The Disappointed Bear
by Unknown · from Tales of Laughter: A third fairy book
Adapted Version
Once upon a time, in a big green forest, lived a clever old woman named Grandma Lily.
Grandma Lily lived in the forest. She saw a tall tree. It had many red berries. Grandma Lily climbed the tree. She picked the yummy red berries.
Big Bear walked in the forest. He was very, very hungry. He looked up at the tree. He saw Grandma Lily. "Come down!" Big Bear said. "Come play a game with me!"
Grandma Lily was very clever. "I am too small," she said. "I am not good for playing. My children are bigger. Leo and Mia are at my house. They are better for playing."
Grandma Lily took off one shoe. She threw it down. "Chew this shoe," she told Big Bear. "I will take you home soon. You can play with Leo and Mia."
Big Bear chewed the shoe. It was not very good. He was still very hungry. He felt a little cross. "Come down now!" Big Bear said. "Come down, Grandma Lily!"
Grandma Lily took off her other shoe. She threw it down. Big Bear chewed this shoe too. It gave Grandma Lily more time. She picked more red berries.
Grandma Lily climbed down the tree. She walked home. Big Bear walked behind her. He was very excited. He wanted to play with Leo and Mia.
They came to Grandma Lily's house. "Run around now," she told Big Bear. "It will make you ready. You will be ready to play. I will get Leo and Mia ready."
Big Bear ran in the woods. He ran and ran all day. He thought about Leo and Mia. He wanted to play.
The sun went down. It was evening now. Big Bear came back. He knocked on the door. He was very excited. "Leo and Mia!" he called. "I am ready to play now!"
Grandma Lily spoke from inside. "Oh, Big Bear," she said. "Leo locked the door tightly. Mia is sleeping now. She is very sleepy. I am too old. I cannot open the door. Come some other day!"
Big Bear understood now. Grandma Lily was very, very clever! He walked away slowly. His head was down. He felt very sad. He was still very hungry. Grandma Lily and her children were safe inside.
Grandma Lily was small, but she was very, very smart! Being smart is a wonderful thing.
Original Story
The Disappointed Bear
Once upon a time a little old woman, who was walking in the forest, climbed up into a wild-cherry tree to gather cherries. Now, a bear espied her, and he came under the tree and cried, “Come down, old woman, that I may eat you!”
“Go along with you!” answered the old woman. “Why should you eat a scrawny old woman like me. Here, gnaw upon my shoe till I come down, and I will take you to my house; I have two little children there, named Janko and Mirko; they will make you a right savory dish. So have patience till you get them.”
So said the little old woman, and threw down one of her shoes. Master Bruin gnawed and gnawed upon it, but the more he gnawed the hungrier he grew. Greatly enraged, he screamed up to the old woman:
“Come down, you old wench, and let me eat you!”
“Just wait a little longer, till the old wench has gathered enough cherries,” she answered. “Here, gnaw this other shoe a while; she’ll soon come down and show you the way to her house.” So saying, she threw down the other shoe.
When Bruin found that the second shoe was no juicier than the first, he made no further effort, but contented himself with thinking of the fat little children at the old woman’s house. When she had gathered cherries enough, down she came and went home, the bear tramping along behind her.
When they reached the house the old woman said: “I’ll tell you what; first let me give the children a good supper, that they may be all the fatter; and meanwhile do you run about till evening to get up a better appetite.”
44So Bruin went away and ran about in the woods all the rest of the day, and at evening he came back to the hut.
“Here I am, little mother!” he cried; “now bring out Janko and Mirko, and see me polish them off. I am starving to death!”
“Oho!” answered the little old woman from within; “Janko has made the door fast with bolts, and I have just put Mirko to sleep. I couldn’t think of waking him. And the little mother is so old and weak that she can’t unbolt the door alone. Come some other day!”
Then Master Bruin perceived that he had been fooled, and he walked reluctantly away, with drooping snout and an empty stomach.
Story DNA
Moral
Even the weak can outsmart the strong through cleverness and quick thinking.
