Crying Bear

A little boy rushes into the living room and runs into his mother's arms.

"Oh, mama," he says, "a great big brown bear chased me all the way home from school."

"Now, dear, I've told you before not to tell tall stories like that," his mother says.

"But it isn't a story!" the boy insists. "If you don't believe it, you can look for yourself. The bear is still just outside the door. I was scared to death. I thought it would eat me before I got in!"

His mother goes to the window and looks, then turns to the boy. "You go into your bedroom and kneel down and ask God to forgive you for that story. That's a dog sitting out there."

The boy does as he's told, but a few minutes later he comes out of the bedroom smiling.

"Did you ask God to forgive you?" his mother asks.

"Yes, I did, mama. And you know what? God said, 'Never you mind about that. It thought that dog was a bear myself until I got another good look at it.'"