A Tale of Two Critters (1977) Movie Script
Traveling on,
traveling on
Seems a hundred miles
of hard times
have already come and gone
If the road that lies ahead
is another hundred long
Got to keep traveling on
(SCATTING)
You may have heard
that this old world
gets smaller every day
It's never far from here
to there, at least
that's what they say!
Except when
home sweet home is lost,
there's no remembering where
The world gets big
and lonesome for
a small and homesick pair
Two young and lonesome
critters on a search
that doesn't end
Their home may be
beyond the ridge
or just around the bend
No path to find,
just hills to climb,
and rivers to be crossed.
And getting home again
is twice as hard
as getting lost
(SCATTING)
Traveling on,
traveling on
Seems a hundred miles
of hard times
have already come and gone
If the road that lies ahead
is another hundred long,
Got to keep traveling on
NARRATOR:
It was not the best of times.
It was not the worst of times.
It was just ordinary,
everyday times.
That is till old fickle fate
went and messed things up.
(CHITTERING)
It was in
the Pacific Northwest
in the USA.
It began with this
family of raccoons.
Now generally raccoons stick
together long after
the youngsters have grown up.
In this bunch though,
there was one
that didn't always go
along with the others.
This guy for instance,
he had a habit
of wandering off
somewhere on his own.
Up to now, he'd always
made it back.
But today, he was
on a different trip.
And already he'd passed
the point of no return.
Now as fate would have it,
some distance up the hill,
there was a mother bear,
who had just given
the all-clear to her cubs.
(BEAR GRUNTING)
(WHIMPERING)
Well, enough of that.
Mom decided it was time
to take her family into
the world beyond the den.
And this seemed
like a fine day for
a family outing!
(GRUNTING)
If the old girl had
known what she was
leading down to
she would have galloped
twice as fast
in the other direction!
The way it was though,
there was something Mom had
been looking forward to
ever since she'd
come out of hibernation.
She was going to have herself
a good, long, leisurely bath.
(GROANING)
For once, Mother wasn't
watching too close
and the cubs made
the most of it.
Up here the stage
was all set.
And meanwhile,
not too far away
the young raccoon was
ready to rejoin his family.
He'd never make it.
(CHIRPING)
Because right on cue,
enter the villain.
(GRUNTING)
Of course, he wasn't
actually villainous at all.
But he was old
and grouchy,
and he just grumbled
all the time.
(GROWLING)
(YELPING)
(GROWLING)
(CHITTERING)
(BEAR CUB CRYING)
(BOTH SCREECHING)
(GROWLING)
Old Grouch meant
no harm to nobody,
but Mom didn't
know about that.
(BOTH SNARLING)
(BOTH GRUNTING)
In fate's little wilderness
drama, Old Grouch
got the last act rolling.
Mother bear couldn't help now.
From here on,
it was up to fate
and lady luck.
(YELPING)
(SNARLING)
In the way of
a wilderness mother,
the she-bear would
turn to the care
of the cub she had left.
And accept and soon forget,
the loss of the one
that couldn't be saved.
(GROANING SOFTLY)
It's a fact that bears
and raccoons are
both natural swimmers,
but their folks hadn't
told them about that.
So, for these two,
this was going to be
a mighty long voyage.
Traveling on,
traveling on
Seems a hundred miles
of hard times
have already come and gone
If the road that lies ahead
is another hundred long
Got to keep traveling on
(SQUAWKING)
For an hour or so,
instinct and an empty stomach
had been bugging the raccoon
about learning to swim.
Well, why not?
One thing's sure,
this log was getting
him nowhere.
(CHITTERING)
(GROANING)
The bear figured,
he'd be smart
and just play it safe.
(GROANING)
Turned out the tidal currents
were too strong
for the raccoon.
He was lucky to
get back on board.
(CHITTERING)
(BEAR GROANING)
Finally there came
the time of slack tide.
About then,
the sight of a sea otter
dining on shellfish
was just too much.
The raccoon was going to
get himself some shore leave
if he had to walk
on that water.
This time
the sea was friendly.
Even helpful.
He got a ride from the tide
and a little break from
a little breaker.
