flickering red light was a stone that fit snugly in his embrace, so he joyfully roared a few times before crawling into the tree hollow to sleep.
This winter wasn't too cold!
Black Bear fell into a deep slumber, yet instead of depleting, the fat in his body actually made him gradually grow in size.
Winter passed and spring came.
Roar—
Upon awaking, Black Bear issued a long howl from the tree hollow and realized that the entrance had shrunk.
Standing up, Black Bear found himself taller than the top of the hollow; with only a slight flex of his arms, a thunderous noise ensued, and the hollow along with the centuries-old tree trunk splintered apart.
