by David Conger
Triumphant and bursting with excitement, they stepped out into the sunny yard and made their way over to the river, eager to cross back for home. But they soon realized they had a big problem. The ice had melted, and the weather was so warm that a group of boys were swimming and playing along the water’s edge.
“How will we ever cross this river?” cried the cat. “I can’t swim!”
“But I can!” said the dog, wagging his tail. “You hold the coin in your mouth and climb on my back. I can carry you across.” The cat did as he said, clinging to the dog as he waded into the river. The dog valiantly paddled against the current, barely keeping his head above water.
One of the boys soon caught sight of them. “Look at that!” he said, pointing at the cat and the dog. “I’ve never seen a boat like that before!”
The other children looked over and began to laugh. But the dog was determined to cross. Panting, he kept his eyes on the opposite bank and stayed on course.
On top, the scared and shivering cat hung on to the dog with all her might. She dug her claws into his back, deeper and deeper.
“Are you okay up there?” the dog asked, knowing how afraid of water his friend was. But before she could answer, the children began laughing hysterically.
“Look at them bobbing up and down!” they said, giggling.
The dog ignored the commotion all around him. His only thought was to bring the coin back to his master. But in spite of her fear, the cat couldn’t keep a straight face. She began to think about how silly she must look to the children, all wet and shaking. No matter how hard she tried, the cat couldn’t stifle her laughter. When she finally lost control and began to laugh, the silver coin slipped out of her mouth, immediately sinking to the bottom of the river.
“Ack!” she said. “I’ve dropped the coin!”
As soon as he heard these words, the dog plunged into the rushing waters to save the coin. He was so angry with the cat that he didn’t care if she could swim or not. After having searched for the magic coin for months, the foolish cat had lost it!
But no matter how long the dog stayed underwater, no matter how hard he looked, there was no sign of the coin. It had disappeared.
By some miracle, the cat managed to make it to shore, where she shook the water out of her fur and coughed and spat until she’d expelled all the water she’d swallowed. But things would never be the same again between her and the dog.
Once the dog saw the cat, he started to chase her. To escape, the cat did what cats always do: she ran up a tree. She sank her claws into the branch, her fur standing on end. Hissing angrily at the dog, the cat vowed never to trust him again. He had left her to drown!
The dog barked fiercely at her and scratched at the tree trunk, trying to climb up it. He had never been angrier in his entire life.
Both the cat and the dog were ready for a big fight.
But finally, his throat sore from barking, the dog gave up and returned to his master’s house. The cat escaped and never returned.
And this is why even today, when more time has passed than you can imagine, cats and dogs don’t get along.
But what do you think happened to Shu? He was so happy that at least one of his pets came home he almost forgot about the missing coin. The dog could not forget, though. He couldn’t stand to see his master suffer hunger or bear the cold winter. So he sat beside the river each day, trying to figure out a way to get the magic coin back.
One day, the dog saw a fisherman pull a large fish from the water. When the man cut it open, out fell the magic coin. The dog quickly grabbed the coin with his mouth and ran home to his master, who was very pleased to see the coin again. Together they reopened the small rice shop and lived out the rest of their lives very happily.
The Clever Rabbit
and Numskull
India
Sulka’s whiskers twitched nervously. He tried hard to remember the happy days of long ago. He was once a sprightly young rabbit who spent carefree days bounding about with his friends and rummaging for snacks. But today was to be his last. He was not only going to face a lion, he was going to offer himself up as this terrible lion’s meal!
Be brave, he told himself, his chin quivering. You have had a long life surrounded by other rabbits who loved you. You have been blessed. Remember that you have to do this for the other rabbits—the younger ones who still have their whole lives ahead of them.
Smiling wistfully, Sulka thought of his wife and twenty-four children. Now they would never be in danger from the lion Numskull. All the animals were afraid of Numskull, and not only because he was fierce. No, lions were fierce by nature. The animals dreaded him because he hunted, chased down, and killed pretty much anything that moved—and very often he would leave his prey out in the hot sun to rot without even eating it.
To put a stop to all this random violence, the animals had decided that a select few would go to Numskull each day and sacrifice themselves for his dinner. This way the old and weak animals could go first, sparing the young and healthy ones. Although many animals would still die, they would at least die with the purpose of feeding another, and their deaths would not be meaningless.
Numskull, of course, thought that this was a great idea. He’d get all the food he could eat and never have to hunt again. “But if you don’t show up when you’re supposed to,” he warned everyone, “I will hunt you all, just as before.”
And so today was poor Sulka’s day to die. Although he had long ago accepted his fate, it still took all his courage to face Numskull. Every step brought him closer and closer to his death. Every breath was so shallow that he felt as if he were already dying. Numskull would have him for supper! He couldn’t imagine a fate worse than this.
A few more paces, and Numskull was towering over him. “You’re late!” he roared. “You are also much too small for a meal. There should be at least four of you to satisfy my hunger.”
