MALAYAN FABLES
by Unknown · from The Talking Beasts: A Book of Fable Wisdom
Adapted Version
Once, many animals lived in the green jungle. Some were big and strong. One was small and very clever. This was the Mouse-Deer!
An Old Man lived near the jungle. He put sticky lime on a tree. He wanted to catch birds. A Little Bird flew to the tree. The Little Bird got stuck. "Oh no!" said the Little Bird. The Old Man came near. He held the Little Bird. "Please do not eat me," said the Little Bird. "I am very small. I will bring you a magic stone. It is a big treasure. Let me go now." The Old Man thought. "A magic stone?" he asked. "Yes!" said the Little Bird. The Old Man let the bird go. The Little Bird flew high. It cleaned its feathers. "Where is my stone?" asked the Old Man. The Little Bird just flew away. It was a clever trick. The Old Man was sad. He learned a lesson.
Mouse-Deer and Heron were good friends. They wanted to sail to Java. They got into a small boat. Mouse-Deer steered the boat. Heron helped with the sail. Mouse-Deer got sleepy. He closed his eyes. He started to doze. Heron saw this. Heron got cross. "Wake up!" said Heron. Mouse-Deer did not wake. Heron pecked the boat. He made a small hole. Water came in. Heron flew away. He left Mouse-Deer alone. Mouse-Deer was stranded.
A Young Shark swam near. "Hello!" said the Shark. "Are you lost?" Mouse-Deer had an idea. "Yes," said Mouse-Deer. "I need help. I know a magic trick. I will show you. First, take me to the shore." Young Shark was curious. "Okay!" said Young Shark. He carried Mouse-Deer. They went to the shore. Mouse-Deer jumped off. He ran into the jungle. Young Shark waited. "Where is the magic trick?" he asked. Mouse-Deer was gone. Young Shark was confused.
A Kind Man walked in the jungle. He saw a trap. A big Tiger was inside. "Help me!" said the Tiger. "Please let me go. I will be good." The Man felt sorry. He opened the trap. Tiger jumped out. "Now I will scare you!" said Tiger. Tiger roared loudly. The Man was afraid. "But you promised!" said the Man.
"Let us ask," said the Man. "Is this fair?" They asked a Road. "Road, is this fair?" The Road said, "No. People walk on me. They throw trash. They are not always kind." They asked a Tree. "Tree, is this fair?" The Tree said, "No. People cut my branches. They are not always kind."
Mouse-Deer came by. "What is wrong?" he asked. The Man told the story. "Hmm," said Mouse-Deer. "I do not understand. How did you get in the trap, Tiger?" Tiger showed him. "Like this!" Tiger jumped into the trap. Quick as a flash, Mouse-Deer closed the trap door. "Now you are safe," said Mouse-Deer. "You cannot scare anyone." The Man thanked Mouse-Deer.
Elephant and Tiger were friends. They saw a Monkey. "Who can scare Monkey more?" asked Tiger. Elephant went first. He walked slowly. He looked big. Monkey just laughed. Tiger went next. He roared very loud. Monkey screamed. Monkey ran away fast. "I win!" said Tiger.
Tiger laughed at Elephant. "I will win you next!" said Tiger. Elephant was sad. He was scared. He went to Mouse-Deer. "Tiger will win me," said Elephant. "Please help me, friend." Mouse-Deer thought. "Do not worry," said Mouse-Deer. "I have a plan."
Mouse-Deer told Elephant the plan. "Go roll in molasses," said Mouse-Deer. "Be sticky and sweet." Elephant did this. He was covered in molasses. Mouse-Deer climbed on Elephant's back. He made loud licking sounds. "Mmm, yummy!" he said.
Tiger came to find Elephant. He saw Mouse-Deer. Mouse-Deer was on Elephant. Mouse-Deer was making noise. "This Elephant is too small!" shouted Mouse-Deer. "I want a big, fat Tiger! That would be a better meal!"
Tiger heard this. Tiger was very scared. He turned and ran away. He ran very fast. Black Ape saw Tiger running. "Why are you running, big Tiger?" asked Black Ape. "Mouse-Deer wants to eat me!" cried Tiger.
Black Ape did not believe him. "Mouse-Deer is small," said Ape. "He cannot eat you." Black Ape told Tiger to go back. They walked back together. Mouse-Deer saw them. "Oh, Ape!" shouted Mouse-Deer. "You promised me two Tigers! You only brought one!"
