Once upon a time there were two antelopes - Sesha and Bambi. Sesha, wanting to prove what truly friendly feelings he had for Bambi, invited his friend to stay with his relatives. They came to Sesha’s relatives, lived for several days, and then Bambi, to check whether Sesha was really his friend, said:
- You know, I really like your sister.
“Well, if you really like her, I’ll make sure she talks to you alone and then marries you!”
Sesha told his sister about his friend's feelings. Bambi confessed his love, and the relatives accepted the proposal. It would seem, what other proof of sincere friendship is needed?
But a few days later Sesha told his friend that it was time for them to go home. Then Bambi, in order to once again check how he was treated here, pretended to be sick. And Sesha’s faithful friend also decided to stay.
Poor Bambi lay motionless, eyes closed. Sesha's relatives called the sorcerers to cure the unfortunate man. But the sorcerers unanimously insisted that the guest was completely healthy and was just pretending.
- Hey buddy, get up! You're healthy! It's time for us to leave! — Sesha said reproachfully, lightly pushing his friend.
And Bambi just sighed quietly:
- Oh, buddy, I'm very embarrassed! Leave me alone!
After a few more days, Bambi, who had not eaten anything, began to look so bad that everyone decided: was Sesha’s friend dying? The saddened Sesha prepared to go for the stretcher, on which the dead are usually placed. Before nailing the new mat to the stick, he once again approached his friend and said to him very quietly, so that no one could hear, in his very ear:
- Hey buddy, wake up! Otherwise we will bury you!
- Ayue! Bury me, bury me! I'm very ashamed!
- But why are you ashamed? After all, you didn’t steal anything, didn’t commit any crime, didn’t borrow from anyone...
- Leave me, leave me, buddy! I'm very ashamed! Bambi's motionless body was placed on a stretcher. They brought the stretcher to the edge of the deep pit. Sesha leaned over Bambi, trying to reason with him once again:
- Buddy! We will bury you now! Don't you see that we have laid you next to the grave? - he whispered to him quietly and began to cry.
- I already told you: bury me! I am so ashamed that I cannot live in the world!
- But why are you ashamed? Confess to me! After all, you didn’t steal anything, you didn’t commit any crime, you didn’t borrow from anyone... Get up quickly! It's stupid to behave like that! You will actually die eventually! How will I live without you? After all, I am your true friend!
- Oh-oh-oh! That's why I have to die now! I'm ashamed because I didn't believe in your friendship! Leave me alone! Now I'm going to die! - Bambi said so quietly that Sesha didn’t hear anything.
Upset by his friend’s stubbornness, Sesha tried to push him and lift him up. But this was no longer possible. Bambi no longer moved or breathed. He really died.
Then Sesha, in insane grief, fell to the ground next to him and demanded that he be buried in the same pit along with his friend.
But the relatives protested. Has he gone crazy, or what? What, did he get drunk on wine? How can he think about being buried alive? Let him rise from the ground now and leave this madman alone, who is already dead anyway!
Hearing such reproaches, Sesha rose from the ground, looked sadly at his dead friend and himself covered stupid Bambi, who did not believe in real, sincere friendship, with earth.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru