The Bear’s Tale 1940

Once upon a time, there was a humorous and creatively reimagined version of the classic children’s story, Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The animated tale begins in a charming little cottage inhabited by Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear. As they sit at the breakfast table, eagerly awaiting their porridge, an unexpected mishap occurs when a bowl of porridge drops onto the table in front of each of them. They quickly deduce that their porridge is too hot to eat and decide to take a leisurely ride through the forest to cool down.

Mama Bear takes a moment to check her appearance in a mirror, turning it to view her reflection from behind, giving viewers a glimpse of her backside. Meanwhile, the family heads for the door—Baby Bear leaves through a small door, Mama Bear through a medium-sized door, and Papa Bear through a large door. We see them riding through the woods on a tricycle; Mama and Papa decide to take a break from pedaling, leaving Baby Bear to continue powering the tricycle out of fear of crashing.

The story then introduces Goldilocks, who is skipping carelessly through the forest and comes upon the Bears’ cottage. She knocks on the door and is about to enter when unexpectedly, the Big Bad Wolf, portrayed in bed dressed in Grandma’s nightgown and cap in a humorous twist, greets her. The wolf’s voice is deep as he says, “Come in Little Red…”, then quickly softens to a female tone, “Come in Little Red Riding Hood!”. When Goldilocks opens the door, the wolf looks surprised and questions her, saying, “What is this, a frame-up? Who are you?”. She introduces herself, asking if this is the home of the Three Bears, to which the wolf sarcastically responds, “Nah, this isn’t where the Three Bears live! That outfit lives two miles down the road at the first stop signal!” Before she can cause trouble, he shoos her out.

Realizing that Goldilocks is the girl from the well-known story, the wolf hurries off to the Bears’ cottage, catching a cab with the command, “To the three Bear’s house, and step on it! I’ll take care of any tickets!” Once inside, he sneaks into the Baby Bear’s bed, waiting for his chance to act.

Meanwhile, as Papa Bear humorously tries to imitate a police siren—only to be laughed at by Mama—the Bears arrive home to find their bowls of porridge empty. Upstairs, the wolf is loudly sneezing in the bed, which raises their suspicion of an intruder. All the Bears quickly hide under the table, trying to stay out of sight. Papa Bear, gathering some courage, declares he will confront the intruder upstairs. Walking into the room, he expects to see Goldilocks, but instead, he finds the wolf and, overwhelmed by fear, runs back downstairs shouting, clutching his family. They all dash out of the house in a comedic chase scene, with the narrator providing a humorous commentary: “So over the hill went the three Bears. Papa Bear, the Mama Bear, and the little ‘bare behind’”. As Baby Bear runs away, his pants slip down, revealing his bare bottom in a funny final touch.

Meanwhile, Little Red Riding Hood, on her way to visit her Grandma with a basket of goodies, notices something strange when she calls out and finds a note pinned to her grandma’s pillow. It reads, “Dear Red: Got tired of waiting. Have gone to Three Bears’ house to eat up Little Goldilocks. Love, the Wolf.” Alarmed, Red quickly picks up the phone to warn Goldilocks of the wolf’s plans. Goldilocks, who is upstairs feeling sleepy from eating too much porridge, is in the process of climbing the stairs when the phone rings. She answers just in time, and then passes the note to Goldilocks, who reads it with a mixture of surprise and gratitude. She thanks Red and ends the call, even checking the coin slot for loose change—a humorous detail emphasizing her absent-mindedness.

As the Bears return home, they discover their empty bowls and anxiously listen for sounds upstairs. Sure enough, they hear the wolf sneeze and realize someone is hiding inside. Panicked, they scramble for cover beneath the table. Papa Bear, trying to be brave, decides to investigate further, climbing the stairs with a determined look. When he finally opens the door to the bedroom, he is stunned to see the wolf instead of Goldilocks. Overcome with fear, he can’t speak and quickly runs downstairs, grabs his family, and they all escape the cottage in a frantic chase. As they leave, the narrator humorously describes their departure: “So over the hill went the three Bears. Papa Bear, the Mama Bear, and the little ‘bare behind’”, and as Baby Bear runs off, his pants slip down once again, revealing his bottom in a comically exaggerated way.

This lively adaptation of the beloved story combines humor, surprise, and playful twists, making it a delightful retelling for viewers of all ages. The characters’ exaggerated antics and the blending of different story elements create a whimsical and entertaining experience, full of memorable moments and comic misadventures.