Oh, My

I fear that Mr B. is correct.

After an exhaustive search of the internet and my extensive library, I
found no very early references at all to Lions and Tigers and Bears in the
literature ...

... the earliest reference to Lions and Tigers and Bears is to be found in
Baum, L.F., The Wonderful Wizard of OZ, which first appeared in 1900.
Baum's Lion was described meek and he considered him to be quite a coward.
This lion was not fond of straw but he could dance and sing well.

There was also a Tigger (note the spelling of T I Double "G" R), which was
first described by A.A. Milne, in 1926.  This Tigger may have been a
lateral relation of the Tigers described by Baum.  Milne notes that a
Tigger's favorite line "That's what Tiggers Do Best" most often referred to
their ability to bounce on their tails.  It has not been determined why
Tiggers bounced around on their tails, but it may simply be that they, like
dogs, did it because they could.  Tiggers, while perhaps quite
sceintifically knowledgeable, may have also been dyslexic or mentally ill
as they were known to utter nonsensical phrases such as

"If ya calculate the specific Tiggerjectory of
yer Stripecelleration Diviferous by the
Square Boot of yer Rebounce, yer
Vertical Situituation should Riccatica-chet
yer Hydraulific Fu-silly-age into
an Accelerometric De-orbit!
Any questions?"

Both the Lion of Baum and the Tigger of Milne are clearly much different
than the ferocious lions and tigers of today which can be seen proudly
strutting back and forth in their zoo cages and in circus rings around the
world and in musicals.

Milne also wrote of a small Bear, which had a very small brain and liked
honey, but its ancestors, one of which may have been blown away by Teddy
Roosevelt, seemed to have been made of felt or shoddy and stuffed with
excelsior.  That may explain why there have been few skeletal remains of
these ancient creatures found, although it is suspected that they may have
worn clothing as buttons are often found at their possible habitation
sites.  Double-lobed rubber masses and springs are reported to indicate
evidence of Tiggers.

I have been unable to find reference to the ancientness of flying monkeys,
small talking pink pigs, and black and white mice that could whistle and
pilot steamboats, so perhaps there is more proof for Mr. B.s hypothesis and
we should all do a more thorough search of the literature.

        Dan W. (with apologies to Dave Barry)