Ballad of the Bear
On the day so appointed
You all do proceed
Down to the faire grounds
Upon gallant steeds
All the flags fly aflutter
All the maidens do swoon
And swans swim in circles
Upon the lagoon
You look forward to battle
Your hand has an itch
And your mind fills with fancy
As you long to be rich
But just then from the forest
A figure appears
With a shield, three swords
And wielding two spears!
Who is this behemoth
Joining with the other side?
Your mind fills with fear
Your tongue is quite tied
They wait there below you
Your opponents in battle
And the drums go boom
And the tambourines rattle
“We fight here today,”
Bellows the marshal
“To give thanks that no bears
To our country are partial.
We fight for our God
For goodness and glory
And no bear evermore
Shall sully our story
No child shall vanish
While playing in the wood
With these games I give you
A world bear-free for good!”
The crowd gives a roar
A stomp and a shout
The whistle is sounded
You all turn about
Into the fray you surge
Cut left, right and down
Till the blood in your ears
Pumps the same sound
In the melee all time stops
You sense a great quiet
Though men fall down
All around in the riot
At last it is done!
Though you hardly believe
Just two men stay standing
But do your eyes deceive?
Tis the unknown warrior
Who so late did arrive
There is something about him
Your nerves stand alive
You must win for the team!
The townsfolk applaud
You take a quick moment
To graciously nod
But only one may triumph
You stand there before him
Raising your sword
With a bone-tired limb
He bows to you slightly
As he takes up his own
And you have a strange sense
As if you were alone
Just you and he locked
In this last deadly dance
You intend to strike hard
For this is your chance!
He strikes and he parries
You dance round and round
Until slowly the rhythm
Of the old rite is found
Alas! In a flash!
At a decisive moment
You stumble and fall
Before your opponent
Waiting for a moment
He lays down his dagger
He raises his fists
They all cheer his swagger
But you decide you don’t like
This man with black eyes
You sneak up behind him
And pull off his disguise
The crowd gasps aloud
As they take in the sight
Of a proud soldier bear
Who has won the day’s fight
He turns to you now
And says that he knows you
From long ago in the wood
When worries were few
The archers stand taut
The marshal’s mouth gapes
Fishwives forget gossip
Fools forget japes
“It was our destiny
To unite in camaraderie
Yet of honor and truth
You are but a parody
I have spared you today
Though you loved me not
In my last hope to show you
It’s friendship I’ve sought
So what shall it be?
Are we now friend or foe?
I have tried in my life
Only goodness to sow!”
You all do proceed
Down to the faire grounds
Upon gallant steeds
All the flags fly aflutter
All the maidens do swoon
And swans swim in circles
Upon the lagoon
You look forward to battle
Your hand has an itch
And your mind fills with fancy
As you long to be rich
But just then from the forest
A figure appears
With a shield, three swords
And wielding two spears!
Who is this behemoth
Joining with the other side?
Your mind fills with fear
Your tongue is quite tied
They wait there below you
Your opponents in battle
And the drums go boom
And the tambourines rattle
“We fight here today,”
Bellows the marshal
“To give thanks that no bears
To our country are partial.
We fight for our God
For goodness and glory
And no bear evermore
Shall sully our story
No child shall vanish
While playing in the wood
With these games I give you
A world bear-free for good!”
The crowd gives a roar
A stomp and a shout
The whistle is sounded
You all turn about
Into the fray you surge
Cut left, right and down
Till the blood in your ears
Pumps the same sound
In the melee all time stops
You sense a great quiet
Though men fall down
All around in the riot
At last it is done!
Though you hardly believe
Just two men stay standing
But do your eyes deceive?
Tis the unknown warrior
Who so late did arrive
There is something about him
Your nerves stand alive
You must win for the team!
The townsfolk applaud
You take a quick moment
To graciously nod
But only one may triumph
You stand there before him
Raising your sword
With a bone-tired limb
He bows to you slightly
As he takes up his own
And you have a strange sense
As if you were alone
Just you and he locked
In this last deadly dance
You intend to strike hard
For this is your chance!
He strikes and he parries
You dance round and round
Until slowly the rhythm
Of the old rite is found
Alas! In a flash!
At a decisive moment
You stumble and fall
Before your opponent
Waiting for a moment
He lays down his dagger
He raises his fists
They all cheer his swagger
But you decide you don’t like
This man with black eyes
You sneak up behind him
And pull off his disguise
The crowd gasps aloud
As they take in the sight
Of a proud soldier bear
Who has won the day’s fight
He turns to you now
And says that he knows you
From long ago in the wood
When worries were few
The archers stand taut
The marshal’s mouth gapes
Fishwives forget gossip
Fools forget japes
“It was our destiny
To unite in camaraderie
Yet of honor and truth
You are but a parody
I have spared you today
Though you loved me not
In my last hope to show you
It’s friendship I’ve sought
So what shall it be?
Are we now friend or foe?
I have tried in my life
Only goodness to sow!”