Hello
Everybody!
This is an old
native American tale that we love, if you read it before try it again! I'm sure
your new eyes will show you something different this time...enjoy!
Once there was
a mouse. He was a busy mouse, searching everywhere, touching his whiskers to
the grass, and looking. He was busy as all mice are, busy with mice things. But
once in a while he would hear an odd sound. He would lift his head, squinting
hard to see, his whiskers wiggling in the air, and he would wonder. One day he
scurried up to a fellow mouse and asked him, "Do you hear a roaring in
your ears, my brother?"
"No,
no," answered the other mouse, not lifting his busy nose from the ground.
"I hear nothing. I am busy now. Talk to me later."
He asked
another mouse the same question and the mouse looked at him strangely.
"Are you foolish in your head? What sound?" he asked and slipped into
a Hole in a fallen cottonwood tree.
The little
mouse shrugged his whiskers and busied himself again, determined to forget the
whole matter. But there was that roaring again. It was faint, very faint, but
it was there! One day, he decided to investigate the sound just a little.
Leaving the other busy mice, he scurried a little way away and listened again.
There it was! He was listening hard when suddenly, someone said hello.
Hello little
brother," the voice said, and mouse almost jumped right out of his skin.
He arched his back and tail and was about to run.
"Hello,"
again said the voice. "It is I, brother raccoon." And sure enough, It
was! "What are you doing here all by yourself, little brother?" asked
the raccoon. The mouse blushed, and put his nose almost to the ground. "I
hear a roaring in my ears and I am investigating it," he answered timidly.
"A roaring
in your ears?" replied the raccoon as he sat down with him. "What you
hear, little brother is the river."
"The
river?" mouse asked curiously. "What is a river?"
"Walk with
me and I will show you the river," raccoon said.
Little mouse
was terribly afraid, but he was determined to find out once and for all about
the roaring. "I can return to my work," he thought, "after this
thing is settled, and possibly this thing may aid me in all my busy examining
and collecting. And my brothers all said it was nothing. I will show them. I
will ask raccoon to return with me and I will have proof."
"All right
raccoon, my brother," said mouse. "Lead on to the river. I will walk
with you."
Little mouse
walked with raccoon. His little heart was pounding in his breast. The raccoon
was taking him upon strange paths and little mouse smelled the scent of many
things that had gone by his way. Many times he became so frightened he almost
turned back. Finally, they came to the river! It was huge and breathtaking,
deep and clear in places, and murky in others. Little mouse was unable to see
across it because it was so great. It roared, sang, cried, and thundered on its
course. Little mouse saw great and little pieces of the world carried along on
its surface.
"It is
powerful!" little mouse said, fumbling for words.
It is a great
thing," answered the raccoon, "But here, let me introduce you to a
friend."
In a smoother,
shallower place was a lily pad, bright and green. Sitting upon it was a frog;
almost as green as the pad it sat on. The frog's white belly stood out clearly.
"Hello,
little brother," said the frog.
"Welcome
to the river."
"I must
leave you now," cut in raccoon, "but do not fear, little brother, for
frog will care for you now." And raccoon left, looking along the river
bank for food that he might wash and eat.
Little mouse
approached the water and looked into it. He saw a frightened mouse reflected
there.
"Who are
you?" little mouse asked the reflection. "Are you not afraid of being
that far out into the great river?"
"No,
answered the frog, "I am not afraid. I have been given the gift from birth
to live both above and within the river. When winter man comes and freezes this
medicine, I cannot be seen. But all the while thunderbird flies, I am here. To
visit me, One must come when the world is green. I, my brother, am the keeper
of the water."
Amazing!"
little mouse said at last, again fumbling for words."
Would you like
to have some medicine power?" frog asked."
"Medicine
power? Me?" asked little mouse. "Yes, yes! If it is possible."
"Then
crouch as low as you can, and then jump as high as you are able! You will have
your medicine!" Frog said.
Little mouse
did as he was Instructed. He crouched as low as he could and jumped. And when
he did, his eyes saw the sacred mountains.
Little mouse
could hardly believe his eyes. But there they were! But then he fell back to
Earth, and he landed in the river!
Little mouse
became frightened and scrambled back to the bank. He was wet and frightened
nearly to death.
"You have
tricked me," little mouse screamed at the frog!"
"Wait,"
said the frog. "You are not harmed. Do not let your fear and anger blind
you. What did you see?"
"I,"
mouse stammered, "I saw the sacred mountains!"
