Wichita eagle., 1889-05-11
WILD AND TAME BEARS.
Entertaining Legends and Stories of al
Intelligent and Cunning Beast

Entertaining Legends and Stories of an
Intelligent and Cunning Beast
The other day some Italians visited the
city with the first genuine dancing bear
ever experienced" on the Comstock,
though we have seen something Of clears"
Of another kind, writes Dan de guile in
the Salt Lake City Tribune The educated
bear was at once christened John Kelly"
The children were wild about the dancing
bear. He was set down as being far ahead
Of the organ grinder and his monkey. The
animal had evidently been long in the bust
ness-was a veteran on his particular
stage. He ''tripped q fantastic" but not a
very eight toe'' His waltz was rather
elephantine, and there was a good deal OF
''shuffie'' in even his best efforts, yet the
plantigrade did some lively hopping about
lit is said that these European bears are
taught to dance by being placed on iron
plates heated to an uncomfortable tempera-
ture. When the bear finds his feet burn
ing and gets up on his hind legs and begins
hopping about first on one foot. then on
the other, the trainer sings to him. Final
ly, whenever the animal hears that partic-
ular song, he imagines himself on the hot
iron, and at once gets on his hind feet and
begins hopping about. The story is prob
ably untrue, as the same recipe is given
for teaching turkeys to dance.
The bear is naturally an intelligent and
cunning beast and as he is much in the
habit of moving about on hisshind legs Of
his own accord, to teach him to shuttle
about a little would be no great achieve
ment. The Indians in all parts of the
country greatly respect the bear, CIV
ing him credit for almost human knowl-
edge. In Kamschatka, Norway, Siberia
and other northern regions where bears
are abundant they are looked upon as the
noblest foe, except q human one, which any
man can encounter. The Laplanders call
the bear the dog of God" and the Nor
wegians say it has 'the strength of ten
men and wit of twelve" They seldom
venture to call it by its proper name in
their language (guouztija), fearing that
SHOULD they do SO it will wipe out the in
suit by rending and slaughtering their cat
tie or ravaging their fields. Therefore
they speak Of the bear under the name Of
Mpddanigja-"theo old man with the fur
cloak" Some Alaska tribes of Indians are
equally afraid Of mentioning the real name
Of the bear.
In Siberia, where bears were formerly
very numerous IN some parts OF the coun-
try, they have many stories Of these ami
mails. One Of these is of a singular advent
ure of an old woman in one of the valleys
of the Tadgari and runs about as follows:
The Old woman's COW had strayed and was
nowhere to be found in her usual pastures.
the old lady was in great trouble on ac-
count of the loss of her COW. At last she
concluded to search some of the higher
valleys. Leaving her cottage one morning
early, she rambled on for several hours,
and at last found herself far up on the
Taganai without coming upon any traces of
the fugitive. This was disheartening; still,
she would not give up the search. The
valley she had entered was thickly wooded
with pines In many parts, in others there
were fine open glades, with clumps of bushes
and shrubs and among these she wendell
her way from one little plot of grass TO an
other. Finally she spied the well-known
dark brown hide through some bushes.
The Old woman thought of the many hours
she had been hunting the runaway, and,
stealing very softly on, determined to give
her sufficient chastisement When within
reach of her birchen staff the blows fell
fast. Up sprang the animal and turned
sharply round, when to the good DANES
horror she saw large brown bear. The
two stood staring at each other, apparently
with equal astonishInent and apprehension,
when Bruin, seized with a sudden panic,
turned tail and bolted.
Here the story ends We are not told
whether the dame found her COW, but she
deserved to find her and with her fine
calf.
Near this same spot, which would seem
to be the home of gOod-natured bears,
two children, one four and the other SIX
years of age, one day rambled of from
their parents and frfen DIS, who were hay
making. They had gone from one thicket
to another, gathering berries, laughing
and having great fun. At last they came
to where bear was lying on the grass.
They thought it was dog and ran up TO
the beast without the slightest fear The
bear lazily looked at the little ones without
moving, when they began feeding him Der
rles and playing with him, the smallest
mounting upon his back The bear liked
the berrles and did not dislike the play
Meantime the parents missed their children
and started in pursuit of them. Presently
they came into little sunny glade, and to
their dismay beheld one child sitting
on the back Of a bear and the
OtutE tttIlEE Tue DeSSL IleV called
quickly, when the children ran to them and
the bear got up and slouched away into ths
forest
In Siberia, near the River Tavda, lived
Anna Petrovnaia. famous as bear hunt.
ress throughout the whole country. With
f-er trusty rife she would go alone into the
forests. Her father and brothers were
famous hunters, but she surpassed them
all in daring and in coolness. At the age
OF thirtytwo she had killed sixteen bears.
and wolves and other wild animals innu-
merable- When Anna wished TO take a
hunting ramole she would get up before
daylight put on her hantin9 gear, saddle
her horse, sling her riffs over her shoulder
and. ride away without word 70 any one.
She was SO erratic il her movements
that her absences caused her family no
uneasiness. AT times when she heard her
brothers telling of having seen signs OF a
bear OF an evening. and planning 10 60 out
The next day and hunt Il, Anna would be
on before daylight and they would not ses
her again until she entered the cottage ard