# The Other Day I Met a Bear

"The Other Day I Met a Bear" (also known as "The Bear in the Forest" or "Bear in Tennis Shoes") is a traditional American camp song, sung as an echo song. It uses the same tune that is also used for "Princess Pat" and "Sippin' Cider Through a Straw."

## Lyrics

The traditional lyrics are:
   This is a Repeat After Me song!
   The other day I met a bear Out in the woods Oh way out there
   He looked at me I looked at him He sized up me I sized up him
   He said to me Why don't you run I see you ain't Got any gun
   I said to him That's a good idea So come on feet Away from here
   And so I ran Away from there But right behind Me was that bear
   And then I see Ahead of me A great big tree Oh, glory be!
   The lowest branch Was ten feet up I'd have to jump And trust my luck!
   And so I jumped Into the air But I missed that branch A way up there
   Now don't you fret Now don't you frown 'Cause I caught that branch On the way back down
   This is the end There ain't no more Until I meet That bear once more
Some versions include a verse before the last stanza:
I heard a crack, And then a crunch. And then I was That big bears lunch!
Some versions also include the following lines after the last stanza:
   And so I met That bear once more, Now he’s a rug On my bedroom floor.
The "Bear in Tennis Shoes" version starts with the following lines:
   The other day, I met a bear, In tennis shoes, A dandy pair.
This version ends with:
   The moral of, This story is, Don't talk to bears, In tennis shoes.
   Another version is:
   I met a bear a great big bear I met a bear a way up there
   I looked at him He looked at me I sized up him He sized up me
   He said to me Why don't you run? 'cause I can see you've got no gun
   And so I ran away from there and right behind me was that bear
   I saw a tree a great big tree I saw a tree Oh, lucky me.
   The nearest branch was ten feet up I'd have to jump and chance to luck
   And so I jumped into the air and missed that branch up in the air
   Now don't you fret now don't you frown I caught that branch on the way down
   --here are the new verses.
   --optional verse That's not the end now don't get sore another night we'll tell you more --This verse is if you sing a bit more of the song for several nights - adding more each time.**
   Then I got scared at what I saw 'cause that ole bear got a chainsaw
   He cut my tree he cut it down he cut my tree down to the ground
   And so I jumped into the lake and lost the bear but found a snake
   The snake saw me and I saw him and then I sank 'cause I can't swim
   Down, down I sank into the lake and right behind me was that snake
   Then he turned back with fangs and all what scared him was the waterfall
   One hundred feet is pretty tall but a sharp rock it broke my fall
   Then I crawled out into the swamp and I stood up when I heard "CHOMP."
   --optional verse That's not the end now don't get sore another night we'll tell you more
   When I looked down, what did I see? A crocodile had hold of me.
   And then I thought "This can't get worse." Then it got worse than the last verse.
   The crocodile called seven more and with my legs played tug-a-war.
   Out to the sea the crocs dragged me out to the sea unlucky me
   Then they turned back Oh, happy day... a great white shark scared them away
   The shark rushed in its jaws were wide I saw its teeth and deep inside
   --optional verse That's not the end now don't get sore another night we'll tell you more
   And then I thought "Now I am dead." When I woke up safe in my bed
   I was at camp safe as could be my counselor was calling me
   Come on, wake up You sleepy head It's time to rise Get out of bed
   Let's have some fun You won't guess where We'll take a hike a way up there.

## Other uses

"The Other Day I Met a Bear" is one of the songs sung by Barney the dinosaur on the 1990 children's video Campfire Sing-along except it was shortened to 4 stanzas instead of 10. On Barney & Friends, the tune was used for The Exercise Song. The 2007 album For the Kids Three! includes a version of the song by Barenaked Ladies.
In Japanese, the song is known as "Mori no Kuma-san" (森のくまさん or 森の熊さん), with lyrics written by Yoshihiro Baba. It is on the soundtrack to the film version of Ranma ½ (1989) and an instrumental version is used frequently in the Family Stadium video game series.