"And you
have a new name!" frog said. "It is Jumping Mouse."
"Thank
you. Thank you," Jumping Mouse said, and thanked him again. "I want
to return to my people and tell them of this thing that has happened to
me."
"Go. Go
then," frog said. "Return to your people. It is easy to find them.
Keep the sound of the medicine river to the back of your Head. Go opposite to
the sound and you will find your brother mice."
Jumping Mouse
returned to the world of the mice. But he found disappointment. No one would
listen to him. And because he was wet, and had no way of explaining it because
there had been no rain, many of the other mice were afraid of him. They
believed he had been spat from the mouth of another animal that had tried to
eat him. And they all knew that if he had not been food for the one who wanted
him, then he must also be poison for them.
Jumping Mouse lived
again among his people, but he could not forget his vision of the sacred
mountains.
The memory
burned in the mind and heart of Jumping Mouse, and one day he went to the edge
of the place of mice and looked out onto the prairie. He looked up for eagles.
The sky was full of many spots, each one an eagle. But he was determined to go
to the sacred mountains. He gathered all of his courage and ran just as fast as
he could onto the prairie. His little heart pounded with excitement and fear.
He Ran until he
came to a stand of sage. He was resting and trying to catch his breath when he
saw an Old Mouse. The patch of sage Old Mouse lived in was a haven for mice.
Seeds and many things to be busy with.
"Hello,"
said Old Mouse. "Welcome."
Jumping Mouse
was amazed. Such a place and such a mouse. "You are truly a great
mouse." Jumping Mouse said with all the respect that he could find.
"This is truly a wonderful place. And the eagles cannot see you here,
either," Jumping Mouse said.
"Yes,"
said Old Mouse," and one can see all the beings of the prairie here: the
buffalo, Antelope, Rabbit, and Coyote. One can see them all from here and know
their names."
"That is
marvelous," Jumping Mouse said. "Can you also see the river and the
great mountains?"
"Yes and
no," Old Mouse said with conviction. "I know the great river, But I
am afraid that the great mountains are only a myth. Forget your passion to see
them and stay here with me. There is everything you want here, and it is a good
place to be."
"How can
he say such a thing?" Thought Jumping Mouse. "The medicine of the
sacred mountains is nothing one can forget."
"Thank you
very much for the meal you have shared with me, Old Mouse, and also for sharing
your great home," Jumping Mouse said. "But I must seek the
mountains."
"You are a
foolish mouse to leave; there is danger on the prairie! Just look up
there!" Old Mouse said, with even more conviction. "See all those
spots! They are eagles, and they will catch you!"
It was hard for
Jumping Mouse to leave, but he gathered his determination and ran hard again.
The ground was
rough. But he arched his tail and ran with all his might. He could feel the
shadows of the spots upon his back as he ran. All those spots! Finally he ran
into a stand of chokecherries. Jumping Mouse could hardly believe his eyes. It
was cool there and very spacious. There was water, cherries, and seeds to eat,
grasses to gather for nests, holes to be explored and many, many other busy
things to do. And there were a great many things to gather.
He was
investigating his new domain when he heard very heavy breathing. He quickly
investigated the sound and discovered its source. It was a great mound of hair
with black horns. It was a great buffalo. Jumping Mouse could hardly believe
the greatness of the being he saw lying there before him. He was so large that
Jumping Mouse could have crawled into one of his great horns. "Such a
magnificent being," thought Jumping Mouse, and he crept closer.
"Hello, my
brother," said the buffalo. "Thank you for visiting me."
"Hello Great
Being," said Jumping Mouse. "Why are you lying here?"
"I am sick
and I am dying" the buffalo said.
"And my
medicine has told me that only the eye of a mouse can heal me. But little
brother, there is no such thing as a mouse."
Jumping Mouse
was shocked. "One of my eyes!" he thought. "One of my tiny
eyes." He scurried back into the stand of chokecherries. But the breathing
came harder and slower.
"He will
die." Thought Jumping Mouse. "If I do not give him my eye. He is too
great a being to let die."
He went back to
where the buffalo lay and spoke. "I am a mouse." he said with a shaky
voice. "And you, my brother, are a Great Being. I cannot let you die. I
have two eyes, so you may have one of them."
The minute he
said it, Jumping Mouse's eye flew out of his head and the buffalo was made
whole. The buffalo jumped to his feet, shaking Jumping Mouse's whole world.
