8.5.2010 by Anne Kauth – Translation by Katharina

This is the story of a polar bear who wished only to live the life of a bear, and who wanted to be nothing more than a polar bear.

I dedicate this story to keeper of the bears Thomas Doerflein and his bear Knut, both of whom are legends, and have inspired me to write this booklet.

Special thanks to Victor Hinterleitner who allowed me to use and edit his original pictures of the bears so I could add them to my pictures.

I also want to give special thanks to my “little pumpkin” Norfolk terrier “Sammy – Bear” who played along loyally and whose birth certificate really reads “Pumpkin”.

Anne

You’ll find the German version here

The Polar Bear and the little Pumpkin

Just to let you know up front he was a very friendly bear.

A big bear, beautiful bear, a polar bear.

A polar bear? How did he get here? In this lovely green hill country. The bear was not quite sure himself. One day he got here after a long walk and stayed.

A place of quiet and tranquility. Some evenings, while sitting on top of the green hill and looking down on the little lake below, he tried to sort his thoughts and remember but everything trickled off. Then he looked up in the sky and was incredibly sad for he knew nothing anymore, and, yet, he had a gut feeling he had left a lot behind.

Then came a hot summer day. The bear had been grazing. He had been rolling around in herbs and with the fur on his back being tainted greenish and his paws overheated he just wanted to get to the lake to take a bath. Water, water, swimming, bear-dipping!!!

And maybe even a small fish for his tummy was growling. A small rock loosened from the flank of the hill under his paws and fell into the water of the lake. Ripples started to form and… the bear looked surprised: Out of a crystal frame a face looked to him from the surface of the water. A memory from long forgiven days resurfaced in him:

His bear father, his best friend from childhood days. He, who had carried the little bear boy around in his arms, who had talked, played, and taught him how to swim, and most importantly who had fed him. And who had disappeared without a word one day and no one had told him, the young bear, where and why he left. His bear father, his beloved bear father! The memories of him returned and if bears were able to cry, he would have cried his heart out for he felt so lonely.

As it was, he curled up and fell asleep. He dreamt of his childhood and if you had been there, you would have seen him smile in his sleep.

So, the hill land became his second home. His stomach enjoyed berries, mushrooms, wild apples, and from time to time some honey from raids of bee hives. The occupants of those hives did not sting his nose as they saw that he was a friendly bear who did not destroy the hives and left plenty of honey in the hives. He fished some small fish from the lake daily. He had become frugal. He had built a little den from rocks that he slept in every night. He hummed, licked his paws, and thought a lot. The bear was a very meditative bear.

And just imagine, every night an exceptionally bright star looked down from the sky on the bear through a gap in the den.

One day it happened. When the bear left his den in the morning and was about to start grooming he almost tripped over a red bristly something that stared at him with big afraid eyes.

The bear hummed: “Well, who are you and where are you from?” And he licked his lips.

“I am Little Pumpkin” stammered the little dog, and he quickly added: “I am from the city with the big church, but they didn’t let me in there, and they wouldn’t let you in either because we aren’t humans” …throwing a questioning look at the bear he added “or are you one?”

“Do I look like one?” grinned the bear, and as he realized the little dog did not want to stop stuttering he interrupted him impatiently “Little Pumpkin, Little Pumpkin” he growled “are you a pumpkin?” From deep down a memory resurfaced: A pumpkin, a treat, and he started licking his chops.

“No, no” replied the little one, “I am a little dog but they call me Little Pumpkin. That’s what my passport reads”, he finished proudly.

The bear regretfully thought that if this little dog had a passport, the surely he wasn’t allowed to eat it.

“But why did you come to me” he asked Little Pumpkin and his ears rounded out of curiosity.

“Well, you know HIM and HER who I live with and who feed, love, and care for me told me of a bear who one day disappeared from a zoo in a big city. And SHE who talks to me a lot said: This bear was special. He was a soft, friendly bear who had a destiny.

And I he little pumpkin thought: This proves again that there has to be something more than this. So, I set out to find this bear. Tell me, are you this bear? And did you have a fortune? And what in the world is fortune?” Again Little Pumpkin was bubbling along. The bear deliberately scratched his right ear.

“Little Pumpkin, you are very curious but I am that bear and I have a fate. Fate is the burden one has to carry.” He looked to the sky and fell silent.

