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The leopard, the monkey, the mouse, and the frog
The leopard, the monkey, the mouse, and the frog
There once was a jungle which was home of a monkey, a mouse, and a frog. The monkey climbed from tree to tree with joy, the frog jumped and jumped all day long without rest, and the mouse ran across the jungle looking for fruits to eat. They lived peacefully and in harmony until one day, a great, ferocious leopard came to prowl about their dwellings. The leopard walked across the edge of the pond and the frog quickly jumped in the water to never come out, then the leopard walked beneath the trees where the monkey jumped and the monkey quickly hid behind the long branches of the largest tree in the jungle. Then, the leopard walked to where the mouse was running around, and the scared rodent fled to a small hole inside a tree trembling with fear. Days and days went by and there was no sign of the monkey, nor the mouse, nor the frog. The leopard stood alone in the jungle, dominating the land because of fear of the others. The monkey, frog, and mouse couldn’t help but think what this monstrous animal had done to animals like them before, with his big, sharp claws, with his large teeth, his fearful stride amongst the jungle, and with that killer look in his eyes. They didn´t dare to come out, risking their lives where the creature could catch them. One day, when the leopard was walking under the tallest trees in the land, the earth started trembling, the sky went dark, and not long after, thunder and lightning filled the jungle making all the trees fall down. Rain started to pour down, in the middle of the jungle the grass parted to make a big, endless hole. The leopard jumped from side to side, avoiding any obstacles, running for his life, and then he saw, miles and miles away, a drop of light, a safe place to be, where the water did not fall from the sky, and the grass did not tremble. Without hesitation he quickly moved in that direction, he was certain if he was fast enough, he could make it, before this disastrous event destroyed the jungle entirely, including himself, it seemed like the end of the world. When he was on his way he saw, for the very first time since his arrival, a small creature, trembling with fear under the tree. On that same tree he noticed at the very top the monkey, who did not know where to go. Being selfless, the leopard grabbed the mouse and put him on his back, after seeing this the monkey from the tree quickly jumped down and also got on the leopard´s back, hoping he would not eat him. And lastly there was a faint shout “Wait for me!” It was the poor little frog coming out of the lake who did not want to be left behind. So there they went, together avoiding the falling trees, jumping the holes in the land, to reach a safe place. When they reached the land where the light touched they realized they had been saved by the creature the feared before.
Moral: Appearances are deceiving.
