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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE BEAR STORY by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY

Poet Analysis

First Line: W'Y, WUNST THEY WUZ A LITTLE BOY
Last Line: -- AN' THAT'S ALL.
Subject(s): ANIMALS; BEARS; BOYS; FORESTS; WOODS;
W'Y, wunst they wuz a Little Boy went out
In the woods to shoot a Bear. So, he went out
'Way in the grea'-big woods -- he did. -- An' he
Wuz goin' along -- an' goin' along, you know,
An' purty soon he heerd somepin' go @3"Wooh!"@1
Ist thataway -- @3"Woo-ooh!"@1 An' he wuz @3skeered,@1
He wuz. An' so he runned an' clumbed a tree --
A grea'-big tree, he did, -- a sicka-@3more@1 tree.
An' nen he heerd it ag'in: an' he looked round,
An' '@3t'uz a Bear -- a grea'-big shore-'nuff Bear!@1 --
No: 't'uz @3two@1 Bears, it wuz -- two grea'-big Bears --
@3One@1 of 'em wuz -- ist @3one's@1 a @3grea'-big@1 Bear. --
But they ist @3boff@1 went @3"Wooh!"@1 -- An' here @3they@1 come
To climb the tree an' git the Little Boy
An' eat him up!
An' nen the Little Boy
He 'uz skeered worse'n ever! An' here come
The grea'big Bear a-climbin' th' tree to git
The Little Boy an' eat him up -- Oh, @3no!@1 --
It 'uzn't the @3Big@1 Bear 'at clumb the tree --
It 'uz the @3Little@1 Bear. So here @3he@1 come
Climbin' the tree -- an' climbin' the tree! Nen when
He git wite @3clos't@1 to the Little Boy, w'y, nen
The Little Boy he ist pulled up his gun
An' @3shot@1 the Bear, he did, an' killed him dead!
An' nen the Bear he falled clean on down out
The tree -- away clean to the ground, he did --
@3Spling-splung!@1 he falled @3plum@1 down, an' killed him, too!
An' lit wite side o' where the @3Big@1 Bear's at.

An' nen the Big Bear's awful mad, you bet! --
'Cause -- 'cause the Little Boy he shot his gun
An' killed the @3Little@1 Bear. -- 'Cause the @3Big@1 Bear
He -- he 'uz the Little Bear's Papa. -- An' so here
@3He@1 come to climb the big old tree an' git
The Little Boy an' eat him up! An' when
The Little Boy he saw the @3grea'-big Bear@1
A-comin', he 'uz badder skeered, he wuz,
Than @3any@1 time! An' so he think he'll climb
Up @3higher@1 -- 'way up higher in the tree
Than the old @3Bear@1 kin climb, you know. -- But he --
He @3can't@1 climb higher 'an old @3Bears@1 kin climb, --
'Cause Bears kin climb up higher in the trees
Than any little Boys in all the Wo-r-r-ld!

An' so here come the grea'-big Bear, he did, --
A'climbin' up -- an' up the tree, to git
The Little Boy an' eat him up! An' so
The Little Boy he clumbed on higher, an' higher,
An' higher up the tree -- an' higher -- an' higher --
An' higher'n iss-here @3house@1 is! -- An' here come
The old Bear -- clos'ter to him all the time! --
An' nen -- first thing you know, -- when th' old Big Bear
Wuz wite clos't to him -- nen the Little Boy
Ist jabbed his gun wite in the old Bear's mouf
An' shot an' killed him dead! -- No; I @3fergot,@1 --
He didn't shoot the grea'-big Bear at all --
'Cause @3they 'uz no load in the gun,@1 you know --
'Cause when he shot the @3Little@1 Bear, w'y, nen
No load 'uz any more nen @3in@1 the gun!

