Harry and the Urs Curajos A Bearton Bears Breakaway Story

Harry and the Urs Curajos

Small Bears, Stout Hearts

Introduction:

Harry, always a rather quiet and thoughtful bear, has been extra thoughtful lately. He has been writing his memoirs for some time on and off. You know how it is? This afternoon he has been sitting in his favourite chair up on the escritoire, gently rocking and recalling an adventure he had many years ago. He's been piecing it all together in his mind.

Hello, Harry here. I've been swapping letters with an old friend in the Carpathian Mountains quite a bit lately. You see, I wanted to get a few things straight before telling my story about how I came to be friends with a very little known race of bears who live at the foot of the mountains in a little valley not very far from a very spooky Transylvanian castle.

 

Episode 1

I was walking in those mountains one day seeking the brown bears and hoping to make a documentary about them. I had just finished some sandwiches and was about to carry on my search when to my horror, the ledge I was perched on collapsed and I found myself sliding down the mountain on my bum, rapidly approaching a precipitous drop. It's true you know, your whole life does flash in front of you when something like that happens...

 

Episode 2

Everything since I was a tiny cub replayed itself in my mind as I slid and bumped and fell and rolled and slid some more. Then just as the movie of my life was getting back to the moment that the ground gave way, I fell straight down again and crashed through some trees. I remember the sound of small branches breaking and of the brush thrashing me as I passed through the canopy. 

Bizarrely, I remember the smell of the forest so clearly. If it wasn't for the stronger springy branches further down, flinging me from one to the other, side to side, I probably wouldn't have been so lucky. But a moment later I landed on a loamy forest track on my butt with a thud and a loud "oofff!" as the wind was knocked out of me. 

I sat there dazed for some time rubbing my head as my eyes tried to focus again. Strangely, I felt like crying for a second but I just let out a kind of whimper. Everything was fuzzy, even my thoughts. It took me quite a while but I eventually managed to get up a tad unsteadily. I nearly fell again but I staggered forward and regained my balance. 

As I regained some self control, I peered around at the forest I had landed in. It was actually quite lovely. The sun was streaming in though the open areas in the canopy. The track I was on led steeply up the mountainside behind me and gently downwards in front of me. I was in no mood for a climb so I decided to go down and see what lay ahead.

 

Episode 3 Surely I can't be getting taller? 

I needed to go back up the mountain at some stage and see if my bag and things had stayed put when the ledge collapsed, but for now, I was curious and this might well be as good a route back anyway. 

My mind had begun to clear. I rubbed my head some more as I walked, taking in the woodland scenery and keeping an eye out for the brown bears. It wouldn’t do to wander into one of them and startle it. They can be dangerous after all and need to be treated with the utmost respect. 

The loamy scent of the forest floor had a narcotic effect and I could easily have hollowed out a bed and curled up for an afternoon nap. For a moment though, I felt a little prickle of panic. Had my fall harmed me more than I realised? I reassured myself that I was fine and continued on my journey along the path which seemed to be getting narrower.

I stumbled on a little way before realising that the path had become too narrow to easily walk on. Not only the path but the trees were getting smaller; it was most peculiar.

 

Episode 4

As I continued to descend the hill, the trees got smaller still and closer together and I had to push my way through them a bit. I had a strong sense of foreboding now. I’d never seen trees like this before. But then just up ahead, the path opened up a bit and I saw a bank of rock that looked like a little cliff. It was only up to my waist so I went towards it to climb up and see what lay above it. 

As I approached, what I began to see was truly astounding.

Episode 5

There was a tiny primitive village all laid out before me with little houses and other buildings no higher than my waist. They were all solidly constructed from stone, timber and thatch but there was not a soul in sight. I put my paws on the top of the cliff and leaned forward to get a closer look. 

“Owww!” I cried as something hard struck me on the nose, stinging me painfully. I was beginning to think that this was most definitely not my day when another projectile clipped my ear. “Owww! What is that? Stop that!” 

I had instinctively shut my eyes, but when I opened them, the village was no longer deserted. It was full of tiny bears and most of them were ready to fling more stones at me.

 

Episode 6

Another stone hit me and I stumbled backwards and fell on my already bruised behind. “Stop it! Why are you throwing stones at me? I come in peace.” 

