The Rock And The Weasel
Long ago a
weasel came to a forest near Phakchong. He saw many mice there. Weasels like to
eat mice, so the weasel decided to stay in the forest.
First, the
weasel found a place to sleep in a hole beneath a bush. The next day he walked
to the top of a small hill. On the hilltop was a rock. The weasel decided to
sit on the rock.
“Who’s there?
Asked the rock. “Whoever you are, don’t sit on me.”
“I’ll sit here
as long as I like,” said the weasel. “After all, you’re not going anywhere.”
The rock
sighed, for there was nothing he could do. The weasel sat back on his hind
legs. He raised his forelegs in front of him, looked at the sky, and pretended
to pray. At sunset the weasel walked down the hill to his home. He did the same
thing the next day, and the next day, and the next day after that.
Soon the mice
became curious about the weasel. They watched him for several days. Finally
they chose one brave mouse to ask the weasel what he was doing. The brave mouse
climbed the hill.
“What are you
doing?” asked the mouse.
“I’m praying,”
replied the weasel.
The mouse ran
back down the hill. He told the other mice that the weasel was praying. The
mice decided that the weasel was a very great animal. They also thought he must
be a very good animal. That evening they waited for him at the bottom of the
hill.
“We want
to pay our respects’ to you,” said their leader.
The mice
walked around the weasel three times. Then they went home. They did not notice
that one mouse was missing.
Each night
after that the mice waited for the weasel. Each night he came down from the
hilltop. Each night the mice walked around him three times, and each night the
weasel ate one mouse.
This went on
for several months. Finally the leader of the mice noticed something. The
forest had fewer mice than before. He called a meeting of all the mice.
“Something is
wrong,” said the leader. “Mice are disappearing, I thing the weasel is eating
our friends and relations.
The mice
decided to look at the weasel’s home. They went the next day, while the weasel
was on the rock. In the weasel’s hole they found a large pile of mouse bone.
The mice ran back to the leader who told them what to do.
That evening
most of the mice waited at the bottom of the hill. Some of the stronger mice
walked up behind the hill. At the sundown the weasel stepped off the rock, and
it began to move. The rock rolled down the hill, but the weasel didn’t hear it
coming. He was thinking about his dinner.
The rock
landed on the weasel.
“Get off,”
cried the weasel. “Don’t sit on me.”
“I’ll sit here
as long as I like,” said the rock. “After all, I’m not going anywhere.”
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