"The Silver Swan of Love and Happiness"

Once there were two panda bears who lived far away in the misty mountains and who loved each other very much. But they were sad, for they were not like the other pandas in the forest, who were beautifully marked with black patches on their eyes and feet.

"Come, friend," said one to the other one day. "Let us ask the wise man why we are so plain. Perhaps he can give us beautiful spots, too."

Together they ventured deep into the woods to the wise man's hut. The wise man thought for a long time and then he spoke. "Little bears, I cannot tell you why you are so plain, nor can I give you spots. You must go and find the silver swan of love and happiness, and then you will understand."

So the white bears decided to search for the silver swan, but they did not know if she lived in the East or in the West.

"I will search in the West, and you shall search in the East, thus one of us will be sure to find the swan," said one bear. The other agreed that this was good, and said, "Farewell, my love, I hope we will meet again."

And so the little bears went their separate ways in search of the swan. But the mountains were high and windy and the rivers deep and cold and the bears felt a sadness sadder than they had ever known.

The world to the East seemed black and empty without his friend, and the plain bear who went East watched every sunrise with tears in his eyes, knowing the sun had just seen his lover on the other side of the world. The bear who searched in the West felt the blackness and loneliness crawl into her heart, and every night she cried as the sun set, knowing the sun would soon see her lover on the other side of the world.

The lonely bears searched for a very long time, and finally they met one day near a pond where the East meets the West.

"How wonderful to see you again, my love!" they both exclaimed.

"Surely you have met the swan, for you are beautiful," said one bear.

"No, it is you who has found the swan, for your coat is striking."

"I searched in all the West," answered the confused bear, "I crossed a thousand black rivers and cried a thousand black tears, but I did not find the silver swan of love and happiness."

"I, too, crossed a thousand black rivers in the East, and cried a thousand black tears, but I found no silver swan of love and happiness..."

The lovers then looked into the pond and saw that they were beautiful, with handsome black spots around their eyes and feet.

"Let us never part again, my love, for our hearts cannot bear such sadness," they said. "We shall search for the silver swan together, and thank her for what she has given us."

So the happy bears kissed, and as they kissed, their hearts opened up and, in a flurry of shining feathers, out flew a perfect silver swan.