Plot Summary
An old woman gathering cherries is confronted by a hungry bear who wants to eat her. She cleverly distracts him by throwing down her shoes to gnaw on, promising him her two children as a better meal. After she safely descends and goes home, she convinces the bear to go run around to build an appetite while she 'fattens' the children. When the bear returns, she refuses to open the bolted door, revealing her trick. The disappointed bear, realizing he's been fooled, leaves hungry.
Themes
Emotional Arc
fear to relief
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This type of trickster tale, where a weaker character outsmarts a stronger predator, is common across many cultures, often reflecting the ingenuity of common people against perceived threats.
Plot Beats (12)
- An old woman climbs a wild-cherry tree to gather fruit.
- A bear sees her and demands she come down to be eaten.
- The old woman, from the tree, suggests she's too scrawny and offers her two children, Janko and Mirko, as a better meal.
- She throws down one shoe for the bear to gnaw on, promising to lead him to her house and children later.
- The bear gnaws the shoe, growing hungrier and more enraged, and again demands she come down.
- The old woman throws down her second shoe, further delaying him while she finishes gathering cherries.
- The old woman descends and walks home, with the bear following her.
- At the house, she tells the bear to run around and get a better appetite while she fattens the children.
- The bear spends the day running in the woods.
- In the evening, the bear returns, demanding Janko and Mirko.
- The old woman, from inside, tells him Janko has bolted the door and Mirko is asleep, and she is too weak to unbolt it.
- The bear realizes he has been tricked and walks away, disappointed and hungry.
Characters
The Little Old Woman
Small in stature, with a scrawny build, indicative of her age and perhaps a life of hard work. Her movements, while initially agile enough to climb a cherry tree, are later described as 'old and weak' when it comes to unbolting a door.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant attire suitable for gathering food in the forest. Likely a coarse linen smock or dress, possibly with a wool apron, and sturdy, worn leather or wooden shoes. Colors would be muted, earthy tones.
Wants: To protect herself and her children from danger, to survive.
Flaw: Her physical frailty due to old age.
She begins as a vulnerable old woman foraging for food and transforms into a cunning survivor who successfully outwits a dangerous predator, securing her family's safety.
Clever, resourceful, quick-witted, protective, deceptive (when necessary for survival).
The Bear
A large, powerful brown bear, likely a grizzly or brown bear given the European context, with thick fur and strong claws. His size and strength are his primary physical attributes.
Attire: None, as he is a wild animal.
Wants: To satisfy his hunger, specifically by eating the old woman and her children.
Flaw: His gullibility and simple-mindedness, easily distracted by promises of future gratification.
He begins as a confident predator expecting an easy meal and ends as a frustrated, outsmarted, and hungry creature, having learned a lesson in cunning.
Hungry, impatient, easily fooled, gluttonous, prone to rage, ultimately disappointed.
Janko
A young, small child, likely plump as the old woman describes him as potentially 'fat'.
Attire: Simple, comfortable peasant child's clothing, likely a tunic and trousers made of homespun linen or wool in muted colors.
Wants: To be safe and follow his mother's instructions.
Flaw: Vulnerable due to his youth.
Remains a static character, serving as a plot device for the old woman's cunning.
Obedient (he 'made the door fast with bolts'), innocent.
Mirko
A young, small child, likely plump as the old woman describes him as potentially 'fat'.
Attire: Simple, comfortable peasant child's clothing, likely a tunic and trousers made of homespun linen or wool in muted colors.
Wants: To be safe.
Flaw: Vulnerable due to his youth.
Remains a static character, serving as a plot device for the old woman's cunning.
Innocent, sleeping.
Locations
Wild-cherry Forest
A dense forest with wild-cherry trees, where an old woman climbs one to gather fruit. The ground is likely covered with forest debris and undergrowth.
Mood: Initially peaceful, then tense and cunning as the bear confronts the old woman.
The old woman encounters the bear and tricks him with her shoes.
Old Woman's Hut
A small, humble dwelling, likely a traditional Eastern European or Slavic-style hut (izba or similar), with a sturdy wooden door that can be bolted from the inside. It contains children and implies a simple, cozy interior.
Mood: Initially safe and domestic, becoming a place of clever deception and frustrated expectation for the bear.
The old woman further tricks the bear, preventing him from entering her home.