(CHITTERING)
(GROANING)
Being a little longer
in the legs, the bear just
waded in and waded out.
To the bear, shore meant
a change to catch a short nap.
To the raccoon,
shore meant a chance
to catch a sure dinner.
The raccoon knew
how to handle
a freshwater crawfish,
but a saltwater crab
was just too salty.
(SNAPPING)
(CHITTERING)
If critters acted
like that around here,
he was going back home.
He'd pick up
his newfound friend and they
could travel together.
(RACCOON CHITTERING)
(BEAR GROANING)
And so the castaways
became companions.
(CHITTERING)
Practically all animals,
young and old,
have a sort of built-in
sense of direction.
So these two instinctively
headed inland and upward.
Somewhere far beyond
was the high country
and home.
Actually the elk herd
was being pestered by flies,
but that's not
the way the cub heard it.
(BRAYING)
(SHRIEKING)
(CHITTERING)
(GROANING)
(RACCOON SNARLING)
(MOOING)
(BEAR GROANING)
(CHITTERING)
It seems everybody
had scared everybody else.
But the youngsters made
a quick recovery,
got over their fright
and then got hungry.
For the bear most anything
would do for food.
Even a swarm of bees
was worth a try.
But he sure went after this
in a roundabout way.
(BUZZING)
(BEAR YELPING)
Meanwhile the raccoon
hadn't found one snail,
crawdad or pollywog
in this fished-out creek.
So the bear was just in time.
The raccoon was about
to leave anyway.
There's nothing like
an empty stomach to fill
a heart with courage.
So these youngsters
were downright fearless
by the time they
came upon an owl
who'd just finished
a successful rabbit hunt.
(SPUTTERING)
(SCREECHING)
(HOOTING)
(BEAR GROWLING)
(OWL SCREECHING)
So, for the first time,
the bear cub
and the raccoon
shared their food.
And the pattern was set.
For these two youngsters,
reaching home
and family soon became
the goal of tomorrow,
secondary to the daily
goal of survival.
And so the days passed by
and summer arrived,
bringing with it
the berry season,
a time of easy pickin's.
Now, it's a natural fact
that bears and raccoons
are kind of cousins
and have common
characteristics.
Like for instance,
they're both omnivorous,
which means,
you name it,
they'll eat it.
Today their appetites
got turned on by
a summer run of salmon.
The question was,
how to get them out
of the river.
The cub figured
maybe he'd fake them out
with a friendly gesture.
(GRUNTING)
All right, if he couldn't
coax them out,
he'd ball them out.
(ROARING)
Well, good enough,
he'd just go in and
fish 'em out.
Meantime, the raccoon
had come to
the same conclusion.
(GRUNTING)
When the cub got lucky,
the raccoon figured
to come in for a share.
Then everybody got all
emotional about that salmon.
(BOTH SNARLING AND SCREECHING)
Meanwhile in another neck
of the woods,
this wolverine was out
scouting for lunch.
Like most wolverines
this one figured anything
that moved was edible.
Of course a rolling stone
was an exception, but it
sure whetted his appetite.
The raccoon had
plenty of valor,
but discretion, too.
If trouble couldn't find you,
you didn't have to face it.
So what happened next
wasn't the raccoon's fault.
(BEAR ROARING)
(WOLVERINE SPUTTERING)
When discretion means
a total loss,
it's time for a dash of valor.
(BOTH GROWLING AND GRUNTING)
(ALL SCREECHING AND GRUNTING)
(BEAR GRUNTING)
(BEAR GRUNTING)
(WHIMPERING)
Two bites and one swallow
and it was all over
but the whimpering.
Well, he could
take care of that too.
(BOTH YELPING)
(CRACKING)
(BEAR CUB YELLING)
(GRUNTING)
(RACCOON CHITTERING)
(BEAR CUB GROANING)
Traveling on,
traveling on
Somehow, they
had this feeling
they'd been here before.
But this time there
was a big difference.
(GRUNTING)
They did have a way out,
and an awful good reason
to take it.
(BEAR GRUNTING)
The days of autumn arrived,
bringing a time when instinct
directs all nature to prepare
for the coming of winter.