"Thank
you, my little brother," said the buffalo. "I know of your quest for
the sacred mountains and of your visit to the River. You have given me life so
that I may give-away to the people. I will be your brother forever. Run under
my belly and I will take you right to the foot of the sacred mountains, and you
need not fear the spots. The eagles cannot see you while you run under me. All
they will see will be the back of a buffalo. I am of the prairie and I will
fall on you if I try to go up the mountains."
Little mouse
ran under the buffalo, secure and hidden from the spots, but with only one eye
it was frightening. The buffalo's great hooves shook the whole world each time
he took a step. Finally the came to a place and buffalo stopped.
"This is
where I must leave you, little brother," said the buffalo.
"Thank you
very much," said Jumping Mouse. "But you know, it was very
frightening running under you with only one eye. I was constantly in fear of
your great earth-shaking hooves."
"Your fear
was for nothing," said buffalo, "For my way of walking is the sun
dance way, and I always know where my hooves will fall. I now must return to
the prairie, my brother, you can always find me there."
Jumping Mouse
immediately began to investigate his new surroundings. There were even more
things here than in the other places, busier things, and abundance of seeds and
other things mice like. In his investigation of these things, suddenly he ran
upon a gray wolf who was sitting there doing absolutely nothing.
"Hello,
brother wolf," Jumping Mouse said.
The wolf's ears
came alert and his eyes shone. "wolf! wolf! yes, that is what I am, I am a
wolf!" But then his mind dimmed again and it was not long before he sat
quietly again, completely without memory as to who he was. Each time Jumping
Mouse reminded him who he was, he became excited with the news, but soon would
forget again.
"Such a
great being," thought Jumping Mouse, "but he has no memory."
Jumping Mouse
went to the center of his new place and was quiet. He listened for a very long
time to the beating of his heart. Then suddenly he made up his mind. He
scurried back to where the wolf sat and he spoke.
"Brother
Wolf," Jumping Mouse said. ....
"wolf!
wolf," said the wolf ....
"Please
brother wolf," said Jumping Mouse, "Please listen to me. I know what
will heal you. It is one of my eyes. And I want to give it to you. You are a
greater being than I. I am only a mouse. Please take it."
When Jumping
Mouse stopped speaking his eye flew out of his head and the wolf was made
whole.
Tears fell down
the cheeks of the wolf, but his little brother could not see them, for now he
was blind.
"You are a
great brother," said the wolf, "For now I have my memory. But now you
are blind. I am the guide into the sacred mountains. I will take you there.
There is a great medicine lake there. The most beautiful lake in the world. All
the world is reflected there. The people, the lodges of the people, and all the
beings of the prairies and skies."
"Please
take me there," Jumping Mouse said. The wolf guided him through the pines
to the medicine lake. Jumping Mouse drank the water from the lake. The wolf
described the beauty to him.
I must leave
you here," said wolf, "For I must return so that I may guide others,
but I will remain with you as long as you like."
Thank you, my
brother," said Jumping Mouse. "But although I am frightened to be
alone, I know you must go so that you may show others the way to this
place."
Jumping Mouse
sat there trembling in fear. It was no use running, for he was blind, but he
knew an eagle would find him here. He felt a shadow on his back and heard the
sound that eagles make. He braced himself for the shock. And the eagle Hit!
Jumping Mouse went to sleep.
Then he woke
up. The surprise of being alive was great, but now he could see!
Everything was
blurry, but the colors were beautiful.
"I can
see! I can see!" said Jumping Mouse over again and again.
A blurry shape
came toward Jumping Mouse. Jumping Mouse squinted hard but the shape remained a
blur.
"Hello,
brother," a voice said. "Do you want some medicine?"
"Some
medicine for me?" asked Jumping Mouse. "Yes! Yes!"
"Then
crouch down as low as you can," the voice said, "and jump as high as
you can."
Jumping Mouse
did as he was instructed. He crouched as low as he could and jumped! The wind
caught him and carried him higher."
"Do not be
afraid," the voice called to him. "Hang on to the wind and
trust!"
Jumping Mouse
did. He closed his eyes and hung on to the wind and it carried higher and
higher. Jumping Mouse opened his eyes and they were clear, and the higher he
went the clearer they became. Jumping Mouse saw his old friend upon a lily pad
on the beautiful medicine lake. It was the Frog.
"You have
a new name," called the frog. "You are Eagle!"
(The End, or
perhaps a new beginning)
