In Jami's Haft Awrang, the story of the bear swept away by the river, mistaken for a loaded waterskin (khik), serves as a powerful allegory for greed (hers) and worldly attachments. A person jumps into the dangerous river to grab what they believe is a valuable skin full of goods, only to find themselves trapped by a bear that clings to them. When advised from the shore to release the waterskin, the person replies, 'I have let it go, but it does not let go of me.'

This fable illustrates how individuals, driven by greed, pursue material desires believing they will bring life and sustenance, but instead get trapped and destroyed by them. In Sufi teachings, it warns that while a seeker may eventually wish to abandon worldly pursuits, those very attachments and habits (the 'bear') hold the soul captive, making spiritual escape extremely difficult once one is entangled.