When a middle-aged German man receives a message from an old friend he knew in his youth, he travels back to St. Petersburg but cannot find him. He only finds mysterious bears wandering around the city.

A boy observes the close relationship between a unique hunting dog and his companions when they venture out to catch an elusive bear.

A Kentucky community gains national attention when bears learn how to start fires. A curious man attempts to learn more about the phenomenon while caring for his nephew and aging mother.

A gypsy and his bear visit the same town every year to speak with a young woman fascinated by stories of the wide world; with the appearance of her husband, however, the evening turns violent.

A young man from an old, powerful southern family grows up hunting a legendary bear only to grapple with his relationship with nature and his family legacy.

Vignettes of a number of relationships, most of them troubled, are glimpsed through the descriptions of creatures in this bestiary of the imaginary.

A man and his young admirer embark on a hunt in the Burma jungle; there they discover a tigress, an alligator, and a newfound appreciation for each other.

A couple live in the woods training greyhounds and raising their young son. When an unexpected guest overstays his visit, the husband takes matters into his own hands.

On a ship journeying from earth to a post-apocalyptic world, a young mother gives birth to a daughter with white fur. The mother, who's been having strange dreams about a bear prince, wonders if her child's unique appearance is related to these visions.

In a dark rendition of Red Riding Hood, a woman bored by village life longs for the dark mystery of the woods and the wolves therein.