For the raccoon and the cub,
that meant a new search.
Their need to find
their families was
long forgotten.
Now they only knew that
they were searching,
but not what they
were searching for.
(RACCOON CHITTERING)
(BEAR GROANING)
The mystery cleared up
one day when the bear got
curious about a badger
who was busy lining his den
with organic insulation.
(WHIMPERING)
Wow!
Now he knew what
he'd been looking for.
A den.
And this was it.
Yes, sir, the perfect pad,
period.
Just wait till he took this
good news to his good buddy.
Right now, the raccoon
was searching high,
but that bear was
a whole lot higher!
(BEAR GROWLING URGENTLY)
The raccoon could tell
that the cub was onto
something big.
The one in the dark
was the den's real owner.
Well, not his business.
Well, comin' up, a feuding,
fussing, fighting,
cussing contest...
First prize, the den.
(BADGER SNARLING)
(BEAR SHRIEKING)
(BADGER SNARLING)
(BADGER SNARLING)
(BEAR GROWLING)
The way the raccoon saw it,
what the badger had lost,
and the bear had won,
was nothing but
a hole in the ground.
(CHITTERING)
Well, his own ideals
were a little more lofty.
So, now he knew
what he was looking for,
and this was it.
(RACCOON CHITTERING)
So that took care of that.
(BEAR GROANING)
Ground floor
and penthouse.
All in one snug snag.
(BEAR GRUNTING)
Now, about decor...
The bear favored
traditional rustic.
The raccoon,
functional modern,
clean and uncluttered.
(GROWLING)
(CHITTERING)
The raccoon figured
to celebrate now with
a little den-warming.
Trouble was, it was already
about two weeks past the
bear's bedtime.
(GROANING)
(CHITTERING)
(RACCOON CHITTERING)
(BEAR GROANING)
The raccoon had finally
decided that maybe a nap
was a good idea.
Of course to him, sleeping
was only a pleasant way
of getting some rest.
He had no instinct for going
into the deep sleep of
winter hibernation.
(CHITTERING)
But the cub sure did.
(WHIMPERING)
Autumn had not yet ended,
when in the space of a single
day, the high country winter
began.
The aftermath of the storm
brought a time of sunlight
and a touch of warmth.
Just enough to weaken
winter's grip on the
high country snow.
(GRUNTING)
(RUMBLING)
(CHITTERING)
What in...
Something wrong here.
(CHITTERING)
That was one shook-up raccoon.
He'd gone to sleep in
a green world and woke
up in a white one.
What's worse, he was now
the product of a broken home.
(CHITTERING)
Yeah, about like he'd figured.
A lot of structural damage
up here.
Well, he'll just have
to move in downstairs.
(CHITTERING)
Then the raccoon had an idea.
They could probably find
another nice double den
around here somewhere.
If he could just persuade
his buddy to go
house-hunting again.
First, he'd have to
get his attention.
(CHITTERING)
(BEAR GROANING)
(CHITTERING)
All right, he didn't
need company anyway.
A second look,
and second thoughts.
Maybe he'd give that bear
a second chance.
(GROANING)
(CHITTERING)
Plainly, old Sleeping Beauty
was under a spell.
Like it or not, he'd have
to go looking alone.
He could always
come back here.
Knowing about what he had
in mind, he started checking
out available snags.
He hadn't found
what he wanted up here,
but it didn't matter.
Right then,
the whole project
got sidetracked.
It started because this fox
was hunting for a mouse,
and this stump was hiding one.
(SQUEAKING)
(BARKING)
Now this guy's whole life
was just one
long, narrow squeak.
Self-made, mostly.
(SQUEAKING)
So far, so good,
except for that
camp-robber jaybird.
(SCREECHING)
(SCREECHING)
(JAYBIRD SCREECHING)
The raccoon forgot
all about his house hunting.
He just had to get in
on some of that action.
This log had a way in,
and a way out too.
Right now,
both of them blocked.
(CHITTERING)
The fox called it quits,
because he caught the scent
of big trouble back there.
(CHITTERING)
The atmosphere out here
was as thick as the smog
in the log.
