⏱ Read time: 8 minutes -
Summary:
Deep in the lush tropical jungle, a smart little Mouse Deer has a very rumbly tummy! He spots a delicious field of juicy cucumbers, but it is on the other side of a rushing river filled with hungry, terrifying crocodiles. Using his brilliant brain, the Mouse Deer tricks the crocodiles by telling them the King of the Forest is throwing a massive feast! He convinces the crocodiles to line up across the river so he can "count" them, using their giant bodies as a living bridge. A timeless, fun fable that teaches children how brains can always beat brawn!
Parent's Note for Read Aloud: To make this classic animal fable exciting for your children, use a deep, rough, and growling voice for the Crocodiles, and a fast, cheerful, and confident voice for the clever Mouse Deer! Say "HOP!" loudly every time he jumps!
The Rumbly Tummy by the River
Ceritasakti.com - A bright, beautiful morning blanketed the lush tropical jungle. Colorful wild birds chirped cheerfully, welcoming the warm, golden sunlight that pierced beautifully through the thick canopy of green leaves.
In a quiet corner of the forest, a smart little Mouse Deer was walking weakly, holding his tiny stomach. Grumble... growl!
His tummy had been rumbling loudly since dawn. The long, dry season had caused the food supply in his part of the forest to run completely out. He was incredibly hungry!
The Mouse Deer's tiny footsteps suddenly stopped when he arrived at the edge of a very wide river with a dangerously fast, rushing current. From far away, his sharp, keen eyes spotted a massive, beautiful garden filled with fresh, green cucumbers growing perfectly on the other side of the river!
The Threat from the Deep
"Wow! Those cucumbers look so incredibly juicy, crunchy, and delicious!" the Mouse Deer mumbled to himself, swallowing hard just imagining the sweet taste.
However, there was a massive problem. The Mouse Deer could not swim across the deep, rushing river! Furthermore, he knew exactly what terrifying creatures were hiding at the muddy bottom: a large group of giant, thick-skinned, and very hungry crocodiles!
Suddenly, the calm surface of the river splashed violently!
SPLASH! A massive, terrifying snout popped out of the water, revealing rows of incredibly sharp, yellow teeth.
"Grrrrr... Hello there, chubby little Mouse Deer! Did you come all the way down here just to surrender yourself and become my delicious breakfast?" the giant Crocodile greeted him with a raspy, terrifyingly scary voice.
The King's Clever Messenger
The Mouse Deer was quite startled and quickly took a step back. But because he was the smartest animal in the jungle, his brilliant brain immediately began spinning at lightning speed to find a clever way out!
He took a deep breath, stayed perfectly calm, and flashed a very polite, friendly smile at the giant river monster.
"Good morning to you, Mr. Crocodile! Oh no, I am definitely not here to be your breakfast. I am actually here carrying a highly important message directly from His Majesty, the King of the Forest!" the Mouse Deer answered with a loud, confident voice.
Hearing the respected name of the King of the Forest (the Lion!), the Crocodile grew very curious and slightly lowered his terrifying snout.
"A message? What kind of important message is being carried by a tiny, weak animal like you?" the Crocodile snorted suspiciously, blowing bubbles from his nose.
"The King of the Forest is throwing a massive, spectacular party tomorrow night, and he wants to share tons of fresh, delicious meat with all of you!" the Mouse Deer lied perfectly, keeping a very straight and convincing face.
Building the Living Bridge
The giant Crocodile's yellow eyes instantly sparkled brightly! He licked his lips, happily imagining a massive feast of fresh, delicious meat.
"Because the King wants to give you the perfect amount of food, he commanded me to count exactly how many crocodiles live in this river," the Mouse Deer continued, flawlessly executing his brilliant plan.
"Call all of your friends right now! Line up neatly in a straight row from this side of the river all the way to the other side, so I can easily count you all!" the clever Mouse Deer commanded.
Without a single drop of suspicion, the greedy crocodile immediately dove deep underwater. He called out to his entire gang who were sleeping in the mud. Within minutes, dozens of giant, thick-skinned crocodiles surfaced and lined up back-to-back, creating a massive, incredibly sturdy living bridge across the rushing river!
Leaping Across the River
"Excellent work! Now, everybody stay perfectly still. I will start counting you one by one!" the Mouse Deer shouted cheerfully, preparing his little legs.
With an incredibly agile leap, the Mouse Deer jumped lightly onto the bumpy back of the very first crocodile!
"HOP! One!" the Mouse Deer shouted cheerfully. He immediately leaped onto the back of the second crocodile, which felt as hard as a wooden log.
"HOP! Two! HOP! Three! HOP! Four!"
The clever Mouse Deer continued to jump and count with a loud, ringing voice, getting closer and closer to the beautiful cucumber garden on the other side. The giant crocodiles stayed perfectly still, floating patiently because they were so excited about the promised gift of fresh meat from the King.
A Happy and Peaceful Ending
With one final, magnificent leap, the Mouse Deer landed smoothly and safely on the soft green grass on the opposite side of the river! The beautiful, refreshing cucumber garden was now right in front of his eyes.
The giant crocodiles turned their heavy heads toward the riverbank, waiting patiently for the next instruction from the agile little animal.
"Thank you so very much for your wonderful help, my friends! Your crocodile bridge was absolutely magnificent!" the Mouse Deer said, bowing his head very politely.
"You're welcome! Now, where is our delicious fresh meat, Mouse Deer?" the leader Crocodile asked, starting to look a little confused.
"Oh, I am so sorry! It seems the King's party has been delayed," the Mouse Deer smiled sweetly. "But to thank you, I promise I will throw some sweet, juicy fruits into the river for you after I finish my breakfast!"
Even though the crocodiles finally realized they had been cleverly tricked, they did not feel too terribly angry. Why? Because the Mouse Deer had spoken to them so politely and treated them with respect!
The line of giant crocodiles calmly dove back to the bottom of the river, while the brilliant little Mouse Deer finally got to enjoy his fresh, crunchy cucumber breakfast in absolute peace!
The Moral Message of the Fable
Reading this classic Indonesian animal fable always leaves a wonderful impression on children!
The profound moral message of this story teaches kids about the incredible importance of using their brainpower and intelligence when facing a massive problem. The Mouse Deer proved that having big muscles or sharp teeth (like the crocodiles!) is not always the answer. With a calm mind and a clever tactic, we can overcome any dangerous challenge safely!
Furthermore, this story teaches us to always be polite. Even though the Mouse Deer tricked them, he was very respectful and said "Thank you." Solving a problem peacefully without insulting others will always bring happiness to everyone!
Questions About the Story
How did the Mouse Deer cross the rushing river?
In this educational bedtime story for kids, the clever Mouse Deer crossed the dangerous river by tricking the hungry crocodiles! He told them to line up so he could count them, using their giant, bumpy backs as a living bridge to hop across.
Why weren't the crocodiles super angry at the end?
Even though the crocodiles realized they had been tricked, they weren't too furious because the Mouse Deer was incredibly polite, bowed respectfully, and said "Thank you" for their help!
Did your child enjoy this clever adventure of the smart little Mouse Deer? Let's Share this timeless lesson about brains beating brawn! Help us Share this educational kids fable story by sending the link to other parents via WhatsApp, Telegram, or Facebook, discuss the power of politeness on X (Twitter), and make sure to pin this magical, cozy watercolor illustration to your favorite Pinterest board!