Tiger heard Mouse-Deer. Tiger thought Ape tricked him. Tiger was very, very scared. He ran away from Ape. He ran into the jungle. Mouse-Deer smiled. His clever trick worked! And so, the clever Mouse-Deer showed that smartness can always win over strength!
Original Story
MALAYAN FABLES
"He who is not possessed of such a book as will dispel many doubts, point out hidden treasures, and is, as it were, a mirror of all things, is even an ignorant man."
MALAYAN FABLES
Father "Lime-stick" and the Flower-pecker
Old Father Lime-stick once limed a tree for birds and caught a Flower-pecker. He was just about to kill and eat it when the bird cried out, "O Grandfather, surely you are not going to eat me? Why, flesh, feathers and all, I am no bigger than your thumb!" "What!" said the old man; "do you expect me then to let you go?" "Yes," said the bird, "only let me go, and I will fetch you such a talisman as never was—a Bezoar-stone as big as a cocoanut and worth at least a thousand." Said the old man, "Do you really mean it?" "Really, I do," replied the bird. "Just let me go, and I'll bring it to you." Then, on being released, he flew off and perched on a tree, and began to preen his feathers, to get rid of the bird-lime.
Presently the old man said: "Where has that bird got to? Bird, where is the Bezoar-stone you promised to bring me, the one that was worth at least a thousand?" "Out-on-you," was the reply, "this is really too ridiculous. Just think of me, with my body as big as your thumb, carrying a Bezoar-stone as big as a cocoanut! It really is too absurd. Why, have I even got the strength to lift it?" At this the old man held his peace. "Well," continued the bird, "you will gain nothing by repenting that you set me free. Only remember in future not to undertake an affair quite out of keeping with your own powers. Neither try to get your arms round a tree too big for your embrace, nor attempt to climb one higher than your strength permits you."
The Mouse-deer's Shipwreck
"Come," said the Mouse-deer to the Stump-tailed Heron, "come and sail with me to Java." So they set sail, and Friend Mouse-deer held the tiller and Friend Heron spread the sail, and the wind blew from the north. Soon however Friend Mouse-deer got drowsy, and let the boat fall out of the wind.
At this Friend Heron said: "Why does the boat fall off? How is your helm, Friend Mouse-deer?" "I was only taking a few winks," said he. "Bring her up to the wind again," said the Heron. And the Mouse-deer replied: "All right, I'm 'on the spot.'" Presently, however, he dozed again and the Heron exclaimed: "Oh, if that's to be it, you may die and be done with. I'll peck a hole in this boat of ours and you'll go to the bottom."
But the Mouse-deer said: "Please don't, I'm such a bad hand at swimming." So they sailed on. And the Mouse-deer dozed a third time. At this the Heron could contain himself no longer, and said, "Confound you, Friend Mouse-deer, for sleeping at the helm." And losing his temper he pecked a hole in the boat, and the boat let in the water and Friend Heron flew away. But the Mouse-deer swam struggling with his feet in the midst of the sea.
Presently there came up a young Shark who exclaimed, "I'll have a meal off you this time at all events." But the Mouse-deer answered, "What, Friend Shark, you'll make a meal off me? Why, in place of the little flesh I've got, if you'll carry me ashore, I'll teach you some excellent Magic which will save you from ever having to hunt for your food again." To this the Shark replied, "Agreed. If you'll teach me 'your excellent Magic' I'll carry you ashore." So the Mouse-deer got upon Friend Shark's back, and was carried straight ashore.
And on their arrival the Mouse-deer said: "Wait here a bit, while I go and get the simples." And going a-land he hunted up a rattan creeper and took it back with him and said: "Now I'll give you the simples I spoke of," and bound it fast to Friend Shark's tail. And presently the Shark said: "Why have you made the line fast to my tail?" But the Mouse-deer replied: "'Keep quite quiet till I have tied you up properly, and then I'll give you the simples." But presently he dragged the Shark up on to the dry beach, and made butcher's meat of him. Just then, however, a Tiger came up, exclaiming, "Here's really a good meal for Me, for once in a way!" To this, however, the Mouse-deer replied: "What is the use of eating me, when there's already plenty of butcher's meat and to spare?" "Very well, I'll share it with you," said the Tiger. The Mouse-deer replied, "You may share it with me by all means, if you will only go and get some water to do the cooking." So the Tiger went off to get water and presently came back with it.
