Invalidenheim

“When they caught a bear cub, they put it in a cage. The hunter’s wife often gave it some of her mother’s milk. So it grew up until one day, after the cage was opened, the dear little divine creature was invited to the feast at which it was to be sacrificed. Everyone danced around the bear, clapping their hands. The woman who had nourished it with her milk wept. Then a hunter said a few words to the bear: ‘O divine one, you have been sent into the world for us to hunt you. O dear little deity, we worship you; hear our prayer. We have nourished you and we have raised you with much labour because we love you. Now that you have grown up, we send you to your father and mother. When you come to them, speak well of us and tell them how kind we have been; please come to us again, we will then sacrifice you.”

“The greatest danger in life is that the food of men consists entirely of souls.”

Quotes from: Roberto Calasso, The Heavenly Hunter, p. 12.
(Unfortunately, the source for the second quotation, which is also listed there, is inadequate).