Bull? Bear? Bring It On!

What is part bull, part bear and so ornery that even the hardiest souls are afraid to get too close? If you guessed the financial markets, you're right. After tumbling 17.9% during the three months ended Oct. 3, the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index, a broad proxy for the overall market, jumped 11.4% between Oct. 4 and Friday's close.