“Who are you? What are you doing here? Did they send you? We’re not defenseless you know!” replied one of the throng. 

Another stone hit me on the snout. “Owww! will you PLEASE stop doing that? I got lost and slipped down the mountain and was trying to find my way again oww! Dop it! Stop it! I’m a visitor in your country and you should have more respect, Owww!” 

The ring leader called to his comrades: “Stop! Put your stones down all of you. He doesn’t look very dangerous to me! Who are you and where do you come from? Do you know the Black Prince? The one they call the Prince of Shadows? Did he send you from up in the castle?” 

“No I’m Harry, I’m a naturalist. I came to find the brown bears; that’s all. Anyway, how come you’re so tiny?” 

“WE ARE NOT TINY! How come you’re so big?” 

“I’m a bear, we are all quite big.” 

“No, we are not. We are bears and as you can see, we are not giants, like you. We are normal size bears; you’re the odd one here mate! Like that Black Prince and his fiendish fellows and those brown bears you came looking for for that matter; all oversized, bulbous and huge. What happened to you anyway? Have you always been so gross?” 

“I’m not gross, I’m very small for a bear. Brown bears are much bigger, as you have probably seen if you ever did see a brown bear!” 

“We know all about brown bears. Brown bears are our friends but those shadowy ones that live in the castle, they are not our friends and if you are one of them you had better hook it back up the mountain now and stay away from us do you hear?” 

With that, there was a volley of stones. Oww, oo, owww, owwwwwah! Will you stop that this minute? That hurt!” 

“Plenty more where that came from lanky!” 

“I come in peace I tell you. I come from Bearton on Sea!” 

“Bearton on sea eh? What trickery is this?” 

“No trick. It’s where I come from originally.” 

“Bearton on Sea eh? We know all about Bearton on Sea! Do you know you look somehow familiar? If you really came from Bearton on Sea tell me who’s the bear that used to live in Bruinton Hall?” 

“That’s easy! That was my uncle Bertie.” 

“You what? Are you for real? Are you really Bertie’s little nephew Harry then? 

“Yes, I am!” 

“Nooooo! You’d better come in. Oh, you can’t because you’re too big but you had better sit down and listen to us, because if you are a good bear like Bertie was when he came by this way you might just be a friend indeed.” 

 

Episode 7 Peace reigns and smiles return.

 

So the Urs Curajos bears took me to a little clearing on the hillside where we could sit and talk, big bear to little bears. 

“We’re so sorry for pelting you with stones Harry. Had we known you were Bertie’s nephew we would have given you a far happier welcome. We have all been so jumpy lately after... Well, you will forgive us I hope and no real harm done eh?” 

“Of course I forgive you. It did sting a bit but I’m alright now,” I said putting on an extra friendly smile. “But what is all this about? Why are you all so jumpy?” 

“Well, it all began a week ago when out of the blue, seven Urs Curajos bears who left our clan years ago returned from their wandering. They had set off to make their fortune, not content like us with the beautiful scenery and bountiful fruits of forest and stream that we have all around us. 

We have it all here you know? Everything a bear could ever need. But it wasn’t enough for them. Some strange spirit of greed and the need for adventure and excitement, beyond that that we can find here took them and off they went. There were twelve of them when they left. They must have lost a few along the way.”

 “My word! Did you know these fellows personally before they left?” 

“Oh yes, we were all very close, as the rest of us are now.” 

The leader, whose name was Benedicta continued with his tale: 

“So they had arrived back and we welcomed them and gave them food and lodgings and then their leader, Vlad, told us he had urgent news for us and that we were in the greatest danger. He told us that they had been captured on their way back here six months ago and were made to work in the kitchens and live in the dungeons of the castle up on the mountain. 

During that time they had learned of things that had spurred them on against all odds to escape and warn us even though they had been terrified of the evil creatures that dwelt up there. They shook when they told us what they feared would happen to them if they had been caught. 

“My word Benedicta! What were they talking about?” 

“Dracul, Harry! Demon bears that live in these mountains. We all felt an icy prickle deep within to hear this. And according to Vlad, they were coming for us!" 

