An Oral Tradition: The Kodo and the Field Mouse

[Muato]

(( For your continued reading enjoyment, this is a copy of the story Muato told at the CS Clan Gathering on 3/26/08. It was edited and rewritten to fit in-line with the Taurens and WoW lore. It is based off an old Native American tribal tale, so props to the ancient Native American Tribes. ))

The Kodo and the Field Mouse

Once upon a time, when the Field-Mouse was out

gathering wild beans for the winter, his neighbor, the

Kodo, came down to graze in a meadow in Mulgore. This the

little Mouse did not like, for he knew that the other

would mow down all the long grass with his prickly

tongue, and there would be no place in which to hide.

He made up his mind to offer battle like a man.

"Ho, Friend Kodo, I challenge you to a fight! "he

exclaimed in a small, squeaking voice.

The Kodo paid no attention, thinking it only a joke.

The Mouse angrily repeated the challenge, and still his

enemy went on quietly grazing. Then the little Mouse

laughed with contempt as he offered his defiance. The

Kodo at last looked at him and replied carelessly:

"You had better keep still, little one, or I shall come

over there and step on you, and there will be nothing

left! "

"You can't do it!" replied the Mouse.

"I tell you to keep still." insisted the Kodo, who was

getting angry. "If you speak to me again, I shall

certainly come and put an end to you! "

"I dare you to do it!" said the Mouse, provoking him.

Thereupon the other rushed upon him. He trampled the

grass clumsily and tore up the earth with his front hoofs.

When he had ended, he looked for the Mouse, but he

could not see him anywhere.

"I told you I would step on you, and there would be

nothing left!" he muttered.

Just then he felt a scratching inside his right ear. He

shook his head as hard as he could, and twitched his

ears back and forth. The gnawing went deeper and

deeper until he was half wild with the pain. He pawed

with his hoofs and tore up the sod with his horns.

Bellowing madly, he ran as fast as he could, first straight

forward and then in circles, but at last he stopped and

stood trembling. Then the Mouse jumped out of his ear,

and said:

"Will you know now that I am master? "

"No!" bellowed the Kodo, and again he started toward

the Mouse, as if to trample him under his feet. The little

fellow was nowhere to be seen, but in a minute the

Kodo felt him in the other ear. Once more he became

wild with pain, and ran here and there over Mulgore,

at times leaping high in the air like a great swoop. At

last he fell to the ground and lay quite still. The Mouse

came out of his ear, and stood proudly upon his dead body.

"Eho!" said the mouse, "I have killed the greatest of all beasts.

This will show to all that I am master!"

Standing upon the body of the dead Kodo, he called

loudly for a knife with which to dress his game.

In another part of the meadow, Gray Wolf, very hungry,

was hunting mice for his breakfast. He saw one and

jumped upon him with all four feet, but the little Mouse

got away, and he was terribly disappointed.

All at once he thought he heard a distant call: "Bring a

knife! Bring a knife !"

When the second call came, Gray Wolf started in the

direction of the sound. At the first knoll he stopped and

listened, but hearing nothing more, he was about to go

back. Just then he heard the call plainly, but in a very

thin voice, "Bring a knife!"Gray Wolf immediately set out

again and ran as fast as he could.

By and by he came upon the huge body of the Kodo

lying upon the ground. The little Mouse still stood upon

the body.

"I want you to dress this Kodo for me and I will give

you some of the meat,"commanded the Mouse.

"Thank you, my friend, I shall be glad to do this for

you,"he replied, politely.

The Wolf dressed the Kodo, while the Mouse sat upon

a mound near by, looking on and giving his orders. "You

must cut the meat into small pieces," he said to the wolf.

When the wolf had finished his work, the Mouse paid

him with a small piece of liver. He swallowed it quickly

and smacked his lips.

"Please, may I have another piece?" he asked quite

humbly.

"Why, I gave you a very large piece! How greedy you

are!" exclaimed the Mouse. "You may have some of the

blood clots,"he sneered. So the poor wolf took the blood

clots and even licked off the grass. He was really very

hungry.

"Please may I take home a piece of the meat?"he

begged. "I have six little pups at home, and there is

nothing for them to eat."

"You can take the four feet of the Kodo. That ought

to be enough for all of you!"

"Hi, hi! Thank you, thank you!" said the wolf. "But,

Mouse, I have a wife also, and we have had bad luck in

hunting. We are almost starved. Can't you spare me a

little more?"

"Why,"declared the Mouse, "I have already overpaid

you for the little work you have done. However, you

can take the head, too!"

Thereupon the wolf jumped upon the Mouse, who gave

one faint squeak and disappeared.

If you are proud and selfish you will lose all in the end.