Once there was a man and a woman who were husband and wife. And they loved each other very much. They were very happy together, worked hard together and smiled and laughed together.

One day the man had to join the Army and go fight in a war. He fought for a few years until the war was over. Then he went back home. But when he had been at home for awhile, his wife, who loved him very much, found that he had changed. He was very closed in and did not talk very much like he used to. And he never smiled and never laughed. She hoped that he would begin to be his old self again, but after some time had passed, she became frustrated and decided to seek help.

She knew of a wise man on the mountain who people believed could make potions that healed. So took a gift and she went to the wise man. She said to him,"Oh wise man, my husband went to war, and when he came back, he was very quiet and does not talk much. He does not smile or laugh. Can you help me and make him a potion that will heal him?"

The wise man said,"His hurt is one of the heart. There is no potion that can help this."

"Oh, please! There must be something that you can do to help him!" she said.

And he thought this over and finally after a lot of thinking, he said,"Well....There is one thing that might work. But it requires the whisker from a live mountain lion. If you bring me a whisker from a live mountain lion, he can be helped."

So she said,"Ok. I will get it and bring it to you." and she left.

She knew where there was an old mountain lion that lived in a cave on the mountain. She thought about how she might get this whisker from the lion, and finally decided that she would bring it something to eat. She took a piece of meat to the lion, but it would not come to her. So she talked to it for a minute and then left the meat. After she left, the lion came out and smelled the meat and ate it. The next day she came again with a piece of meat. She talked a little longer this time and left the meat. Each day she went to visit the lion and talked to it a little longer and left it a piece of meat.

At first she was scared. She could not even see the lion in the cave, although she knew that it was there. But after a few weeks, she saw him looking at her as she talked to it, because he had moved closer to the cave entrance where there was more light.

As time went by, the lion became comfortable with her and came out of the cave while she talked to it. It seemed to be mostly interested in the meat, but it was patient and listened to her voice, which was calm and friendly. After about 5 months, the lion would come close, but not all the way to her. It would listen and watch her. And she was no longer nervous or afraid.

One day in the sixth month the lion came very close, about half a meter from her. The next day the lion came all the way to her and took the meat from her hand while she talked to him. For a week he did this. then one day she reached out to pet him on the head. But it backed away, and did not let her. The next day she tryed again, and this time he let her for a moment, but then backed away. The next day She pet the lion again. And he stayed for a few minutes and enjoyed it. But then he backed away.

For about a week, he allowed her to pet him, each time a little longer. Then one day he allowed her and did not go away. He made a loud purr as she did. He had become her friend and she his, and he trusted her like no other.

One day after they had been friends for awhile, she knew it was time to take the whisker. So while she was petting him, she pulled one out with her other hand. The lion was a little startled, and backed away. She spoke to him and apologized and explained why she must have his whisker to heal her husband. He listened, but after a few minutes he moved into his cave.

Then she took the whisker to the wise man on the mountain. When she arrived, he was cooking over a fire. She said to him,"Here is the whisker of a mountain lion which you said was needed to heal my husband."

He looked at her in amazement, and thought for a few minutes. Then he took the whisker and tossed it into the fire.

She cried,"What are you doing?! You said that it was needed to heal my husband!"

"What you must have done to get the whisker - that is what is needed. That is what will heal your husband. You are a strong good woman. You are also the one who can heal him. No potion can heal the heart, only patient love."

The woman thought for a moment and realized that she had just learned a great lesson. She realized that what she had just done to the lion - being gentle, patient and consistent - was what she had to do to help her husband to smile and laugh again. So she thanked the wise man, and went home to her husband to help him. And over time she did, and he smiled and laughed and loved her. And both were happy again. And she did it through her efforts.