A Fable- The Deer Mouse and Elephant

The Tale of the Deer Mouse and the Elephant

It was a bright morning. The sun was shining through the leaves and branches of the trees. Thousands of drops of dew shone like pearls. Deri, the little deer mouse, who was sleeping soundly, was awakened by the warm sunshine and the sound of singing birds.

Whilst Deri was walking through the forest, licking the warm dew, he decided he wanted to go to the cucumber garden at the edge of the forest. He wanted to steal some cucumbers. However, before Deri reached the edge of the forest he slipped into a pit, a trap set by a farmer. The farmer was annoyed with a cucumber thief who had destroyed his plants. Indeed, Deri not only stole his cucumbers, he also stepped on the plants on purpose. That’s why many had plants died.

  

Deri tried to escape from the trap, but the hole was very deep so he couldn’t hop out. With his cunning brain, Deri kept trying to find a way out, but this time it was not working. Deri was almost crying when suddenly he heard the sound of Eli the Elephant. Deri wiped away his tears and called to Eli.

            “Oh, what bad luck! Did you slip into the farmer’s trap, Deri?” asked Eli the Elephant.

“Oh, don’t you know? A typhoon is coming and it will cause the trees to fall down. That’s why I’m hiding in this hole,” Deri replied, deceiving Eli.

“Oh Deri! You’re always trying to be funny. It’s impossible that there will be a typhoon on this sunny day. You are trying to trick me, aren’t you?”

  

“Well it’s up to you if you don’t believe me. I just want to help you. I think this hole is big enough for both of us.”

“I’m sorry Deri, I still don’t believe you,” said Eli. “Ok, I have to go now, have a nice time hiding Deri,”

Eli smiled for he knew that Deri was trying to trick her.

  

Since his trick didn’t work, Deri started to panic. Eli was the only chance Deri had to escape from the hole. When Eli was about to leave Deri called to her loudly.

“Wait! You should trust me. I don’t want you to get hurt. Come here, hide in this hole with me,” Deri pleaded.

“I’m sorry Deri, I really have to go now. I want to drink and take a bath in the lake. On such a hot and bright day, it’s very refreshing to lie in the lake.”

 Deri was really out of his mind at this point.

“Please my friend, don’t go away! Listen to me!”

Deri was almost about to give up when Eli elephant returned.

“If you want me to help you out of the hole, why don’t you just ask me?”

Deri the deer was speechless and felt very ashamed. He had lied to Eli and still the kind elephant wanted to help him.

“I’m so sorry, my friend. I did try to trick you in order to get out of this hole….”

“And then you would have left me to be trapped and caught by the farmer!” cut in Eli.

“Please forgive me my friend, I know I’m guilty. I really have learned the lesson. I promise I will never deceive anybody else. Please forgive me.”

“Of course I forgive you. But from now on, never use your intelligence to deceive again. Only use it to help our friends. Okay?”

“I promise Eli, I really have learned my lesson,” Deri burst in tears.

Eli the elephant stuck out her long and strong trunk. She lifted up Deri slowly and she put him down carefully. Deri kept saying how grateful he was to Eli.

 Deri really never imagined that Eli had a very kind heart. Eli didn’t hate him even though he had tried to trick her. Deep in his heart he promised not to use his smart brain to bring harm to others. He decided then and there to always be a kind hearted deer mouse.