That was so bad,
even the skunk had to
find a new place to nap.
The raccoon froze
his nose on purpose
and that helped a little.
Not enough, though.
Well, maybe he
could sleep it off.
He'd just go back and den
up with his buddy, the bear.
He should have made
this move sooner.
Around here, there was
only one available space,
which had just been
taken over by that
claim-jumping polecat.
(SNORING)
(SNORING)
Deep in his winter sleep,
the bear never knew
that he and his friend
had reached the parting
of the ways.
(CHITTERING)
Now, a raccoon is
a natural born scrounger.
Even in a rough winter, if he
can turn up a few frozen grubs
chances are he'll get
by all right.
In the beginning,
the raccoon was more than
a little bit lonesome.
But the business of just
keeping alive left little time
to think of anything else.
And somewhere along the way,
loneliness got lost in the
snows of winter,
and was gone with
the coming of spring.
Once again now,
in the valleys,
the annual
raising of young began.
(QUACKING)
(PEEPING)
Of course,
this one-year-old raccoon
couldn't yet raise a family,
but he could go down there and
raise his standard of living,
like having goose eggs
for breakfast.
(GEESE HONKING AND HISSING)
Plainly, the raccoon had
learned to survive very well
on his own.
And behind the forest curtain
of the high country,
so had the bear.
And judging by his size
now at midsummer, he'd
learned very well indeed.
Then came a certain day
on a certain mountainside
when fate again arranged
for two paths to cross.
(CHITTERING)
(GRUNTING)
(CHITTERING)
(CHITTERING)
For few moments,
something dim
and distant,
almost a memory,
drifted very close
to the surface.
But for a few moments only.
Then it was gone.
Forever.
(GRUNTING)
Yet, something remained
between them.
A strange bond that would
never be broken.
The bear and the raccoon
would share this corner of
the wilderness world.
But by the natural law,
each must go his separate way.
Traveling on,
traveling on
Seems a hundred miles
of hard times
have already come and gone
Mmm-hmm
And so, even though
they might meet again,
they could never again
be friends.
But one thing's sure.
They would never
be enemies.
(CHITTERING)
traveling on
Seems a hundred miles
of hard times
have already come and gone
If the road that lies ahead
is another hundred long
Got to keep traveling on
(SCATTING)
You may have heard
that this old world
gets smaller every day
It's never far from here
to there, at least
that's what they say!
Except when
home sweet home is lost,
there's no remembering where
The world gets big
and lonesome for
a small and homesick pair
Two young and lonesome
critters on a search
that doesn't end
Their home may be
beyond the ridge
or just around the bend
No path to find,
just hills to climb,
and rivers to be crossed.
And getting home again
is twice as hard
as getting lost
(SCATTING)
Traveling on,
traveling on
Seems a hundred miles
of hard times
have already come and gone
If the road that lies ahead
is another hundred long,
Got to keep traveling on
NARRATOR:
It was not the best of times.
It was not the worst of times.
It was just ordinary,
everyday times.
That is till old fickle fate
went and messed things up.
(CHITTERING)
It was in
the Pacific Northwest
in the USA.
It began with this
family of raccoons.
Now generally raccoons stick
together long after
the youngsters have grown up.
In this bunch though,
there was one
that didn't always go
along with the others.
This guy for instance,
he had a habit
of wandering off
somewhere on his own.
Up to now, he'd always
made it back.
But today, he was
on a different trip.
And already he'd passed
the point of no return.
Now as fate would have it,
some distance up the hill,
there was a mother bear,
who had just given
the all-clear to her cubs.
(BEAR GRUNTING)
(WHIMPERING)
Well, enough of that.
Mom decided it was time
to take her family into
the world beyond the den.
And this seemed
like a fine day for
a family outing!
(GRUNTING)
If the old girl had
known what she was
leading down to
she would have galloped
twice as fast
in the other direction!
The way it was though,
there was something Mom had
been looking forward to
ever since she'd
come out of hibernation.
She was going to have herself
a good, long, leisurely bath.
(GROANING)
For once, Mother wasn't
watching too close
and the cubs made
the most of it.
Up here the stage
was all set.