"Wash the meat before you roast it," said the Mouse-deer. The Tiger took the meat and washed it in the water. "Go and fetch fire and roast it," said the Mouse-deer. The Tiger fetched fire and came back to do the cooking. And when the meat was done, "Now go and fetch some drinking water," said the Mouse-deer, "and we'll have our meal together." So the Tiger went off again to fetch the drinking water. But the Mouse-deer in the meantime made off with the Shark's meat and climbed up with it to the top of a She-oak Tree. And presently the Tiger came back and found both Mouse-deer and meat missing. At this he exclaimed: "For once in a way, Mr. Mouse-deer, you've fairly cheated Me; if we don't meet again no matter, but if we do, I'll be the death of you." And here the story ends.
The Tiger Gets His Deserts
A Tiger which had been caught in a trap, seeing a man, begged to be released. The man said to the Tiger: "If I let you out of the trap will you promise not to attack me?" "Certainly," said the Tiger, and the man therefore let the Tiger go; but the moment the Tiger was loose it sprang upon the man and caught him. At this the man begged the Tiger to wait until he had inquired how the law stood with reference to their contract, and the Tiger agreed to do so. The man and the Tiger therefore set out together; and on coming to a Road the man said: "O Road, Road, is it lawful to requite evil for good, or good for good only?" The Road replied: "I do good to mankind, but they requite me with evil, defiling my surface as they go." Then they came to a Tree, of which the man asked the same question. The Tree replied: "I do good to mankind, but they requite me with evil, lopping off my branches and cutting me down." At last they came to the Mouse-deer and the man made the same inquiry as before. The Mouse-deer replied: "I must really go into the question thoroughly before I answer it; let us go back together to the trap." On reaching the trap, he requested the Tiger to "Step inside," and the Tiger entering the trap, the Mouse-deer let down the door of the trap, and exclaimed, "Accursed Brute, you have returned evil for good and now you shall die for it." He then called in the neighbours and had the Tiger killed.
The Tune That Makes the Tiger Drowsy
There is a tune which when played upon the "Kerotong" (a two-stringed bamboo harp) makes Rimau the Tiger drowsy, but only a few old people know it. One evening two men were sitting together and playing in a hut in the jungle when two tigers overheard them.
The Tigers took counsel together, and one of them said to the other, "You shall be the first to go into the house. Whatever you seize shall therefore be your portion, but Whatever plunges down the steps to escape shall be mine."
At this the second Tiger ascended the house-ladder and was just crouching upon the topmost rung when one of the men to amuse himself commenced to play the Tune that makes the Tiger drowsy. As soon as the Tiger heard it he began to grow sleepy, and presently fell plump down the steps to the ground, where he was seized by his companion. When he objected his companion exclaimed, "Did we not agree that Whatever plunged down the steps was to be my portion?" and, so saying, he proceeded to devour him at his leisure.
The Tiger and the Shadow
There was a "salt-lick" in the jungle to which all the beasts of the forest resorted, but they were greatly afraid by reason of an old Tiger which killed one of them every day. At length, therefore, P'lando' the Mouse-deer said to the Tiger, "Why not permit me to bring you a beast every day, to save you from hunting for your food?" The Tiger consented and P'lando' went off to make arrangement with the beasts. But he could not persuade any of them to go, and after three days he set off, taking nobody with him but Kuwis the smallest of the Flying Squirrels.
On their arrival P'lando' said to the Tiger: "I could not bring you any of the other beasts because the way was blocked by a fat old Tiger with a Flying Squirrel sitting astride its muzzle." On hearing this the Tiger exclaimed, "Let us go and find it and drive it away." The three therefore set out, the Flying Squirrel perched upon the Tiger's muzzle and the Mouse-deer sitting astride upon its hind quarters. On reaching the river, the Mouse-deer pointed to the Tiger's likeness in the water and exclaimed, "Look there! That is the fat old Tiger that I saw." On hearing this, the Tiger sprang into the river to attack his own shadow, and was drowned immediately.
The King-crow and the Water-snail
A Water-snail was coming up-stream from the lower reaches, when a King-crow heard it. Said the King-crow to himself: "Who can it be coming up-stream that exclaims so loudly at the rapids? One might say it was a man, but that there is nothing to be seen." So the King-crow settled on a tree to watch, but as he could see nothing from his perch on the tree he flew down to the ground, and walked along by the water-side. And when he thought to see some man exclaiming, he caught sight of the Water-snail.
"Hullo, you there," said he, "where do you come from?" "I come from the eddy below the rapids," said the Water-snail, "and I only want to get as far as the head-waters of this river." Said the King-crow: "Wait a bit. Suppose you go down to the river-mouth as quickly as you can and we will have a wager on it." (Now rivers are the Water-snail's domain, in which he has many comrades.)
