Resources Developed
■ Learning about your abilities
■ Thinking through a problem
■ Using your own strengths
■ Doing more of what worksOutcomes Offered
■ Knowing how to stop and think
■ Realizing that might is not always right
■ Valuing your own abilities
■ Building on your strengths
In the woods live many animals and every animal is so different in many ways, perhaps just like
the kids at school and the characters in the story I am about to tell you. One animal that everyone in
the woods knew was Big Brown Bear. Now, Big Brown Bear wasn’t very popular because Big Brown
Bear was a bully. He’d throw his weight around just because he could, scare the other animals when
they were playing, and chase them to hurt or eat them. There didn’t seem to be anyone in the woods
big enough or strong enough to stop Big Brown Bear.
One day Little Coyote was wandering through the woods, going about his own business, when
he heard the heavy thump of paws on the ground, and the crunching of dry sticks under heavy feet.
It wasn’t hard to guess whose they were. Big Brown Bear was coming in his direction. Instantly, Little
Coyote felt afraid. Should he run as he always did? He was sick of always running, always living in
fear around Big Brown Bear. But he was too small, too weak to stand up and fight. Just as he was
thinking what to do, he noticed some bones on the ground nearby. Now, Little Coyote might have
been small and frightened, but he was smart and much cleverer than Big Brown Bear. Moving over
to the bones, he sat down and began to chew on them, his back bravely toward Big Brown Bear. He
waited patiently, listening to the sound of Big Brown Bear’s footfalls on the ground until the bear was
just about in striking distance. Then Little Coyote said in a loud voice, “Yummy, that was one deli-
cious brown bear that I’ve just eaten. I’m still feeling hungry. I wish I could find another to eat.”
Big Brown Bear was used to having his own way. He would knock other creatures out of the
way if he felt like it. He would trample on them, not worrying how much he hurt them. He wasn’t
used to being scared or frightened because there was nobody else in the woods bigger or more bul-
lying than him. However, the thought of being eaten stopped him in his tracks. For the first time he
felt frightened. Could a coyote really capture and eat a bear? He wasn’t prepared to take the risk and
quietly backed off into the woods, finally turning and disappearing into the trees with a sigh of re-
lief. “That was close,” he said to himself. “I’m glad I escaped from that mean coyote.”
High in a tree, unbeknownst to Big Brown Bear and Little Coyote, Squirrel had been watching
what happened. Perhaps if he told Big Brown Bear how Little Coyote had tricked him, Big Brown
Bear would look on Squirrel as a friend and protect both him and his family. So Squirrel hurried off
... but not quite fast enough, for Little Coyote glanced back and saw him scurrying down the tree
trunk and running after Big Brown Bear.
When Squirrel caught up with Big Brown Bear he told him what he’d seen, asking if they could
be friends. Big Brown Bear may not have been particularly bright, but he certainly knew when some-
MANAGING CHALLENGESManaging Life’s Challenging Times 197