 

Episode 8

“Dracul? Demons? How terrifying Benedicta! But why all of a sudden were these dracul creatures interested in you?” I asked. 

“Vlad believes that the last occupant of the castle had unleashed evil powers whilst disturbing the castle’s catacombs and now the ruling demons haunt the castle whilst the minions prowl the forests around it. They are evil, undead things that delight to eat as normal beings but need more than food to survive. They need the life force of other living creatures to live eternally. They take this by hugging their victims to death and absorbing their life energy. 

These dracul are too small at the moment to attack humans and large animals but they will take small animals and they are growing in strength, size and number. They would have had our estranged brothers but they needed them to work for them as slaves and worse, they were going to use them to lure us to the castle.” 

I must admit that the story so far had caused the fur to stand up on the nape of my neck. I couldn’t help peering about as if there were dracul hiding in the trees around us waiting to pounce. Very much I did not want a cuddle from one of those fiends! Benedicta went on with his story: 

“Of course, we were suspicious of these errant brothers who had abandoned us for a life of chasing riches. We were even more suspicious when they told us that they could help us to get away. They told us that they could buy our homeland and sell it to the local farmers and that that would give us the money we needed to settle elsewhere. We told them we were not likely to run away from demons so easily. We are after all; the Urs Curajos. 

“We may well be afraid of these dracul but we are brave bears as our name suggests. We told them we would stay and fight courageously in spite of any fear until the last. We invited our old brothers to stay with us and fight too.

‘Not bloomin’ likely!’ They told us. ‘You haven’t seen these creatures. You won’t be so brave when they show up. Take the money now and come away with us,’ they said.

‘Not bloomin’ likely,’ said we! 

“After that, they left us but told us they would be back to see if we had changed our minds about selling our land. Nobody in the village slept much that night. We placed guards all around the perimeter and during the night we all heard hideous shrieks and wailing coming from the woods all around us. The dracul had come for us, we thought. But they stayed at a distance.

“The next night we saw shadowy figures circling the village and lights in the forest and flashes in the sky. There was more wailing and we gathered a group of us to go after whatever it was that was terrorising us. We went into the forest with flaming torches and rocks to throw. We didn’t find a thing and this encouraged us a little. They were keeping their distance for now at least. 

“Worse than that though, yesterday, a small party of our kin folk went fishing down at the river and didn’t come back. Five of our brothers are missing. We searched well into the night but have not found a trace of them. What do you make of it all Harry? At least you can see why we treated you so aggressively I hope. Can you help us? What are we to do?"

 We talked for some time longer and evening passed into night. Eventually, it became obvious what we must do.

 

Episode 9

 “We must go to the castle and see exactly what we are up against,” I said. 

“You’re right Harry. We should go at first light. Just the six of us.” 

So it was agreed. We all went back to the village to eat and sleep. For such a tiny people the Urs Carajos bears proved wonderful hosts, satisfying my appetite from their copious stores and providing a lovely sheltered spot for me to sleep.

 As soon as the first rays of morning sunlight began to peek over the horizon we were up and off on our mission. It was strange to see the transitioning woodland as it went from tiny trees that I was a head and shoulders above, to the kind of trees I’m used to, which tower above me. We crossed a little stream that wound its way through the lowlands. 

The sun soon began to rise and shine brightly in the cheery woodland and we began to ascend into the foothills. 

As we soldiered on though, the shadows grew once more and we came out into a clearing with a first sighting of our goal; the dark and mysterious-looking castle on the mountain. Even with the sun now high in the sky, it looked bleak, shrouded in mist and foreboding. 

Every time we emerged from the woodland into clearings we had a better view and we had to slink from one grove to another to avoid the likelihood of being seen by the castle’s inhabitants. Even though it was daylight, we kept a sharp watch for the presence of dracul that dwelt in these woods. Closer and closer we came to the mount on which the castle crouched. Then we began our climb. 

There were wide tracks up the side of the mount and the journey aloft was easier than expected. We had no trouble from wood-dwelling dracul or any other creatures. Soon, we were well hidden just opposite the main gateway to the edifice. It is just as well that we were hidden because no sooner had we settled to wait and watch a while, than there came the sound of voices and the clatter of horse’s hooves and a cart. 

