Atta Troll by Heinrich Heine. Short summary

5 seconds

A trained bear escapes into the mountains and is killed by a visiting hunter’s bullet. His female bear is taken to the menagerie. Now her consort is a northern polar bear.

1 minute

A former monk and bandit leads a pair of trained bears, Atta Troll and Black Mummy, through Spanish towns. The beasts dance in the market squares, entertaining the public. In the town of Kotaré, Atta is unchained and runs off into the mountains. There, the children of Atta and Mumma — four sons and two daughters — are left in a lair.

The bear tells the children about the cruelty and meanness of humans and dreams of establishing an animal kingdom of equals. He makes his son swear his hatred of humans. One day a hunter appears in the mountains. He consults with the witch on how best to deal with Atta. The first day does not bring the hunter luck. At night he dreams of a bear ball.

In the cave, the troll thinks of death and separation from his Mummy. He dreams of the bear’s voice, comes out of the den, and is shot. The dead Attu is carried to town and sold to a skinner. He fixes it up and sells it for more. The proud bear now serves as a rug in the bedroom. Mumma is given to the menagerie, where she finds a new friend — a polar northern bear.