One day, Mouse Deer went down to the river. He wanted to take a drink. But he knew Crocodile might be waiting underwater to eat him.
Mouse Deer had an idea. He said out loud, “I wonder if the water’s warm. I’ll put in my leg and find out.”
But Mouse Deer didn’t put in his leg. Instead, he picked up a stick with his mouth and put in one end.
Chomp! Crocodile grabbed the stick and pulled it underwater.
Mouse Deer laughed. “Stupid Crocodile! Don’t you know a stick from a leg?”
And he ran off to drink somewhere else!
* * *
Another day, Mouse Deer went back to the river. All he saw there was a floating log. But he knew Crocodile looked like a log when he floated.
Mouse Deer had an idea. He said out loud, “If that log is really Crocodile, it won’t talk. But if it’s really just a log, it will tell me.”
He listened. A rough voice said, “I’m really just a log.”
Mouse Deer laughed. “Stupid Crocodile! Do you think a log can talk?”
And off he ran again!
* * *