Sulka shrank away from the raging lion, his eyes squeezed shut.
“For this I am going to go back to hunting,” said Numskull, “and I am going to start with rabbits!”
The thought of his children being hunted frightened Sulka even more than being torn from limb to limb by this bloodthirsty beast. Then, suddenly, Sulka saw a way out. With Numskull already getting ready to pounce on him, he worked out a plan that he hoped would save his life.
“O great King!” said Sulka, bowing to the lion. “Please forgive me. Please allow me to explain.” Sulka did not dare look up, but he felt Numskull’s hesitation. “We knew very well that a single rabbit would be too little for a meal for Your Highness, so they sent five of us.”
“Five,” Numskull repeated. “I see only one. Where are the others?”
“On the way here we met another lion,” Sulka said, making up the story as he spoke. “He asked us where we were going, so we told him we were sacrificing our lives to feed you, our great king, Numskull the Lion.” Sulka swallowed hard. His throat felt dry, but he went on. “The lion laughed and said, ‘Is that so? But I am the king. How can any lion with a silly name like Numskull be the king?’”
Sulka snuck a peek up at Numskull, who was swinging his massive head from side to side, as if very irritated. “The lion let out a big roar,” Sulka continued, “and before we could run away he ate the other four rabbits.”
Numskull opened his jaws wide and snapped them shut with tremendous force. Sulka could tell he was growing angrier and angrier. Still, Sulka went on: “In fact, he challenged you to a fight and let me live so that I could bring this message to you.”
Again, Numskull opened his mouth, this time releasing a blasting roar that seemed to vibrate inside Sulka. “This is the reason I am late, sir,” the clever rabbit said, bowing once again. “I hope you understand.”
Of course, this was all part of Sulka’s plan to fool Numskull. He hadn’t seen any other lions, and no other rabbits had been sent with him.
“Where is this thief?” Numskull bellowed. “Take me to him
so that I can show him who’s king!”
Clever Sulka then led the lion to a deep water well. “Here’s the thief’s den, Your Highness,” he said respectfully. “He lives inside that hole.”
Nervously Sulka watched as the dim-witted Numskull peered over the wall and into the well. “Who are you?” thundered the lion, standing on his hind legs. Sulka knew, of course, that Numskull was yelling at his own reflection, but he was almost sure that Numskull was not smart enough to know that.
Not a second later, a lower voice echoed up the well. “Who are you?” it said.
Numskull let out a deep, angry growl, and a deeper, angrier growl came back. Not realizing that he was hearing his own voice bouncing back at him, Numskull got angrier and roared, “How dare you challenge me!” Again, the voice roared back, even deeper and louder.
Meanwhile, Sulka hid in some bushes, frightened but hopeful that it would all be over soon. It appeared as if his plan was working, and Numskull would finally get what he deserved.
Suddenly, Numskull leaped up onto the well’s side, teetering there for a minute before disappearing with a big splash and panicked roar. Relief immediately washed over Sulka. He had tricked Numskull, and now the murderous lion had no escape. He would surely drown!
Soon the story spread throughout the jungle, and animal after animal came to congratulate the clever little rabbit on outwitting the big, mean lion. And for the first time in as long as they could remember, the animals breathed easily, safe from harm at last.
The Crane’s Gratitude
Japan
A long time ago, in a little house deep in the mountains, there lived an old man and an old woman. They shared a life together that was simple and nothing out of the ordinary, really, except maybe that it was more quiet than average, because the couple did not have any children.
One cold winter day, the old man was out collecting wood for the fire when he heard a strange noise. He looked around until he spotted a large bird in the distance. He slowly approached the bird, soon realizing that it was a beautiful crane tangled in some bushes, struggling to free itself.
The closer he came, the more the crane struggled to get away. “Shhh, I’m not going to hurt you,” the old man said gently to the bird. Its long, graceful neck was twisted at such an angle that the bird could barely even open its beak. The old man carefully broke away twigs and branches to make room to release it.
Once the old man had released the crane and it got back on its feet, it looked for a moment into the man’s kind eyes and then flew off into the sky.
That night, as the wind howled and the snow fell, the old couple heard knocking at their door, which was more than a little unusual. Nobody ever came to visit, most especially so late at night and in such bitter weather.
Much to their surprise, shivering outside was a young girl, no more than twelve.
“Oh, my!” said the old man. “Come inside. You must be freezing out there.”
The girl looked at him with round, moist eyes, and he noticed how gravely beautiful she was, with skin as white as the snow whirling all around her.
Wordlessly, she stepped into the house and sat down by the fire. When her teeth finally stopped chattering, she asked if she could live with them. “I have no family,” she said, her voice crisp. “I have no friends. I have nowhere else to go.”
The old man and the old woman looked at each other, marveling how anyone so young could have already had such harsh luck in life.
“I can help around the house,” she said to them. “And I promise I will work hard.”
The old man felt sorry for the girl. “Please stay,” he said.