 

There were wide tracks up the side of the mount and the journey aloft was easier than expected. We had no trouble from wood-dwelling dracul or any other creatures. Soon we were well hidden just opposite the main gateway to the edifice. It is just as well that we were hidden because no sooner had we settled to wait and watch a while, than there came the sound of voices and the clatter of horse’s hooves and a cart. 

We watched for the cart to appear around the bend in the track and listened to the voices. These were not the voices of the dreaded demon dracul surely! We remain in the shade of the trees and onto the sunny track appeared first two ponies and then the cart. 

There were no dracul in sight as far as we could see. No humans and no wild bears. The bench at the front of the cart was occupied but a group of maybe twelve very merry and kindly looking bears, no bigger than me, one of whom had the reigns and was skilfully controlling the ponies. In fact, I’m sure I recognised some of them from the inn at which I’d been staying before I set out on my adventure in the mountains the day before.

I turned to Benedicta and the others. “Something here does not add up,” I suggested.

 

Episode 10

 

The cart drew level with the entrance to the castle which was some twenty or thirty feet above a steep stone wall. We heard a door open and a very kindly-looking human lady came out of the castle and greeted the bears. 

“We got everything you wanted for the party Lucy, they even had the Moët & Chandon!” 

“Oh smashing Jasmin, this will be a very special party indeed! Come on, get it all away and we’ll have your favourite for lunch.” 

The cart of bears and shopping from the local village market started around the side of the castle and vanished. “What do you make of all that?” I asked my fellows. 

"You’re right. Something is odd here. These don’t look like dracul to me or like the sort of folks who would be sharing a castle with them,” said Benedicta. 

“No, and we haven’t seen any demon bear-hugging spooks in the woods either. What shall we do?” I said and all agreed that we should make ourselves known to the inhabitants of the castle. The ones we had just witnessed anyway. 

So we walked around the side and found stone steps leading up to the front door. They were steep and unrailed and quite scary in themselves and I had to help the Urs Curajos up but we got to the top and saw lovely hanging baskets overflowing with flowers of the loveliest scent. 

There were more flowers in tubs too and everywhere looked so very cheery. I walked up to the door and pulled a cord that rang a bell with a deep ‘clang,’ Somewhere inside the house and soon the door swung open on well-oiled-hinges. There stood Lucy the human. She was beaming a smile. 

“Good afternoon,” she said. “What may I do for you splendid gentlebears?” She looked at the Urs Curajos bears a little strangely for a moment. 

“We’d very much like to talk to you if we may and you have the time, you see...” 

“Oh do come in,” she said in a most welcoming tone, “and let’s get to know each other in the library. It’s very cosy in there.” 

Well, we followed Lucy into the library and sat down and introduced ourselves. Lucy and the bears had only just inherited the castle and moved in. One of her bears bought in a tray of drinks and joined us. 

“These glasses are a splendid fit for us Urs Curajos!” said Benedicta.

 “Why yes, we got them out of storage the other day when some fellows of yours came by to visit.” 

“Oh? How very strange,” said Benedicta. "None of my village has been this way before as far as I know. Not in my lifetime anyway. I thought it was deserted." 

"Was it empty for a while before you move in Lucy?” I asked. 

“Generations, Harry. Well, I thought that something was odd about them. You see they came to me because they knew that I come from a legal background. They said that they wanted to acquire your land and wanted me to help them gain legal possession of it. I did a little research and didn’t like the sound of it at all so we sent them packing lickety-spit!” 

“How many of these bears were they if I may ask please?” said Benedicta. 

“Why, seven of them.” 

Well, we were amazed. We told Lucy and Bartholomew her right paw bear everything that we had discovered since the return of the seven; Including the fact about the missing villagers. It was her turn to be amazed.

 “Well I’m a little old for chasing errant bears and fighting but my bears will all help you get your friends back I’m sure, will you Bart?”

 “But of course Lucy. I’d say the sooner the better. I’m sure we can get this wrapped up in time to prepare the party, shall I rally the troops?” 

“Yes please, Bart. This is a very serious matter, and if the party has to wait, then it will. We must rescue those bears immediately and expel the seven rebels and banish them for good!” 

And so it was that we set out to find and do battle with the seven rebels who had been posing as dracul and terrorising our village.

