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Story of Jumping Mouse
The Story of Jumping Mouse
by Hyemeyohsts Storm
Native American Lore

Once there was a little mouse. He was a busy mouse, searching everywhere, touching his whiskers to the grass, and looking about. He was busy as all mice are, busy with mice things. But once in a while he would hear an odd sound. He would lift his head, squinting hard to see, his whiskers wiggling in the air, and he would wonder. One day he scurried up to a fellow mouse and asked him, "Do you hear a roaring in your ears, my brother?"

"No, no," answered the other mouse, not lifting his busy nose from the ground. "I hear nothing. I am busy now. Talk to me later."

He asked another mouse the same question and the mouse looked at him strangely. "Are you foolish in your head? What sound?" he asked and slipped into a hole in a fallen cottonwood tree.

The little mouse shrugged his whiskers and busied himself again, determined to forget the whole matter. But there was that roaring again. It was faint, very faint, but it was there! One day, he decided to investigate the sound just a little. Leaving the other busy mice, he scurried a little ways away and listened again. There it was! He was listening hard when suddenly, someone said Hello.

Hello little brother," the voice said, and Mouse almost jumped right out of his skin. He arched his back and tail and was about to run.

"Hello," again said the voice. "It is I, Brother Raccoon." And sure enough, it was! "What are you doing here all by yourself, little brother?" asked the raccoon. The mouse blushed, and put his nose almost to the ground. "I hear a roaring in my ears and I am investigating it," he answered timidly.



"A roaring in your ears?" replied the raccoon as he sat down with him. "what you hear, little brother , is the river."

"The river?" Mouse asked curiously. "What is a river?"

"Walk with me and I will show you the river," Raccoon said.

Little Mouse was terribly afraid, but he was determined to find out once and for all about the roaring. "I can return to my work," he thought, "after this thing is settled, and possibly this thing may help me in all my busy examining and collecting. And my brothers all said it was nothing. I will show them. I will ask Raccoon to return with me and I will have proof."

"All right Raccoon, my brother," said Mouse. "lead on to the river. I will walk with you."

Little Mouse walked with Raccoon. His little heart was pounding in his breast. The raccoon was taking him upon strange paths and little Mouse smelled the scent of many things that had gone by his way. Many times he became so frightened he almost turned back. Finally, they came to the river! It was huge and breathtaking, deep and clear in Places, and murky in others. Little Mouse was unable to see across it because it was so great. It roared, sang, cried, and thundered on its course. Little Mouse saw great and little pieces of the world carried along on its surface.

"It is powerful!" little Mouse said, fumbling for words.

It is a great thing," answered the Raccoon, "But here, let me introduce you to a friend."

In a smoother, shallower place was a lily pad, bright and green. Sitting upon it was a frog, almost as green as the pad it sat on. The frog's white belly stood out clearly.

"Hello, little brother," said the frog.

"Welcome to the river."

"I must leave you now," cut in Raccoon, "but do not fear, little brother, for frog will care for you now." And Raccoon left, looking along the river bank for food that he might wash and eat.

Little Mouse approached the water and looked into it. He saw a frightened mouse reflected there.

"Who are you?" the little mouse asked the reflection. "Are you not afraid of being that far out into the great river?"

"No, answered the frog, "I am not afraid. I have been given the gift from birth to live both above and within the river. When winter man comes and freezes this medicine, I cannot be seen. But all the while thunderbird flies, I am here. To visit me, one must come when the world is green. I, my brother, am the Keeper of the Water."

Amazing!" little Mouse said at last, again fumbling for words."

Would you like to have some Medicine Power?" Frog asked."

"Medicine Power? Me?" asked little Mouse. "Yes, yes! If it is possible."

"Then crouch as low as you can, and then jump as high as you are able! You will have your medicine!" Frog said.

Little Mouse did as he was instructed. He crouched as low as he could and jumped. And when he did, his eyes saw the Sacred Mountains.

Little Mouse could hardly believe his eyes. But there they were! But then he fell back to Earth, and he landed in the river!

Little Mouse became frightened and scrambled back to the bank. He was wet and frightened nearly to death.

"You have tricked me," little Mouse screamed at the Frog!"

"Wait," said the Frog. "You are not harmed. Do not let your fear and anger blind you. What did you see?"

"I," Mouse stammered, "I saw the Sacred Mountains!"

"And you have a new name!" Frog said. "It is Jumping Mouse."

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Originally posted by Gnarlodious:
Adorable, but in the real world Brother Raccoon would have eaten Busy Mouse immediately.