“Johnny and the Fighting Bear”
By Mollie Smith Waters
Growing up, I used to hear this story about how two of my uncles got into a fight with a bear. This story is my imagining, and other family member’s retelling of it, rolled into one.
Now it came to be one mild October night that Harvey and Johnny ventured to Dothan, Alabama, for the annual Peanut Festival. Of course, both men had had more than their fair share of good old Jim Beam upon entering the gates of the Dothan fairgrounds and were, therefore, ready for a night of mischief.
The lights from the Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, and the half-dozen other rides at the festival cast a brilliant glow into the night sky, but the effect was completely lost on the two drunken men, who had spent the better part of an hour wandering around and eating boiled peanuts.
But then, it happened. Harvey and Johnny practically stumbled into the fair’s main attraction: a six-foot tall, trained fighting bear.
A crowd had gathered around a short, fat man in a seersucker suit who was standing on a box in front of the bear’s cage. He was talking loudly and pointing at the cage behind him.
Harvey and Johnny approached the crowd and listened in as the man was saying, “That’s right, folks! Step right up! Hurry, hurry, hurry! Who’ll be the first to step into the cage with Rusty, the fighting bear? Now don’t be shy! Don’t crowd! Everyone can have a chance!”
When no one stepped forward, the man began his pitch again. “What!” he cried indignantly. “Is there no man among you brave enough to risk ten dollars on a chance to win $500? Who here is a true sport?”
At the mention of the word money, Harvey’s ears perked up. Being the businessman of the duo, Harvey quickly surveyed the situation. A smile spread across his face.
“Hey, mister!” Harvey called to the short, fat man. “Whatcha gotta do to get that $500?”
“Why, son,” the man called back, “all you have to do is stay in the cage for five minutes with Rusty, a trained fighting bear. If you can beat him in a fair fight, then you win $500, cash! All you have to do is put up the ten bucks!”
Harvey looked into the cage at Rusty, who was eating the remainder of a hot dog a young girl had pushed through the cage bars. Rusty looked tame enough, but Harvey quickly decided he would never be so drunk to get into a cage with a bear, trained or not.
At this point, Johnny inched up to Harvey’s side.
“Shoot, Harvey,” Johnny whispered. “I can whip that bear! Look at him! He’s sitting there meek as a lamb. Why, it’d be easy money! Easy money, Harvey, you know what I mean?”
Harvey stared at Johnny, whose eyes gleamed with intoxication. He was smiling.
“Come on, Harvey,” Johnny continued. “You got the dough, and I got the strength. Don’tcha wanna put up that $10 on me? We’ll split the prize fifty-fifty! After all, it’d be your money what got me in and my skill what won it. Easy money! You know what I mean? Won’t even be much of a fight! Whatdya say, Harvey?”
Harvey, who had not moved during Johnny’s boast, watched the bear intently. The bear did seem quite tranquil, and it could be that Johnny might win. After all, Johnny could fight with the best of them. Yes, Johnny might win, but the thought that pleased Harvey even more was the one where Johnny lost. Seeing Johnny taken down a notch or two would be sheer entertainment in Harvey’s mind.
“Mister,” Harvey called without looking at Johnny, “mister! My friend here’ll take that bet. Here’s the ten bucks. Now put him in and let ‘um rip!”
A roar of anticipation went up from the small crowd as Johnny stepped up to the man on the box.
“Now, son,” the man began as he took the ten dollars from Harvey, “there are only two rules. First, no weapons. This is hand-to-hand combat. Next, if you do start getting the better of that bear, you get out when I say so.”
Johnny laughed as he tore off his shirt and tossed it to Harvey. He thumped his chest and said to the man, “No problem, mister! Just lemme at him!”
The man looked at Johnny, chuckled, and said, “Now, boy, you just wait a minute here and let me give you a word of advice ‘bout that bear. The rougher you get with him, the rougher he’s gonna get with you.”
“Shoot, man, that’s the way I like it! Let’s go! I got $500 coming to me in five minutes,” Johnny exclaimed.
The man shook his head, then opened the cage door, and Johnny stepped inside. Rusty was sitting in the opposite corner of the cage and did not appear to care much about the newcomer’s arrival. Johnny stood still for a moment to allow his eyes to become accustomed to the darkness of the cage.
Some men in the eager crowd began shouting at Johnny. “Get over there, boy!” “Let him have it!” “Give him what fur!”
Johnny just smiled, flexed his biceps, and let out a whoop of excitement. “Don’t worry! This bear’s about to get the lickin’ of his life!” he cried out.
And with that, Johnny began whopping and hollering as he strutted back and forth inside the cage. Rusty did not move.
“Ah, quit struttin’ like a peacock, Johnny! Get over there and whip that bear,” Harvey yelled.
“Harvey,” Johnny called back, “get ready to see some fur fly! I hope you got some plans for your half of that $500!”
The crowd laughed as Johnny walked up to Rusty. The bear stood up and slapped a playful paw at the finger Johnny was wagging in its face. On its hind legs, the bear towered a few inches above Johnny’s head, but it did not make a move to bother the man. Rusty’s height did nothing to quell Johnny’s cockiness either. Johnny reached over and gave the bear a slight shove. Rusty let out a small groan, but still did not attempt to harm Johnny.