And meanwhile,
not too far away
the young raccoon was
ready to rejoin his family.
He'd never make it.
(CHIRPING)
Because right on cue,
enter the villain.
(GRUNTING)
Of course, he wasn't
actually villainous at all.
But he was old
and grouchy,
and he just grumbled
all the time.
(GROWLING)
(YELPING)
(GROWLING)
(CHITTERING)
(BEAR CUB CRYING)
(BOTH SCREECHING)
(GROWLING)
Old Grouch meant
no harm to nobody,
but Mom didn't
know about that.
(BOTH SNARLING)
(BOTH GRUNTING)
In fate's little wilderness
drama, Old Grouch
got the last act rolling.
Mother bear couldn't help now.
From here on,
it was up to fate
and lady luck.
(YELPING)
(SNARLING)
In the way of
a wilderness mother,
the she-bear would
turn to the care
of the cub she had left.
And accept and soon forget,
the loss of the one
that couldn't be saved.
(GROANING SOFTLY)
It's a fact that bears
and raccoons are
both natural swimmers,
but their folks hadn't
told them about that.
So, for these two,
this was going to be
a mighty long voyage.
Traveling on,
traveling on
Seems a hundred miles
of hard times
have already come and gone
If the road that lies ahead
is another hundred long
Got to keep traveling on
(SQUAWKING)
For an hour or so,
instinct and an empty stomach
had been bugging the raccoon
about learning to swim.
Well, why not?
One thing's sure,
this log was getting
him nowhere.
(CHITTERING)
(GROANING)
The bear figured,
he'd be smart
and just play it safe.
(GROANING)
Turned out the tidal currents
were too strong
for the raccoon.
He was lucky to
get back on board.
(CHITTERING)
(BEAR GROANING)
Finally there came
the time of slack tide.
About then,
the sight of a sea otter
dining on shellfish
was just too much.
The raccoon was going to
get himself some shore leave
if he had to walk
on that water.
This time
the sea was friendly.
Even helpful.
He got a ride from the tide
and a little break from
a little breaker.
(CHITTERING)
(GROANING)
Being a little longer
in the legs, the bear just
waded in and waded out.
To the bear, shore meant
a change to catch a short nap.
To the raccoon,
shore meant a chance
to catch a sure dinner.
The raccoon knew
how to handle
a freshwater crawfish,
but a saltwater crab
was just too salty.
(SNAPPING)
(CHITTERING)
If critters acted
like that around here,
he was going back home.
He'd pick up
his newfound friend and they
could travel together.
(RACCOON CHITTERING)
(BEAR GROANING)
And so the castaways
became companions.
(CHITTERING)
Practically all animals,
young and old,
have a sort of built-in
sense of direction.
So these two instinctively
headed inland and upward.
Somewhere far beyond
was the high country
and home.
Actually the elk herd
was being pestered by flies,
but that's not
the way the cub heard it.
(BRAYING)
(SHRIEKING)
(CHITTERING)
(GROANING)
(RACCOON SNARLING)
(MOOING)
(BEAR GROANING)
(CHITTERING)
It seems everybody
had scared everybody else.
But the youngsters made
a quick recovery,
got over their fright
and then got hungry.
For the bear most anything
would do for food.
Even a swarm of bees
was worth a try.
But he sure went after this
in a roundabout way.
(BUZZING)
(BEAR YELPING)
Meanwhile the raccoon
hadn't found one snail,
crawdad or pollywog
in this fished-out creek.
So the bear was just in time.
The raccoon was about
to leave anyway.
There's nothing like
an empty stomach to fill
a heart with courage.
So these youngsters
were downright fearless
by the time they
came upon an owl
who'd just finished
a successful rabbit hunt.
(SPUTTERING)
(SCREECHING)
(HOOTING)
(BEAR GROWLING)
(OWL SCREECHING)
So, for the first time,
the bear cub
and the raccoon
shared their food.
And the pattern was set.
For these two youngsters,
reaching home
and family soon became
the goal of tomorrow,
secondary to the daily
goal of survival.
And so the days passed by
and summer arrived,
bringing with it
the berry season,
a time of easy pickin's.