 

Episode 11

The journey back to the Urs Curajos village was a lot quicker than the outbound one. There were enough larger bears to carry the Urs Curajos for most of the way, speeding the march up considerably. When they arrive at the village they were amazed to find three of the rebels waiting to talk to them, cheerfully enjoying the company and hospitality of the villagers. 

“Play along with them for a moment will you, I want to speak with Sorina and find out what is afoot,” said Benedicta before going off to speak to his wife. He soon came back with Sorina and six burly Urs Curajos bears and Sorina ordered the six to take the three rebels prisoner and tie them up. 

The six dragged the rebels kicking and screaming to a nearby tree and tied them securely to it. They began to pile brushwood all around them to scare them. The rebels began to plead, suitably scared it seemed. They were lily livered cowards. Benedicta demanded to know what they wanted with the Urs Curajos' land. At first, they wouldn’t say but kept quaking and quailing to be let go. Benedict bought a flaming branch from the village fire and the most cowardly rebel cracked and spilt the beans.

 “It’s the trees! You have no idea how much they are worth. There is a huge worldwide demand for Bonsai trees and they are so slow to produce. You are surrounded by a fortune and you are too stupid to realise it.” 

“It is you who is stupid you stupid fellow,” said Benedicta. We know the value of these trees alright, far better than you it seems. These trees are the linchpin of our whole ecosystem. Without them, we would be living in a dust bowl and would starve. With them, we have a bountiful environment which supplies all of our needs and all of our wants too for that matter. We don’t want money like you filthy curs. We can’t eat money or build a house with banknotes! We are not greedy, acquisitive hoarders like you. Now where are our friends? Where have you taken them?”

 In a rage, one of the rebels said, “You’ll never find them alive without our help. Let us go and give us half the land!” 

Benedicta went to the fire and drew out a particularly lively flaming branch and threw it on the brushwood.

 “Nooo! They are up in the caves at the foot of the mountain next to the lake. Let us go. Pleeeease!”

 Benedicta nodded and two of his companions pulled the brushwood away and put out the fire which had already begun to catch.

 I turned to Bart and said, “I wouldn’t mess with Benedicta would you?”

 “No,” said Bart. I wouldn’t mess with his Sorina either!”

 “Keep watch on them,” said Sorina. “We will go and sort out your companions and bring them back here. If you are lying to us...” She motioned toward the brushwood which was now smoking but free of flames and several Urs Curajos replaced it around the tree and the rebels. 

Benedicta and Sorina took ten villagers and went in search of their imprisoned fellows. They thanked us but said that they would like to take care of this business themselves. 

I turned to Bart and said, “Looks like we weren’t needed after all.” 

“No, these little bears live up to their name,” said Bart. 

It was about an hour before the Urs Curajos returned with the fisherbears helping to carry the rebels in the cage they had built to hold their victims. They placed it next to the fire and piled more brushwood around it.

 The rebels all pleaded like frightened puppies as Sorina walked slowly forward with a flaming branch. There were howls now and more bleating.

 “I should throw this now,” she said. “Your kind never learns your lesson. If we let you go you will go on being greedy and trying to take from others, yes?” 

“Noooo, we promise, we promise we swear!” 

“Cowards!” she said and everyone in the village shouted what cowards they were. 

“We will let you go and you will go on being greedy. One day you will look back and see how much beauty and natural bounty has passed you by. But if we ever see you again within a hundred miles of our village, you will not be so lucky next time. Let them go and drive them away!” 

They didn’t take any driving; as soon as they were free they pelted off into the forest as if a thousand dracul were after them for a very intimate hug!

 Bart turned to Sorina and said, “You truly are amazing people. I would very much like to get to know you better and I’m sure Lucy would too. You too, Harry. Will you come to our party?”

 “We will,” everyone agreed. “Thank you!” 

And so it was that the Urs Curajos, the castle bears, Lucy and I became the greatest of friends. The Urs Curajos land is still safely hidden from public awareness on the castle estate. It is a peaceful land and the Urs Curajos now live in peace upon it. I have some wonderful friends in the Carpathian Mountains. I didn’t get to see the brown bears on that visit but I have seen so much besides but thankfully not; a single bear hugging dracul!