“It must have been bad fortune for you to run away from home.” “Home, home, argh, what do you know of me, Little Pumpkin!” the bear called furiously, “I lost my best friend there a long time ago. He just disappeared. Maybe he died. No one ever talked to me about it. He was like a father to me, and he just left me.”

The bear closed his eyes and Little Pumpkin’s heart was trembling because he was so sorry for the bear. “I felt lonely for a long time”, the bear continued and looked into the Little Pumpkin’s dark eyes.

Many people came to my moat. They just wanted to look at me, some quiet, some very loud but most of the time they disturbed me and made me very tired. But that was my fate. “Yeah, that’s a fate”, repeated Little Pumpkin.

Silently, the bear continued: “Should I revolt and stop playing my role; I, the soft friendly bear?”

“But..but”, interrupted Little Pumpkin and as usual out of breath he continued: “you were popular then!”

“Popular, popular, why do I need popularity you little something. What I need is the life of a bear, a true, natural life of a bear, a polar bear, the life my ancestors lived”, finished the bear in a sad voice. By then he had lost his train of thought because Little Pumpkin had interrupted him so many times.

“Pumpkin”, he growled: “be quiet for once”, and he lifted his paws. “I wanted to tell you something important, and you better remember what I am about to say: Bears that revolt and don’t play their part get shot. At least that’s what I heard once. And then they are turned into bedside carpets.”

“A bedside carpet from a bear?” called Little Pumpkin surprised. “We have a bedside carpet at home but it’s homemade.”

“What”, the bear replied, “a homemade bedside carpet made out of a bear?”

“No, no”, the little was really excited, “just a bedside carpet, with no bear in it, it might have a sheep in it”.

“Alright, alright”, the bear was pacified now and continued to talk: “So I didn’t step out of character for there were a few people that were good to me, fed me, cleaned my den, and talked to me and they didn’t deserve a rambunctious bear. And then”, the bear was moved and fell silent for some time, “came something entirely new. It was in the middle of winter and a beautiful polar bear girl was brought to my stone hill”.

“She was also from a big city with a church. Could it be that only women are allowed in there?” The bear seemed a little unsure. “In any case, I was afraid of here in the beginning. She was very fast, wild, and full of spirits. But her first slap in my face is long forgiven.” He grinned. And if a polar bear grins, you know it means something.

“Over time we started getting along much better and loved playing together.”

“I even smacked her ass once and hugged her”, he said bashfully. “Little Pumpkin, I think I loved her.” He sighed and covered his eyes with his paws.

“Then I heard that she, too, was going to leave me. To this day I don’t believe it was her will to do so. See Little Pumpkin that is human will.”

The bear growled from sorrow: “So, I decided to leave, and just like you I thought there has to be more in this world than this.”

“And since the zoo in my hometown has its own railway station, I boarded a train in the middle of the night a few days later. I went to an empty compartment, set down dutifully in a seat, and fell asleep after this hard decision. Sometime later a person came and asked for my ticket. I told him I was from the government. He left me alone after that.”

“Oh boy”, giggled Little Pumpkin, “I wish I had been there, a government bear!”

“I went by train for a long while”, the bear kept explaining,” and then I disembarked. I can’t remember where.”

“I wandered and wandered until I found a quiet little spot here, I built a den and since I had lots of peace and quiet I started thinking. Since then I like thinking, I have become a very pensive bear.”

He lowered his pretty head and Little Pumpkin did not dare to say anything and kept quiet.

By then it was evening for the talks and thought of the bear had used up a lot of time, more so than one can tell here. Both were quiet now.

Then the bear looked at Little Pumpkin for a long time. “You know, Little Pumpkin, you have eyes that look like two big raisins in raisin bread that I used to love to eat”, and his mouth watered. Little Pumpkin scooted away from him.

“No, you don’t need to be afraid of me, I’m not going to hurt you. Your friendship is precious to me and it was good talking to you… Do you want to stay with me?” He carefully stroked Little Pumpkin’s back with his big paw. Little Pumpkin had goose bumps all over.

“Let’s go in the den”, said the bear, “it was a long day and I’m tired”.

He trudged into the den in front of the little dog, which followed him trustfully.

