Story The Frog and the Mouse: adaptation of the popular story from Spain.
Once upon a time there was a toad who loved to play the flute. At night he would climb a stone in the field and, bathed in the moonlight, he would pluck beautiful notes from his small instrument.
There lived a mouse nearby who was very bothered by music. He was so fed up, that one warm summer night he decided to end the situation. He went in search of the toad and threatened him.
– Hey, Mr. Toad! I don’t want to seem rude to you, but I get stunned by those melodies every night. I can’t sleep! Why don’t you go somewhere else to play the flute? – He said growling and with an angry gesture.
– You are a hater! – answered the toad – He would like to play as well as I do!
–Nothing envious! – The mouse was starting to get more angry than necessary – I don’t know anything about music, but I have other virtues: I run very fast and I move very agilely everywhere, something that you, with those short legs and such an inflated belly, it can not do.
The toad thought what the mouse told him was fatal and decided to teach him a lesson.
– So you think you are better than me, huh?… Very good, then if you want we can make a bet. I dare you to run, but to make it more exciting, we will do it underground. If you win, I will give you my flute, but if I win, you will have to give me your house, which, as I have heard, is quite comfortable.
The mouse started to laugh thinking that the toad was a rather stupid and unconscious being.
– I accept, I accept! Beating him is a piece of cake and when I have that unbearable flute in my possession, I will smash it to dust. See you here tomorrow, as soon as the sun rises.
The toad said goodbye, returned home and told the story to his wife. Afterwards, she explained to him that he had hatched a plan to win over the insolent rodent.
– I’ll tell you what we will do, but listen carefully. The mouse and I will run underground from the rock to the finish line, located in the large tree that grows next to the wheat field.
He took a breath and continued.
– You will hide in a hole under the tree and when you see that the mouse is coming, you will stick your head out and shout “I won! All toads are very similar and the mouse will not realize that, in reality, it is you and not me who will be at the goal.
– It is OK darling. I will do it this way – answered the toad lady.
The next day, the toad and the mouse met on the rock. When the starting signal sounded, they both went underground and started running. Well, not exactly… The mouse ran and ran at full speed without looking back, while the toad pretended to move forward a little but in reality returned to the starting point. When the mouse was about to reach the tree, the toad lady stuck her head out and shouted:
– I’m here now! I won!
The mouse’s face fell. How was it possible that the toad had arrived first?
– Are you a magician or something? If I do not see it, I do not believe it! Okay: we will do a new race, this time the opposite way, from here to the rock.
The toad, who was actually the woman, nodded in agreement. They prepared to leave, they gave the signal and the mouse put all his effort into arriving first. He went underground and ran like a madman while the toad’s wife stood still without the mouse, in his haste, realizing that he was running alone. When he was very close to arriving, he heard a voice coming from a head that appeared next to the rock.
– I have won again! – The toad shouted, about to burst with happiness because he had managed to trick the mouse – I will celebrate my victory by playing a triumphant melody!
The toad began to play the flute, jumping for joy. The mouse felt furious and humiliated. Anger consumed him and on top of that he had to endure that insidious music that drove him crazy. He soon went from anger to sadness, as the toad rushed to demand what he owed him.
– I won the bet – the batracian commented, shaking the dirt off his belly – I’ll take your house!
The mouse had to assume that he had lost. Head down, he gave her the keys and walked away in search of a new home. Excessive self-confidence had played tricks on him. He promised himself that, from then on, he would be more humble and would not despise those who, at first, seem weaker.