fable

Mouse Deer and Tiger
Mouse Deer sang his song as he walked through the forest. He was looking for tasty fruits and roots and shoots.
Though he was small, he was not afraid. He knew that many big animals wanted to eat him. But first they had to catch him!
Then he heard something. Rowr!
There was Tiger!
“Hello, Mouse Deer. I was just getting hungry. Now you can be my lunch.”
Mouse Deer didn’t want to be lunch. He looked around and thought fast. He saw a mud puddle.
“I’m sorry, Tiger. I can’t be your lunch. The King has ordered me to guard his pudding.”
“His pudding?” said Tiger.
“Yes. There it is.” Mouse Deer pointed to the mud puddle. “It has the best taste in the world. The King doesn’t want anyone else to eat it.”
Tiger looked longingly at the puddle. “I would like to taste the King’s pudding.”
“Oh, no, Tiger! The King would be very angry.”
“Just one little taste, Mouse Deer! The King will never know.”
“Well, all right, Tiger. But first let me run far away, so no one will blame me.”
“All right, Mouse Deer, you can go now.”
Mouse Deer ran quickly out of sight.
“Imagine!” said Tiger. “The King’s pudding!” He took a big mouthful.
Phooey! He spit it out.
“Yuck! Ugh! Bleck! That’s no pudding. That’s mud!”
Tiger ran through the forest. Rowr! He caught up with Mouse Deer.
“Mouse Deer, you tricked me once. But now you will be my lunch!”
Mouse Deer looked around and thought fast. He saw a wasp nest in a tree.
“I’m sorry, Tiger. I can’t be your lunch. The King has ordered me to guard his drum.”
“His drum?” said Tiger.
“Yes. There it is.” Mouse Deer pointed to the wasp nest. “It has the best sound in the world. The King doesn’t want anyone else to hit it.”
Tiger said, “I would like to hit the King’s drum.”
“Oh, no, Tiger! The King would be very angry.”
“Just one little hit, Mouse Deer! The King will never know.”
“Well, all right, Tiger. But first let me run far away, so no one will blame me.”
“All right, Mouse Deer, you can go now.”
Mouse Deer ran quickly out of sight.
“Imagine!” said Tiger. “The King’s drum!” He reached up and hit it. Pow.
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz. The wasps all flew out. They started to sting Tiger.
“Ouch! Ooch! Eech! That’s no drum. That’s a wasp nest!”
Tiger ran away. But the wasps only followed him! Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
“Ouch! Ooch! Eech!”
Tiger came to a stream. He jumped in—splash!—and stayed underwater as long as he could. At last the wasps went away.
Then Tiger jumped out. Rowr! He ran through the forest till he found Mouse Deer.
“Mouse Deer, you tricked me once. You tricked me twice. But now you will be my lunch!”
Mouse Deer looked around and thought fast. He saw a cobra! The giant snake was coiled asleep on the ground.
“I’m sorry, Tiger. I can’t be your lunch. The King has ordered me to guard his belt.”
“His belt?” said Tiger.
“Yes. There it is.” Mouse Deer pointed to the cobra. “It’s the best belt in the world. The King doesn’t want anyone else to wear it.”
Tiger said, “I would like to wear the King’s belt.”
“Oh, no Tiger! The King would be very angry.”
“Just for one moment, Mouse Deer! The King will never know.”
“Well, all right, Tiger. But first let me run far away, so no one will blame me.”
“All right, Mouse Deer, you can go now.”
Mouse Deer ran quickly out of sight.
“Imagine!” said Tiger. “The King’s belt!” He started to wrap it around himself.
The cobra woke up. Ssssssssssssss. It didn’t wait for Tiger to finish wrapping. It wrapped itself around Tiger. Then it squeezed him and bit him. Sstt!
“Ooh! Ow! Yow! That’s no belt. That’s a cobra! Help! Mouse Deer! Help!”
But Mouse Deer was far away. And as he went, he sang his song.