The Children and the Bear (1959)

[Music] Southeast Asia Films presents The [Music] Children and the Bear. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Once upon a time in a zoo in the far north, there lived an unhappy happy [Music] bear. He was a very angry bear. His keeper gave him little to eat and he treated him cruy. [Music] Boys and girls came to look in through the cage. We're so sorry for the bear, they said. We wish he could escape from his keeper. [Music] One day, the bear broke out of his cage. Everyone was excited and frightened. [Music] But the cruel keeper was the most excited and frightened of them all. The bear chased him all over the zoo. [Music] And finally he caught him and ate him up. Hurrah! The children shouted. "Let's make friends with the bear," a big girl said. A little boy reached out to pat [Music] him. And suddenly there wasn't any little boy anymore. [Music] A little girl thought it would be fun to dance with the [Music] bear. Then suddenly there wasn't any little girl anymore, but the bear was much fatter. The big girl thought that the bear was very [Music] handsome. "That bear would never hurt anyone," she told the other children. "I'd like to be his girlfriend. [Music] The big girl listened to the bear's sly talk, but some of the others grew suspicious. "Some of us aren't here anymore," one child said. "And I don't trust that old bear. He's been growing a very fat stomach. [Applause] And he's been getting his fat stomach from eating [Music] children. If any children have been eaten, it's only because they wanted to be. The big girl told everyone who'd listened to [Music] her. How clever he's become since he became strong and fat. some thought. What clever tricks he [Music] does. Children who tried to dance with the bear always disappeared, and the bear grew fatter and fatter. [Music] Others were wiser. When they were asked to dance, they said, "No, thank [Music] you." Two little brothers had been sleeping. I have a bear friend who likes children. The big girl told [Music] them, "When I grow up, I want to be big and strong like a bear." Uh, one of the brothers [Music] said, "Will you play bear hug with [Music] me?" "Yes, let's dance," the bear replied. [Music] And the trusting boy disappeared into the bear's fat stomach. [Applause] Some of the bravest children fought the bear with [Music] sticks. It had been too late to help the boy who'd been eaten up, but at least his sad little brother had been saved. [Music] [Music] Two little girls had been [Music] sleeping. "What happened?" they asked. A friend of yours just came to my free lunchroom. Will you take me to your free lunchroom? [Music] Sure, the bear said. Once again, a fight with little sticks. [Music] A little girl's hat was all that was left. Fighting a bear is dangerous, but it's even worse for those who disappear inside a bear's stomach. When I'm dancing, when I dance, won't you come a little closer? The bear sang to the big [Music] girl. Maybe I will, she [Music] replied. Come closer. Come [Music] [Applause] closer. I don't eat big girls like you, the bear told her. I just like to hug them. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Some of the children got together for a meeting to try to think up a way to protect themselves. [Music] [Applause] The bear was too quick to run away [Music] from. He was too big to be frightened away with little sticks. What could they do? What good were little sticks? They weren't big enough for frightening off a fierce [Music] [Applause] bear. Finally, the children thought of a plan. Why not tie the little sticks together and make a great STO club? [Music] It was too big for any one child to lift by himself. But when everyone lifted together, it was [Music] easy. Don't Don't hit me, you bullies, the bear cried. That big STO club was strong enough to break a bear's [Music] bones. Now that the children had that big club, the bear decided he would stay at a safe distance. And that is the end of the story. [Applause] [Music]