Post by Okwes on May 24, 2007 13:30:38 GMT -5
Cricket and Mountain Lion - Klamath
Cricket was proud of his house. It was small and round and snug, and sat in
a shady spot safely away from the deer trail. Cricket had built it himself
of mud and dung and fine grass, then rolled it into place beside a rotten
log, and settled in.
One day Mountain Lion, out hunting, came stepping softly down the deer
trail. Not far from Cricket's house his nose told him that a rabbit had
crossed the path a moment before, and so he turned aside. As he padded past
the rotten log. Mountain Lion heard a tiny shout.
"Hai, friend Lion! Stop where you are and step aside! That is my house. One
step more and your paw will crush it."
Mountain Lion looked around to see who had spoken. When he spied little
Cricket atop the log, he laughed. And then he roared until the leaves on the
trees trembled.
"Miserable little creature!" he screamed. "Do you mean to tell me where I
may walk? I am Mountain Lion. Not even Eagle can command me. Because I am
strong and smart and swift, the forest is mine. And yet you dare to tell me
where to step !"
"You may rule the forest, Big Paws,' piped Cricket, "but I am Chief in my
house and ruler of the land it sits on. So step aside. I do not care to have
my house flattened."
Mountain Lion was amazed at Cricket's daring. "Indeed!" roared he. "I will
flatten it and you too, if I wish. If I wish, little squeaker, I can crush
you and all your folk under my paw."
Cricket gave an angry hop. "Hai! you think so? Take care. I may be small but
I have a cousin not half so big as I am who is a great fighter. He can
master a Grizzly Bear. So take care!"
"Ho-ho!" Mountain Lion laughed. "I must meet this brave warrior, little
boaster. Bring your cousin to this place tomorrow, Cricket, and we will
fight. He shall not master me. I will flatten him and you and your house
together."
And he turned back the way he had come.
The next day at noon Mountain Lion came loping down the deer track and
turned aside at the rotten log.
"Hai, small boaster!" he cried. "I am here. Where is your fierce little
cousin?"
Cricket did not answer.
"Ho!" roared Mountain Lion. "Come out, brave cousin, and be crushed!"
Soon there came a buzzing by his ear, loud and then louder still. And then a
sharp, stabbing sting.
"Oh-ho-yo!" roared Mountain Lion. "Get out of my ear!"
But Mosquito, Cricket's cousin, only sang a louder song and went on
stinging.
"Ai-hai-yi!" yowled Mountain Lion.
Cricket sat on his log and watched as Mountain Lion shook his head and
leaped and howled. When at last poor Mountain Lion threw himself upon the
ground and groaned, Cricket spoke up.
"Tell me, friend Lion. Do you mean to leave me and my house alone?"
"I will, I will, dear Cricket," moaned Mountain Lion. "Only call your cousin
out of my ear."
So Cricket called Mosquito, and they sat together on the log and laughed to
see Mountain Lion run away as fast as he could go.
He never ever came back.
Back in the Beforetime: Tales of the California Indians [the Klamath River
region in the north to the inland desert mountains and the southern
coastlands] Retold by Jane Louise Curry, 1987
Cricket was proud of his house. It was small and round and snug, and sat in
a shady spot safely away from the deer trail. Cricket had built it himself
of mud and dung and fine grass, then rolled it into place beside a rotten
log, and settled in.
One day Mountain Lion, out hunting, came stepping softly down the deer
trail. Not far from Cricket's house his nose told him that a rabbit had
crossed the path a moment before, and so he turned aside. As he padded past
the rotten log. Mountain Lion heard a tiny shout.
"Hai, friend Lion! Stop where you are and step aside! That is my house. One
step more and your paw will crush it."
Mountain Lion looked around to see who had spoken. When he spied little
Cricket atop the log, he laughed. And then he roared until the leaves on the
trees trembled.
"Miserable little creature!" he screamed. "Do you mean to tell me where I
may walk? I am Mountain Lion. Not even Eagle can command me. Because I am
strong and smart and swift, the forest is mine. And yet you dare to tell me
where to step !"
"You may rule the forest, Big Paws,' piped Cricket, "but I am Chief in my
house and ruler of the land it sits on. So step aside. I do not care to have
my house flattened."
Mountain Lion was amazed at Cricket's daring. "Indeed!" roared he. "I will
flatten it and you too, if I wish. If I wish, little squeaker, I can crush
you and all your folk under my paw."
Cricket gave an angry hop. "Hai! you think so? Take care. I may be small but
I have a cousin not half so big as I am who is a great fighter. He can
master a Grizzly Bear. So take care!"
"Ho-ho!" Mountain Lion laughed. "I must meet this brave warrior, little
boaster. Bring your cousin to this place tomorrow, Cricket, and we will
fight. He shall not master me. I will flatten him and you and your house
together."
And he turned back the way he had come.
The next day at noon Mountain Lion came loping down the deer track and
turned aside at the rotten log.
"Hai, small boaster!" he cried. "I am here. Where is your fierce little
cousin?"
Cricket did not answer.
"Ho!" roared Mountain Lion. "Come out, brave cousin, and be crushed!"
Soon there came a buzzing by his ear, loud and then louder still. And then a
sharp, stabbing sting.
"Oh-ho-yo!" roared Mountain Lion. "Get out of my ear!"
But Mosquito, Cricket's cousin, only sang a louder song and went on
stinging.
"Ai-hai-yi!" yowled Mountain Lion.
Cricket sat on his log and watched as Mountain Lion shook his head and
leaped and howled. When at last poor Mountain Lion threw himself upon the
ground and groaned, Cricket spoke up.
"Tell me, friend Lion. Do you mean to leave me and my house alone?"
"I will, I will, dear Cricket," moaned Mountain Lion. "Only call your cousin
out of my ear."
So Cricket called Mosquito, and they sat together on the log and laughed to
see Mountain Lion run away as fast as he could go.
He never ever came back.
Back in the Beforetime: Tales of the California Indians [the Klamath River
region in the north to the inland desert mountains and the southern
coastlands] Retold by Jane Louise Curry, 1987