“Here Little Pumpkin, I’ve got a fish for you from the lake. You can have it”, and scrambling in the corner of his den he produced a small dried out fishy that he lay in front of the little dog. The dog was satisfied with that. For that day he only wanted warmth and comfort which he hoped to have found in this pretty bear; and maybe even a new friend.

In front of the den the bear hummed himself to sleep but the little one thought of home, of HIM and HER who really loved him. And since small dogs just like bears do not produce tears – they just have burning eyes at times – he smiled in his sleep when he dreamt of them.

And when the two were sleeping a light glow encased the two and filled the night with magic.

Summer was going strong. The sun warmed the land. The bear and Little Pumpkin had wonderful days. Together they wandered the forests, grasslands, and prairies.

They lay in fragrant herbs and the bear danced in the grass.

But there were other days as well; days when the sky was covered in dark clouds, when lightning strikes and thunder ruled the land. During those days, the two would cuddle together since both the bear and little dog were afraid of storms.

The start of warm summer rain that refreshed the land indicated that the worst was over, and sometimes a rainbow would cast magical light onto the area.

It was during one of those times that the bear rolled from the hill into the lake. What a joy! “Come swimming, Little Pumpkin”, exclaimed the bear.

“No”, called Little Pumpkin.

“Oh, come on!”

“NO!”

“Are you afraid of water?”

“I don’t like water, I don’t like swimming. I also don’t like puddles of water. I always walk around them! Water is wet.” “Oh, Little Pumpkin, water is awesome”, wheezed the bear and he swam and dove and felt good. Often he would also fish, and then both would get full.

During warm summer evenings they would sit in front of the den with stars shining down on them and tell each other stories. Little Pumpkin would tickle the bear’s back who loved that.

And every time they went to bed the light star shone in the den and its rays caressed the two.

One day the night was especially hot and Little Pumpkin said: “Hey bear, in a night similar to this one SHE told me a poem. I still know it, do you want to hear it?”

“Sure, for a change”, the bear hummed, “go ahead.”

So the dog began:

Mondnacht
Dies ist eine von den Nächten,
die du niemals vergisst.
Aus blauem Samt,
bestickt mit Sternenwerk,
tropft silbern das Mondlicht
auf das dunkle Land
und verströmt sich magisch
über den stillen Wald.
Leuchtkäfergefunkel durchflirrt altes Buschwerk grüngolden
Und verlöscht geheimnisvoll in dunkler Tiefe.
Betörender Duft schlafender Blüten
durchzieht die helle Nacht,
eintönig klingt das knarrende Lied
der Frösche vom alten Weiher,
und so sanft und wiegt
das einsame traumzwitschernde Vogelkind in den Schlaf.
Oh, du wundersame Nacht, so selten geschaut!
Dein mondheller Zauber berührt mein Herz,
und meine Seele schließt Frieden.

As he finished he thoughtfully looked at the sky. He relived the memory of this journey that he had undertaken with HIM and HER.

But the bear called: “It is, I think really romantic, but it makes get too warm, especially for a polar bear. Do you know anything colder, something with storm, snow, and cold water?”

“Well, SHE did tell me cold stories. But I can’t recall any of them right now,” Little Pumpkin stammered.

They fought for a while in this manner, then they went into the den and the light star watched over them as they slept.

Fall came. The mornings were filled with fog that came from the valley and only when the fog lifted was the new beauty of the land visible.

There were still happy hours on warm, fragrant days; a bear playing in the water and splashing Little Pumpkin with water until he squeaked , and who set him on his paw to hold him over the water to give him the creeps. Then there were evenings in front of the den with songs and poems for, believe it or not, the two also sang together.

But the bear became more and more quiet. One day, a cold fall wind was blowing and sending leaves flying, the bear started: “I have wanted to tell you this for a long time,” and he continued “when I fled the zoo, I carried a sisal-bag with me. In it were two pictures that I took with me. I’ll show them to you.”

“One shows my bear father and me, the other me and my girl friend”.

The bear looked at the pictures sadly.

“I ask you, Little Pumpkin, to take these pictures with you because I don’t know what is going to happen to me one day.”

“But I don’t know what is going to happen to me either”, exclaimed Little Pumpkin appalled.

Quietly the bear said: “But you have home; I still have to find one.”

“Bear”, the little one was like a duck in water and spluttered. “Bear, just come with me, we have a balcony and a city forest with a small lake.”