Now, it's a natural fact
that bears and raccoons
are kind of cousins
and have common
characteristics.
Like for instance,
they're both omnivorous,
which means,
you name it,
they'll eat it.
Today their appetites
got turned on by
a summer run of salmon.
The question was,
how to get them out
of the river.
The cub figured
maybe he'd fake them out
with a friendly gesture.
(GRUNTING)
All right, if he couldn't
coax them out,
he'd ball them out.
(ROARING)
Well, good enough,
he'd just go in and
fish 'em out.
Meantime, the raccoon
had come to
the same conclusion.
(GRUNTING)
When the cub got lucky,
the raccoon figured
to come in for a share.
Then everybody got all
emotional about that salmon.
(BOTH SNARLING AND SCREECHING)
Meanwhile in another neck
of the woods,
this wolverine was out
scouting for lunch.
Like most wolverines
this one figured anything
that moved was edible.
Of course a rolling stone
was an exception, but it
sure whetted his appetite.
The raccoon had
plenty of valor,
but discretion, too.
If trouble couldn't find you,
you didn't have to face it.
So what happened next
wasn't the raccoon's fault.
(BEAR ROARING)
(WOLVERINE SPUTTERING)
When discretion means
a total loss,
it's time for a dash of valor.
(BOTH GROWLING AND GRUNTING)
(ALL SCREECHING AND GRUNTING)
(BEAR GRUNTING)
(BEAR GRUNTING)
(WHIMPERING)
Two bites and one swallow
and it was all over
but the whimpering.
Well, he could
take care of that too.
(BOTH YELPING)
(CRACKING)
(BEAR CUB YELLING)
(GRUNTING)
(RACCOON CHITTERING)
(BEAR CUB GROANING)
Traveling on,
traveling on
Somehow, they
had this feeling
they'd been here before.
But this time there
was a big difference.
(GRUNTING)
They did have a way out,
and an awful good reason
to take it.
(BEAR GRUNTING)
The days of autumn arrived,
bringing a time when instinct
directs all nature to prepare
for the coming of winter.
For the raccoon and the cub,
that meant a new search.
Their need to find
their families was
long forgotten.
Now they only knew that
they were searching,
but not what they
were searching for.
(RACCOON CHITTERING)
(BEAR GROANING)
The mystery cleared up
one day when the bear got
curious about a badger
who was busy lining his den
with organic insulation.
(WHIMPERING)
Wow!
Now he knew what
he'd been looking for.
A den.
And this was it.
Yes, sir, the perfect pad,
period.
Just wait till he took this
good news to his good buddy.
Right now, the raccoon
was searching high,
but that bear was
a whole lot higher!
(BEAR GROWLING URGENTLY)
The raccoon could tell
that the cub was onto
something big.
The one in the dark
was the den's real owner.
Well, not his business.
Well, comin' up, a feuding,
fussing, fighting,
cussing contest...
First prize, the den.
(BADGER SNARLING)
(BEAR SHRIEKING)
(BADGER SNARLING)
(BADGER SNARLING)
(BEAR GROWLING)
The way the raccoon saw it,
what the badger had lost,
and the bear had won,
was nothing but
a hole in the ground.
(CHITTERING)
Well, his own ideals
were a little more lofty.
So, now he knew
what he was looking for,
and this was it.
(RACCOON CHITTERING)
So that took care of that.
(BEAR GROANING)
Ground floor
and penthouse.
All in one snug snag.
(BEAR GRUNTING)
Now, about decor...
The bear favored
traditional rustic.
The raccoon,
functional modern,
clean and uncluttered.
(GROWLING)
(CHITTERING)
The raccoon figured
to celebrate now with
a little den-warming.
Trouble was, it was already
about two weeks past the
bear's bedtime.
(GROANING)
(CHITTERING)
(RACCOON CHITTERING)
(BEAR GROANING)
The raccoon had finally
decided that maybe a nap
was a good idea.
Of course to him, sleeping
was only a pleasant way
of getting some rest.
He had no instinct for going
into the deep sleep of
winter hibernation.
(CHITTERING)
But the cub sure did.