Harvey walked up to the cage with a gleam in his eyes. “Johnny, I thought you was gonna whip that bear. You said you were gonna give it the lickin’ of its life. What’s your hold up? Quit playin’ and start fightin’!” Harvey sneered.
“Ah, hold your horses, Harvey,” Johnny flashed back. “I’m just feelin’ him out. ‘Sides, I got five minutes, and I don’t wanna rough him up too bad.”
“Well, just you get at it!” Harvey replied.
The crowd moved impatiently towards the cage. “Go on!” someone yelled. “Give it to him!” came another retort.
The short, fat man walked up to the cage. “Now, boy,” the man began. “You ain’t gonna get one penny of that $500 for just standing there. The deal is you have to fight him and win! No refunds on that ten bucks either.”
“Alright, alright!” Johnny exclaimed. “Y’all just watch this!”
With that, Johnny walked right up to Rusty and popped him square on the nose. Rusty shook his head and put a paw up to the spot Johnny had just hit. The bear let out a loud yell. Johnny pulled back his fist and dealt Rusty a harder blow upside the head. This time, the bear lunged at Johnny, who made a quick side step and hit it on the back. Rusty was furious now. The bear swung back its large paw, and it dealt Johnny a devastating blow. Johnny flew backwards and hit the cage bars with a thud.
“Get up, Johnny! Get up!” called Harvey from outside the cage. “Here he comes!”
Johnny sprang to his feet and tried to move out of the bear’s way without success. Rusty came down hard on Johnny and dealt him a series of quick blows. Johnny rolled to the bars of the cage, momentarily out of Rusty’s reach.
“Harvey! Harvey!” Johnny screamed. “Get me out of this cage! Hurry up, Harvey! This bear’s gonna tear me to pieces!”
Johnny jumped up and ran as Rusty came towards him. For a few brief moments, Johnny managed to avoid Rusty’s punches. The crowd yelled and laughed as Johnny raced back and forth across the cage just out of Rusty’s reach.
“Get him, boy!” “Run!” “Look out!” came the yells from the crowd. The short, fat man was sitting on his box with his head resting in the palm of his hand. He looked up with eyes that were streaming tears from laughter. “I told you!” the man called. “I told you not to get too rough with that bear!”
Johnny yelled when Rusty finally caught up with him. The bear began another series of punches that fell in various places over Johnny’s body. Johnny lay doubled up in the middle of the cage with his arms wrapped protectively around his head. He called out for help as the bear continued its assault.
“Get up, Johnny!” Harvey screamed, and he ran to the short, fat man. “Mister, call that bear off now! Get him off of him! He’s had enough. We’ve all had our fun,” Harvey pleaded.
“Okay! Okay! Rusty, down! Down, Rusty, down!” the man yelled to the bear. Rusty backed away from Johnny, who did not move. He let out a low moan.
“Johnny! Johnny!” Harvey called. “Are you alright, Johnny? It’s over. The man called him off. Get up, Johnny. You’re through!”
Johnny began to drag himself to the cage door, which now stood open. “Where’s that bear”? Johnny muttered. “Gonna lick ‘im.” Ain’t through. Lord, get me out of here.”
The crowd laughed and began to disperse. Many were already recalling the entertainment as they walked away. Harvey met Johnny at the cage door.
“What happened to you?” I thought you was gonna lick that bear good! Now you’re all beat up, and I’m out ten bucks,” Harvey complained.
“Just get me out of here,” mumbled Johnny. “Ready for home. Can’t stand up.”
The short, fat man stood at the door wiping tears from his eyes.
“You need some help outta that cage, son?” he asked. “I hate to say I told you so, but…” The man’s voice trailed off in Johnny’s mind as he began to float in and out of consciousness.
Harvey helped a limping Johnny out of the fairgrounds. Many people stopped to look at the two men as Harvey urged Johnny into the truck.
Johnny moaned all the way home. Harvey fussed lightheartedly while taking sips from his bottle of Jim Beam.
“Yeah, you sure think you’re something,” Harvey laughed, “but how are you feeling now?’
Johnny moaned back, “I think I’ve been in a fight, Harvey. Must’ve been with a big sucker, too. Did I win?”
Harvey nearly choked on his gulp of whiskey. “Yeah, you won alright!” he said.
The rest of the ride was quiet.
*Mollie Smith Waters is a professor of composition, literature, theater, and speech at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College in Greenville, Alabama. Waters is a past-participant of several National Endowment for the Humanities summer programs, including seminars on the American Lyceum, the Pilgrims & Wampanoag Indians, and the Transcendentalists. In 2008 she was a Group Study Exchange Team Member to Brazil. In 2013, she directed her first play, Crimes of the Heart, and she helped to create the Greenville Community Theatre. Waters has been a teacher for seventeen years. During her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and walking. She is married to Ronald Waters, and she has a son, Reagan, and a step-daughter, Katelin.
Ferris Wheel: Deborah Fagan Carpenter
Bear: Wikimedia
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