The bear stood up and smiled: “I want to see you and me walking through the city forest – people would be scared, call the police and I would be captured again. No, no, I don’t want that anymore.”

They looked at each other and smiled.

“Alright,” said Little Pumpkin, “I will keep your pictures. They will always remind me of you and your fate.”

And one day a winter morning dawned – golden, clear and chilly. The bear had been restless in his sleep. He ran out and danced in the snow.

“Are you in pain, big lovely bear?” asked the little one worriedly.

“No no, I don’t think?” My heart is aching, my foot soles are itching, and my tummy is rumbling strangely.”

His eyes searched for Little Pumpkin: “Am I sick, Little Pumpkin?”

“Rubbish”, he replied, “you suffer from longings. Longings”, he repeated.

“Maybe you’re longing for your city, your bear father, your love?”

“So, I have longings”, pondered the bear. “But I don’t want to go back to my city. My bear father had to leave me, his love caresses my heart to this day. And my girl friend? Yes. It would be good to have her here but I don’t think you would be here still if she was here because she loved to eat little pumpkins.” And the bear wanted to shake from laughter for even though he was a soft bear he still had some dark humor. And he enjoyed himself as the little dog looked at him in disbelief.

“No worries Little Pumpkin, I was just kidding but if you call what I am suffering from longing, then I have enormous amounts of longing in my heart. Come on sit down!”

Little Pumpkin sat down in the snow and listened intently.

“You know”, began the bear, “my ancestors, all polar bears, lived and still live in Alaska, that a land at the North Pole”.

Humans have caught polar bears for many years and put them in zoos all over the world, and sometimes small polar bear cubs would be born. I am one of those cubs.”
“Oh, bear, so you are something special!”

“Haha”, laughed the bear but did not respond and continued instead:

“The humans on the North Pole, Eskimos, call the Polar Bear ‘naduq’ which means extraordinary traveler because we roam large areas every day to find food but also because we have a love for wandering in us. And as long as that land exists with its icebergs, ice floes and great waters I want to go there. You know the saying: there has to be more than this.”

Little Pumpkin stared with big eyes at the bear: “You want to go there? You want to wander that far?”

“I have to, little one, I have to. It is my duty, I am doing it for all polar bears in this world.” He lowered his pretty head towards Little Pumpkin: “Do you want to come with me, little friend? Tomorrow morning we’ll start our journey.”

Little Pumpkin nodded enthusiastically and was just about to yell YES when HIM and HER crossed his mind. The two that loved him so dearly and whom he loved, too. Should he leave them forever? And since he could not cry he smiled: “Bear”, he stammered “bear…”

“I know, Little Pumpkin”, interrupted the bear in a sad voice, “I know you have family that you have to take care of. But you will accompany me for a little bit, will you?”

“Of course lovely bear, I’ll bring you to Alaska. And once you’re in Alaska I’ll wait for a little while to make sure you reached your destination safely. And then I’ll go home”, he said bravely. “Home”, he thought full of joy.

No sooner said than done they left the den the morning in chilly winter weather. I do not know which way they went or how long they wandered for.

All I know is that whenever their way took them through water, the big bear would carry Little Pumpkin on his back for the bear was strong and the dog afraid of water.

And one thing I know for sure. One day Alaska greeted the two, the land of the polar bears, and the home of this bear.

The time to say goodbye came and the two smiled at each other even thought their hearts were burning and Little Pumpkin cuddled in the paws of the bear for one last time.

The bear gave three white hairs to Little Pumpkin that had grown in the fur over his heart. The little dog gave the bear a bunch of red hairs from his tail that he so loved.

“Try not to forget me, Little Pumpkin, and I thank you for the year in which you have become my friend.”

He looked with his good eyes at little one and then walked off into the land of his longings. “Home, home”, he murmured half afraid, half liberated.

Little Pumpkin was left behind and watched woefully for a long time.

Up in the eternal ice the bear turned around and saw that Little Pumpkin was gone.

Silently he kept wandering until he vanished in the ice and I think he was smiling.

Did the little dog get home safely? I am sure of it for how would the two pictures the bear gave him have ended up in this book if he had not.

No one ever had anything from the bear anymore.

Just to say it again:

He was a big, beautiful, and extraordinarily friendly and soft polar bear and his bear father would have been proud of him.