Mouse the Bravest Animal

Mouse,  the Bravest Animal
Traditional teaching story retold by Andrew Wright

Mouse visited Hare’s house.  Hare was not at home.  Mouse knocked on the door and he called, ‘Hare!  Are you at home?’  Hare didn’t come.  Mouse opened the door and went into Hare’s house.

Later, Hare came home.  His door was open.  ‘Why is my door open?’  He shouted, ‘Who’s there?’

Mouse roared in a loud voice in a tin bucket, ‘I am strong!  I am a famous soldier!  I can fight elephants!  I can throw hippos in the sky!’

Hare ran out of the house.  He met Jackal.  ‘Jackal!  There is a monster in my house!  Please help me!’

Jackal went to Hare’s house.  He opened the door and he shouted, ‘Who’s there?’

Mouse roared in a loud voice in the tin bucket, ‘I am strong!  I am a famous soldier!  I can fight elephants!  I can throw hippos in the sky!’

Jackal ran out of the house.  ‘There is a monster in the house!’  Hare and Jackal told Elephant.

Elephant went to Hare’s house.  He opened the door and he shouted, ‘Who’s there?’

Mouse roared in a loud voice in the tin bucket, ‘I am strong!  I am a famous soldier!  I can fight you!  I can throw hippos in the sky!’

Elephant ran out of the house.  ‘There is a monster in the house!’  Hare and Jackal and Elephant told Hippo.

Hippo went to Hare’s house.  He opened the door and he shouted, ‘Who’s there?’

Mouse roared in a loud voice in the tin bucket, ‘I am strong!  I am a famous soldier!  I can fight elephants!  I can throw you in the sky!’

Hippo ran out of the house.  ‘There is a monster in the house!’  Hare and Jackal and Elephant and Hippo told Frog.

Frog went to Hare’s house.  He opened the door and he shouted, ‘Who’s there?’

Mouse roared in a loud voice in the tin bucket, ‘I am strong!  I am a famous soldier!  I can fight elephants!  I can throw hippos in the sky!’

Frog gulped, took a deep breath and shouted back, even louder.  ‘I am the strongest of all creatures.  I jump over mountains.  I fly over rivers.  I am afraid of nobody!  Don’t make me angry!  Come out, now!’

‘Alright!  Don’t hurt me!  I’m only a mouse!’  Mouse came slowly out of the house.  He was crying.  ‘Please, don’t hurt me!’

All the animals laughed.

Source
This is a Trickster story from the Masai people in East Africa.  I first saw the story in: Gersie, A. and King, N. (1990)  Storymaking in Education and Therapy.  Jessica Kingsley Publishers.  London. (page 195)

My comments
This is a wonderful story.  With minor modifications it can be told to little children and to adults.  As often happens the teenagers in the middle might find it more difficult to listen to.
Wonderful for elementary learners of English with all its repetition and opportunities for participation!
In the original story the main protagonist was not a mouse but a caterpillar.  A caterpillar is not an animal but a creature…the rest of them are animals in the story.  It all got a bit complicated so I changed the caterpillar into a mouse.