But th' Little Boy clumbed @3higher@1 up, he did --
He clumbed @3lots@1 higher -- an' on up
@3higher@1 -- an' higher
An' @3higher@1 -- tel he ist @3can't@1 climb no higher,
'Cause nen the limbs 'uz all so little, 'way
Up in the teeny-weeny tip-top of
The tree, they'd break down wiv him ef he don't
Be keerful! So he stop an' think: An' nen
He look around -- An' here come the old Bear!
An' so the Little Boy make up his mind
He's got to ist git out o' there @3some@1way! --
'Cause here come the old Bear! -- so clos't, his bref's
Purt' night so's he kin feel how hot it is
Ag'inst his bare feet -- ist like old "Ring's" bref
When he's be'n out a-huntin' an' 's all tired.
So when th' old Bear's so clos't -- the Little Boy
Ist gives a grea'-big jump fer @3'nother@1 tree --
No! -- no, he don't do that! -- I tell you what
The Little Boy does: -- W'y, nen -- w'y, he -- Oh, @3yes!@1 --
The Little Boy @3he finds a hole up there
'At's in the tree@1 -- an' climbs in there an' @3hides@1 --
An' @3nen@1 th' old Bear can't find the Little Boy
At all! -- but purty soon the old Bear finds
The Little Boy's @3gun@1 'at's up there -- 'cause the @3gun@1
It's too @3tall@1 to tooked wiv him in the hole.
So, when the old Bear find' the @3gun,@1 he knows
The Little Boy's ist @3hid@1 round @3somers@1 there, --
An' th' old Bear 'gins to snuff and sniff around,
An' sniff an' snuff around -- so's he kin find
Out where the Little Boy's hid at. -- An' nen -- nen --
Oh, @3yes!@1 -- W'y, purty soon the old Bear climbs
'Way out on a big limb -- a grea'-long limb, --
An' nen the Little Boy climbs out the hole
An' takes his ax an' chops the limb off! . . . Nen
The old Bear falls @3k-splunge!@1 clean to the ground,
An' bu'st an' kill hisse'f plum dead, he did!

An' nen the Little Boy he git his gun
An' 'menced a-climbin' down the tree ag'in --
No! -- no, he @3didn't@1 git his @3gun@1 -- 'cause when
The @3Bear@1 falled, nen the @3gun@1 falled, too -- An' broked
It all to pieces, too! -- An' @3nicest@1 gun! --
His Pa ist buyed it! -- An' the Little Boy
Ist cried, he did; an' went on climbin' down
The tree -- an' climbin' down -- an' climbin' down! --
@3An'-sir!@1 when he 'uz purt' nigh down, -- w'y, nen
@3The old Bear he jumped up ag'in!@1 -- an' he
Ain't dead at all -- @3ist@1 'tendin' thataway,
So he kin git the Little Boy an' eat
Him up! But the Little Boy he 'uz too smart
To climb clean @3down@1 the tree. -- An' the old Bear
He can't climb @3up@1 the tree no more -- 'cause when
He fell, he broke one of his -- He broke @3all@1
His legs! -- an' nen he @3couldn't@1 climb! But he
Ist won't go 'way an' let the Little Boy
Come down out of the tree. An' the old Bear
Ist growls round there, he does -- ist growls an' goes
@3"Wooh! -- woo-ooh!"@1 all the time! An' Little Boy
He haf to stay up in the tree -- all night --
An' 'thout no @3supper@1 neever! -- Only they
Wuz @3apples@1 on the tree! -- An' Little Boy
Et apples -- ist all night -- an' cried -- an' cried!
Nen when 't'uz morning the old Bear went @3"Wooh!"@1
Ag'in, an' try to climb up in the tree
An' git the Little Boy -- But he @3can't@1
Climb t' save his @3soul,@1 he can't! -- An' @3oh!@1 he's @3mad!@1 --
He ist tear up the ground! an' go @3"Woo-ooh!"@1
An' -- @3Oh, yes!@1 -- purty soon, when morning's come
All @3light@1 -- so's you kin @3see,@1 you know, w'y, nen
The old Bear finds the Little Boy's @3gun,@1 you know,
'At's on the ground. -- (An' it ain't broke at all --
I ist @3said@1 that!) An' so the old Bear think
He'll take the gun an' @3shoot@1 the Little Boy: --
But @3Bears they@1 don't know much 'bout shootin' guns:
So when he go to shoot the Little Boy,
The old Bear got the @3other@1 end the gun
Ag'in' his shoulder, 'stid o' @3th' other@1 end --
So when he try to shoot the Little Boy,
It shot @3the Bear,@1 it did -- an' killed him dead!
An' nen the Little Boy clumb down the tree
An' chopped his old woolly head off. -- Yes, an' killed
The @3other@1 Bear ag'in, he did -- an' killed
All @3boff@1 the bears, he did -- an' tuk 'em home
An' @3cooked@1 'em, too, an' @3et@1 'em!
-- An' that's all.



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