In the morning they woke to find a polar bear lurking close by. It was thin and wretched-looking. The people and the bear watched one another nervously, and then, after a few hours, the bear stood up and walked to the edge of the iceberg. He seemed to have heard something, and when Fergus followed him at a careful distance, he saw a big school of fish churning the water a few hundred yards away. There were thousands of them—more than enough to feed everyone, if only they could be reached!

The bear flopped into the water and swam out toward the fish. He was too weak to reach it, though, and soon clambered back onto the iceberg, miserable and exhausted.

Fergus knew what he had to do, even if it meant breaking the promise he’d made to his mother yet again. He raised his arms, clenched his fists, and made a current that directed the fish right toward their iceberg. Soon, fish by the hundreds were banging against it and flopping up onto the ice. The bear roared with excitement, vacuumed several into his mouth, then scooped up a pawload and ran off.

The people were overjoyed. Though they didn’t care for the taste of raw fish, it was better than starving. Fergus had saved them! They lifted him above their heads, chanting his name, then ate until they could eat no more.

As it turned out, Fergus hadn’t quite saved them. Though they now had enough fish to last them weeks, that afternoon the temperature dropped and a blizzard blew in. As they huddled together for warmth, full but freezing, they realized that without blankets they would not live to see the morning. It was just turning dark when they heard a growl from outside their circle. The bear had returned.

“What do you want?” Fergus said, leaping up to confront it. “You’ve got all the fish you can eat, so leave us alone!”

But the bear’s attitude had changed. He didn’t seem desperate or dangerous now, as he had when he was starving. In fact, he seemed grateful, and he seemed to understand that Fergus and the others were in trouble.

The bear padded forward, lay down next to them, and went to sleep. The people exchanged tentative looks. Fergus tiptoed to the bear, sat down, and leaned carefully against him. The bear’s fur was luxuriously soft, and his body radiated heat. He didn’t seem to mind Fergus leaning against him at all.

One by one, the people approached. The children and the elderly snuggled right against the bear, the women nestled next to them, and ringing the outside were the men. Miraculously, though some were toastier than others, everyone survived the night.

The next day, the bear and the people were eating fish when another iceberg came floating past. There were three polar bears on it, and when the people’s bear saw them, he stood up and roared.

Hey, fellows! he seemed to say. There’s a boy here who can get us as many fish as we like. Come on over!