(WHIMPERING)
Autumn had not yet ended,
when in the space of a single
day, the high country winter
began.
The aftermath of the storm
brought a time of sunlight
and a touch of warmth.
Just enough to weaken
winter's grip on the
high country snow.
(GRUNTING)
(RUMBLING)
(CHITTERING)
What in...
Something wrong here.
(CHITTERING)
That was one shook-up raccoon.
He'd gone to sleep in
a green world and woke
up in a white one.
What's worse, he was now
the product of a broken home.
(CHITTERING)
Yeah, about like he'd figured.
A lot of structural damage
up here.
Well, he'll just have
to move in downstairs.
(CHITTERING)
Then the raccoon had an idea.
They could probably find
another nice double den
around here somewhere.
If he could just persuade
his buddy to go
house-hunting again.
First, he'd have to
get his attention.
(CHITTERING)
(BEAR GROANING)
(CHITTERING)
All right, he didn't
need company anyway.
A second look,
and second thoughts.
Maybe he'd give that bear
a second chance.
(GROANING)
(CHITTERING)
Plainly, old Sleeping Beauty
was under a spell.
Like it or not, he'd have
to go looking alone.
He could always
come back here.
Knowing about what he had
in mind, he started checking
out available snags.
He hadn't found
what he wanted up here,
but it didn't matter.
Right then,
the whole project
got sidetracked.
It started because this fox
was hunting for a mouse,
and this stump was hiding one.
(SQUEAKING)
(BARKING)
Now this guy's whole life
was just one
long, narrow squeak.
Self-made, mostly.
(SQUEAKING)
So far, so good,
except for that
camp-robber jaybird.
(SCREECHING)
(SCREECHING)
(JAYBIRD SCREECHING)
The raccoon forgot
all about his house hunting.
He just had to get in
on some of that action.
This log had a way in,
and a way out too.
Right now,
both of them blocked.
(CHITTERING)
The fox called it quits,
because he caught the scent
of big trouble back there.
(CHITTERING)
The atmosphere out here
was as thick as the smog
in the log.
That was so bad,
even the skunk had to
find a new place to nap.
The raccoon froze
his nose on purpose
and that helped a little.
Not enough, though.
Well, maybe he
could sleep it off.
He'd just go back and den
up with his buddy, the bear.
He should have made
this move sooner.
Around here, there was
only one available space,
which had just been
taken over by that
claim-jumping polecat.
(SNORING)
(SNORING)
Deep in his winter sleep,
the bear never knew
that he and his friend
had reached the parting
of the ways.
(CHITTERING)
Now, a raccoon is
a natural born scrounger.
Even in a rough winter, if he
can turn up a few frozen grubs
chances are he'll get
by all right.
In the beginning,
the raccoon was more than
a little bit lonesome.
But the business of just
keeping alive left little time
to think of anything else.
And somewhere along the way,
loneliness got lost in the
snows of winter,
and was gone with
the coming of spring.
Once again now,
in the valleys,
the annual
raising of young began.
(QUACKING)
(PEEPING)
Of course,
this one-year-old raccoon
couldn't yet raise a family,
but he could go down there and
raise his standard of living,
like having goose eggs
for breakfast.
(GEESE HONKING AND HISSING)
Plainly, the raccoon had
learned to survive very well
on his own.
And behind the forest curtain
of the high country,
so had the bear.
And judging by his size
now at midsummer, he'd
learned very well indeed.
Then came a certain day
on a certain mountainside
when fate again arranged
for two paths to cross.
(CHITTERING)
(GRUNTING)
(CHITTERING)
(CHITTERING)
For few moments,
something dim
and distant,
almost a memory,
drifted very close
to the surface.
But for a few moments only.
Then it was gone.
Forever.
(GRUNTING)
Yet, something remained
between them.
A strange bond that would
never be broken.
The bear and the raccoon
would share this corner of
the wilderness world.
But by the natural law,
each must go his separate way.
Traveling on,
traveling on
Seems a hundred miles
of hard times
have already come and gone
Mmm-hmm
And so, even though
they might meet again,
they could never again
be friends.
But one thing's sure.
They would never
be enemies.
(CHITTERING)