Days quickly turned into weeks, which turned into months and then years. Eventually the couple began to think of the young girl as their daughter.
One particularly tough winter, the old man worried that their money and food supplies were running dangerously low. He decided to tell his wife, but he didn’t want the young girl to overhear him. Even though she was now sixteen, the old man wanted her to have a life free from worry.
But the young girl could sense something was wrong, and she quickly discovered the truth. Without hesitating, she decided to help. “I will weave some cloth for you that you can sell in the village.”
The old man brightened at the idea. The old woman looked puzzled. How was it that they didn’t know their daughter could weave?
“There is just one thing...” the girl said to the old couple. “You must not look at me while I am weaving.”
The couple thought the girl’s request was a little odd, but they promised not to look into the room where she worked.
That very same night, the young girl began to work. She wove all night and well into the next morning. When she came out of the room at long last, she gave the couple a large bundle of the most beautiful cloth they had ever seen.
The old man carried the cloth down into the valley and sold it for a lot of money, which he used to buy enough food for one month.
The time came when the snow should have melted and spring should have arrived, but the snowflakes still fell and the cold winds blew. Eventually, the little family ran out of food again.
As before, the young girl saw that they would starve if she didn’t do something. So she went into a room one night to make more cloth, but not before making the old couple promise not to look in on her.
All night and well into the next morning she worked, just as before, the clacking sound of the loom echoing throughout the house.
In the early hours before dawn, the old woman woke up to the sound of the loom and heard a voice crying. She woke the old man, and the two of them went to see if their daughter was all right.
The old man pressed an ear against the door. “But we promised not to look in,” he said, hesitating.
“But what is that sound?” the old woman said, frowning. “We can’t just pretend we don’t hear it!”
The old man put his hand on the door once again, and looked at the old woman uncertainly.
The old woman nodded. “Well, go ahead!”
He pushed the door open a crack and peeked in. Then suddenly he took a step back and gasped.
“What is it?” the old woman said. She pushed him aside and peeked into the room herself. “Oh my!” she cried in surprise.
In the room was a crane plucking out its own feathers, which it was weaving into a beautiful piece of cloth.
The old woman threw open the door, startling the large bird. Then, in the blink of an eye, the bird began to change forms, suddenly becoming the young girl! She now sat before the old couple with her hands folded in her lap, her eyes fixed on them.
The old man stuttered as he tried to explain why they had burst in on her, but the young girl stopped him. “Please,” she said, holding up a hand to stop him from speaking. “I understand.”
“We are so very sorry,” said the old man. “We have not kept our promise to you.”
The young girl looked down into her lap. “I am the crane you saved many years ago,” she said, “and I came to help you because you were so kind to me. I’ve made more cloth for you, which will bring you enough money to survive the rest of the winter. But now that you’ve seen my true form, I can no longer stay with you.”
Then the girl stepped out into the fresh morning air, changed back into a crane, and flew off into the changing colors of dawn. The sun’s warm glow radiated brilliantly against the snow as the old man and the old woman watched this magical creature, their beloved daughter, fly away from them.
True, they were alone once again, but they would never be lonely. They would always remember and love the young girl who had warmed their hearts.
Why the Tapir has No Tail
Malaysia
Thin Goat was called “Thin Goat” because no matter how much he ate, he never got any fatter. One night he found out that he was about to be roasted for a small feast.
“We won’t be having many people over,” Thin Goat heard the farmer saying to
his wife. “Thin Goat’s around the right size. We can have him for dinner.”
Thin Goat was shocked and horrified. All along he thought he’d be the last goat to be slaughtered because he was too thin. He didn’t want to die! He had to find a way to escape.
The farmer swung the gates open early the next morning, and all the goats ran out into the field. They were all happy except for Thin Goat. He didn’t feel like grazing. He didn’t even feel like playing with his friends. One of the other goats noticed he was not himself and asked what was bothering him.
“Last night when you were all sleeping,” he explained, “I heard the farmer and his wife talking.” Thin Goat took a deep breath before going on. “They want to kill me for tonight’s feast.”
Hearing that, all the other goats gathered around him and said in horror, “No! You’ve got to get out of here!” They really liked Thin Goat, for not only was he nice and helpful, he was smart, too.
“But even if I leave this place,” reasoned Thin Goat, “what’s to stop them from killing any one of you?”
The other goats’ eyes widened. “Oh my!” they said. “You’re right! We’re all in danger.”
“We all need to get out of here,” said Thin Goat. “But where do we go? If we run into the village, the people will catch us. If we run into the forest, we might be eaten by wild animals.”
Since none of the goats knew what to do, Thin Goat had to come up with something.
After all, he was the one in the most danger. It was a good thing he was a quick thinker, and in a matter of seconds came up with a good plan. “Tonight I’ll force the gate open,” he said, looking at the other goats intently. “We’ll all leave quickly and very quietly. No noise at all.”