the Bear

BEDLAM BEAR

Many years ago in the town of Bedlam, it was the time of the summer festival and market. People came from near and far to enjoy the festival, catch up with the news and be entertained by the street performers.  A large crowd gathered in the Town Square. The weather was hot, trade was brisk and the noise was deafening.
A visiting bear trainer was late and entered the gates on his cart, with the Bear walking behind, chained to the back of the cart.  He set up his stall at the edge of the square, the only space available, and chained the Bear to a post. The bear was tired, hungry, thirsty and very hot under the clear blue sky. The crowd gathered round to watch the wild animal, but it sat quietly panting, too tired to move. Children poked the bear with sticks, but it did not move.  The adults who should have known better thought the Bear was weak, and trained to be docile.  They joined in with the beating and whipped the bear to keep it on its feet and moving. The Bear’s trainer pushed the bear’s food and water out of reach and made sure it could not rest so that the Bear would look fierce for the public.

After many hours of abuse the Bear became hot and angry. A surge of anger raced through its veins, its vision blurred, with wild staring eyes, it tugged and rattled at the chains that restrained it. The crowd roared and laughed at the Bear, as it struggled and fought against the chains. A small child, with cruel intent, hit the Bear in the face, to show how brave he was.

Fierce anger coursed through every part of the bears body as it struggled with the chains.   A weak link in he chains opened under the strain. The bear felt the movement of the metal, and with one vast surge of power broke the chains completely.  Free at last, it lashed out with its paw at the Bear trainer. The crowd drew back in horror, like the tide ebbing from a sandy beach.  A space could be seen between the crowd and the town gate. The bear roared and waved its arms threatening the crowd, which was melting away before its eyes.  The Bear escaped through the gates and into the freedom of the woods without being challenged or stopped.
 
The good Burghers of the town heard about the escape of the bear, and sent the guards into the woods to kill and bring it back. The guards stalked and tracked the bear through the dense woods to a gentle running stream.  By the edge of the stream under a blanket of leaves, the Bear peacefully slept. They killed it before it could wake up. The dead bear was brought back to the town in triumph.

Many tales of bravery and courage were told in the town by those that were in the square or wished they were. The Mayor ordered the bear to be stuffed and mounted in the town hall, as a reminder to the townsfolk, of the event.  The Blacksmith who was also the Farrier, Undertaker and Taxidermist, told the Mayor that he did not want to stuff the animal because it was in such a poor condition. It would be a disgrace to the towns folk that showed such courage. The bear was old, half starved, and lost most of its teeth. The claws were worn down, and the pads of its feet cut and blistered. The skin of the bear was cut in many places, and the hair was falling out. The condition of the animal was so wretched that it would be an insult to have it stuffed. The good Burghers decided to send out envoys to find a better stuffed bear in the neighbouring towns.

A few days later the envoys returned with a huge stuffed bear. The bear was placed in the council chambers in clear view of the public. The stuffed bear was much taller than a man. The arms and legs were thick as tree trunks, the body was a massive and muscular build. The face was held in a savage sneer displaying a full set of sharp teeth. The claws on the feet were long , curved, strong and deadly. The coat was thick, full of glossy hair, which shone in the light. The eyes were jet black buttons, deep and foreboding.  Broken clasps and chains were then fastened to the bears ankles and wrists, with the chains hanging down, as if recently snapped, with awesome strength. Never had the people of Bedlam seen such a splendid animal.

The stories of the wild bear of Bedlam grew with each telling. The bear became a wild demon, driven by hatred of man. New stories of the bears exploits were told.  The bear was famous for its cruelty, and murderous intent. As the stories grew so did the area. Tales of the Bear were told in many lands, in different languages. Children who were naughty were sent to bed with tales of what the bear would do to naughty children. Every evil deed or bad luck of the past was blamed on the bear.