Oski the Bear constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear). Although Oski has his benign side ("patient" and "silent"), he is more often presented as growling, fighting, rumbling, grumbling, thundering, and shaking the ground. He is described as sturdy and mighty. It is said of Oski that he "wears a Paderewski hair", referring to Oski's shaggy hair. Oski is described as "Our totem", and Cal's teams (or perhaps Cal students in general) are described as sons of the Golden Bear. In one song, Oski is referred to as "He" with a capital "H", as one refers to the Deity. One song appears to attribute
The Bear That Wasn't position, they revert to old habits – just like the bear hibernating. Whether something is fact or fiction, it is what it is and does not change – no matter how many people believe otherwise. The book also presents a visual satire of corporate culture. Each time the bear appears before a higher-ranking man in the corporation, the offices get progressively more elaborate (for example, progressively more phones, more waste-baskets, more secretaries, all according to rank). There are also progressively more chins and less hair on each higher-ranking person as the bear ascends all the way to the president's office.