I was recently chatting with someone about the protective nature of teddy bears as talismans for kids — especially those who might have trouble with sleep disruptions — and it occurred to me that this a good time to repost this short article I wrote years ago, which is no longer available on the About/LearnReligions network. There are many animals associated with magical myths and legends throughout a variety of cultures. The bear may be one of the most widely recognized animals — from the plains tribes of the Pacific Northwest to the travelers of the Russian steppes, the bear has appeared in folklore for a very long time. Let’s look…