Modern Fable: Lions and gazelles (Dan Montano 1985 July 6)

[Garson O'Toole]

In 1906 a version of the outrun-the-bear anecdote was published. But
the writer emphasized moral education more than humor.

Cite: 1906, A Kentucky Chronicle by John Thompson Gray, Page 102,
Neale Publishing Company, New York. (Google Books full view)
http://books.google.com/books?id=HRkfAAAAMAAJ&q=outrun#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
"'Well, Captain," I said, 'since we are about to get into the
confessional, I want to confess to you. I did not see the bear in the
cane, it was too close for that, but I heard enough to be satisfied
that she was coming, and when I saw you break away, I followed as fast
as I could. I didn't think I could outrun a bear; at least, I thought
that questionable; but I had no doubt of being able to outrun you, and
in the excitement of the moment I made up my mind to do this.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Mon, Nov 21, 2011 at 9:59 AM, Eric Nielsen <ericbarnak at gmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Eric Nielsen <ericbarnak at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Modern Fable: Lions and gazelles (Dan Montano 1985 July 6)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> There's also some proactive survivalist versions of the joke:
>
>  "...And I KnowYou All Have Heard The Multitude of Jokes About Hunters and
> Bears...(What's The .22 For? That Won't Scare A Bear! It's Not for The
> Bear---It's to Shoot YOU in the Foot So I Can Outrun YOU!, etc., etc...)"
>
> http://m14forum.com/handguns/95645-bear-gun-last-ditch-option-6.html
>
> Eric
>
>
> On Sun, Nov 20, 2011 at 5:51 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>> Subject:      Re: Modern Fable: Lions and gazelles (Dan Montano 1985 July
>> 6)
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> On Nov 20, 2011, at 2:39 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>>
>> > Even more proverbial than before.
>> >
>> > On NPR, the top Jeopardy winner of all time explains that, in order to
>> > win, "You don't have to outrun the bear. You just have to outrun the
>> > other guy."
>> >
>> > JL
>> >
>> I've encountered this not as a proverb but as a punchline of a joke:  "I
>> don't have to run faster than the bear--I just have to run faster than you."
>>
>> LH
>>
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