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In nineteen thirty-who at a zoo in Los Angelesa polar bear named Larry performed for the crowd,they'd cheer aloud
He'd go slipping and sliding, jumping and diving
The people would laugh. They took his photograph.
Larry was born at the zoo
He never knew as he grew olderanything colderthan Los Angeleswhich is warmer than Alaskawhere Larry's parents were born.CHORUS:
Larry the polar bear
He'd never harm a hair on a child's head
He'd do tricks for themat the Los Angeles zoo,as he'd been taught to by his keeper Fran.
Fran would teach him new tricks
A funny posescratching his nose
He knew there'd be a fish at the end,
Fran was his friend.
One day she said "
Larry, you'll be in the movieswith real movie stars and a few simple tricksand lots of fishto be filmed on location in Alaska."and so they rehearsed for Larry's big scene,
He's supposed to be meanand growl at a woman who was rescued by a man who scared him away
It was stupidbut fun to do.
The director would frownand jump up and downkind of like the chimps at the zoo.CHORUS
At last came the day of the trip
They put Larry in a cratetwelve foot by eightand he sailed aboard a steamship
The journey was longand boring
Fran would visitshe'd talk to himand bring him his favorite fishthen the noise and the rumbling stoppedand they lowered him downset the crate on the frozen groundand opened it
Fran said "
Larry, we're here
It's time for your tricks."
And Larry appeared
He looked out at the gray Bering Sea
He squinted and puzzledput his nose to the windand the scent of the seal made him tremble
He smelled the fox in its lairand the weasel and harefelt lichen and snow 'neath his paws,and he looked at the tundra and ice,looked at the loon in the sky and he ranslowly at firstkind of lumberinghe rangathering speedgathering memories from withinold and dimgrowing strongerto run and to swim,to dive and to float,the cold at his throat
But warm inside'neath the fur and hide
Ocean and ice all around him
He ran
He ran
He ranand he swam away.
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