Singing Songs about Bears

When I first found out that I would be teaching English to kindergarteners every week, I thought that it would be fun to teach them an English song.  With my paranoia about bears at an all-time high, it's not surprising that one of the first songs I considered was the camp classic that goes "The other day, I met a bear..."  Imagine my surprise, then, when I hear my little four- and five-year olds singing a Japanese version of that same song in preparation for their school recital!  Of course, the Japanese version is a bit different from the English one...  Here it goes!

One day in the forest, I came across Mr. Bear,
on the blooming forest path, I met Mr. Bear.

Mr. Bear said, "Young lady, please run away."
helter-skelter quickly otomatopoeia

However, Mr. Bear follows behind me.
briskly with small steps/trotting otomatopoeia

"Young lady, please wait!  You dropped something--
a small white shell earring!"

Oh, Mr. Bear, thank you!  Let's sing in thanks!
Lalala lalalalala lalala lalalala

Certainly a different feel than the English version!  If the American bear is a grizzly, then the Japanese bear is Winnie the Pooh.  (Or perhaps, since we get a polite fellow when we expected a monster, the Japanese song is more like Beauty and the Beast?)

Bonus:  Plug the Japanese lyrics below into Google Translate for a particularly colorful translation fail!

ある日森の中　くまさんに　出会った
花咲く森の道　くまさんに　出会った
くまさんの　言うことにゃ　お嬢さん　おにげなさい
スタコラ　サッササノサ　スタコラ　サッササノサ

ところが　くまさんが　あとから　ついてくる
トコトコ　トコトコと　トコトコ　トコトコと

お嬢さん　お待ちなさい　ちょっと　落とし物
白い貝がらの　小さな　イヤリング

あら　くまさん　ありがとう　お礼に　うたいましょう
ラララ　ララララ　ラララ　ララララ

Ana and the Snow Queen

One girl just calls me Elsa...

With french-braided hair,

Some say I look like Elsa.

But not really, no.

A common question:

Is Ana in your country?

Well, it is Disney...

The real question is:

Where haven't I encountered

this new Frozen craze?

At the Obon Festival:

     One ambitious group

     paraded as the whole cast.

     (Yes, that includes Sven!)

In Nayoro:

     Four young girls on bikes

     stop to say 'hi' and tell me,

     "You look like Elsa!"

In the second-hand store:

     Anna and Hans dance

     to "Love is an Open Door"

     across an old screen.

In the supermarket:

     Hidden speakers play

     "Let It Go" relentlessly

     above the cheeses.

In the teachers' room:

     In from the hallway

     drifts "Ari no mama de"

     sung by young voices.

At the school arts festival:

     The school culture club

     goes beyond Japanese crafts

     with Frozen medley.

I hope you like it,

'cause no matter where you go,

you can't escape it!