Bear Bob's Story as told to Edward Summer

Table of Contents
 

Dedication, Acknowledgements, and A Note

Bear Bob's Story
by
Edward Summer
 

Dedication

For David and Stephen.

For Bernadette and her friend Roxanne.

With gratitude to everyone who wrote and kept asking for this story, for a gift that they didn’t know they were giving:

As long rows of dominoes fall one onto another, so true love passes from heart to heart.
 

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Dale Federwitz who ended ten years of frustrating search, Chip who promised to lie to me and then ended up (I believe to this day) telling the truth (which was much better anyway), Hoto Roto, LadySmith Black Mambaza and their "rabbit music," Teedie, whose life inspired most of this, and, of course, Teddy who just won't keep his mouth shut.
 

A Note from the Author

In John Ford's film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, a newspaper man says:"When the legend becomes the truth, print the legend."  We've taken him at his word.

Bearing  that firmly in mind, this story is true, mostly. The events are closely based upon historical characters and historical incidents. It is hoped that even where the story strays from strict historical facts, it remains close to the spirit and intentions of the people it portrays.

As with Teefr, this story is meant to be read out loud. Words came from speech, not from a dictionary. Too often we forget that tales are to be told with the mouth and heard with the ears. Unless we remember, books will keep us apart in the silence of our minds instead of bringing us together with clear speech and careful listening.
 

created 01/01/99
revised 02/06/99