"What is to be the stake?" asked the Water-snail. "If I am beaten I will be your slave, and look after your aroids and wild caladiums on which all Water-snails feed." Then the King-crow asked: "And what will you stake?" The Water-snail replied, "If I am beaten, the river shall be handed over to you and you shall be King of the River." But the Water-snail begged for a delay of twice seven days, saying that he felt knocked up after ascending the rapids, and the delay was granted accordingly.
Meanwhile, however, the Water-snail hunted up a great number of his friends and instructed them to conceal themselves in each of the higher reaches of the river, and to reply immediately when the King-crow challenged them.
The day arrived, and the King-crow flew off, and in each of the higher reaches the Water-snail's friends replied to the challenge, while at the river-mouth the Water-snail replied in person. So the King-crow was defeated and has ever since remained the slave of the Water-snail.
The Elephant Has a Bet with the Tiger
In the beginning Gajah the Elephant and Rimau the Tiger were sworn friends. But one day they came to a clearing and presently encountered Lotong, the long-tailed Spectacle-monkey. And when he saw the Monkey, the Elephant said, "Mr. Lotong yonder is far too noisy; let us try and shake him off; if he falls to me I am to eat you; and if he falls to you, you are to eat me—we will make a wager of it." The Tiger said, "Agreed"; and the Elephant replied, "Agreed." "Very well!" said the Tiger; "you shall try and menace him first." So the Elephant tried to menace the Monkey. "AU! AU! AU!" he trumpeted, and each time he trumpeted the Monkey was scared. But the Monkey went jumping head foremost through the branches and never fell to the ground at all.
Presently, therefore, the Tiger asked the Elephant, "Well, Friend Elephant, would you like to try your luck again?" But the Elephant said, "No, thank you. It shall be your turn now; and if he falls to you, you shall eat me—if you really can make him fall!" Then the Tiger went and roared his longest and loudest, and shortened his body as for a spring and growled and menaced the Monkey thrice. And the Monkey leaped and fell at the Tiger's feet, for his feet and hands were paralyzed and would not grip the branches any more. Then the Tiger said: "Well, Friend Elephant, I suppose I may eat you now." But the Elephant said: "You have, I admit, won the wager; but I beg you to grant me just seven days' respite, to enable me to visit my wife and children and to make my will." The Tiger granted the request, and the Elephant went home, bellowing and sobbing every foot of the way.
Now the Elephant's wife heard the sound of her husband's voice, and said to her children, "What can be the matter with your Father that he keeps sobbing so?" And the children listened to make sure, and said, "Yes, it really is Father's voice, the sobbing, and not that of anybody else." Presently Father Elephant arrived, and Mother Elephant asked: "What were you sobbing for, Father? What have you done to yourself?" Father Elephant replied: "I made a wager with Friend Tiger about shaking down a Monkey, and Friend Tiger beat me; I menaced the Monkey, but he did not fall; if he had fallen to me, I was to have eaten Friend Tiger, but if he fell to Friend Tiger, Friend Tiger was to eat me. I was beaten, and now Friend Tiger says he is going to eat me. So I begged leave to come home and see you, and he has given me just seven days' respite."
Now for the seven days Father Elephant kept sobbing aloud, and neither ate nor slept. And the thing came to the hearing of Friend Mouse-deer. "What can be the matter with Friend Elephant that he keeps bellowing and bellowing; neither does he sleep, so that night is turned into day, and day into night? What on earth is the matter with him? Suppose I go and see," said the Mouse-deer. Then the Mouse-deer went to see what was wrong, and asked: "What is the matter with you, Friend Elephant, that we hear you bellowing and bellowing every single day and every single night, just now, too, when the Rains are upon us? You are far too noisy."
But the Elephant said: "It is no mere empty noise, Friend Mouse-deer; I have got into a dreadful scrape." "What sort of a scrape?" inquired the Mouse-deer. "I made a wager with Friend Tiger about shaking down a Monkey, and he beat me." "What was the stake?" asked the Mouse-deer. "The stake was that Friend Tiger might eat me if Friend Tiger frightened it down; and if I frightened it down, I might eat Friend Tiger. It fell to Friend Tiger, and now Friend Tiger wants to eat me. And my reason for not eating or sleeping any more is that I have got only just seven days' respite to go home and visit my wife and children and to make my will." Then the Mouse-deer said: "If it came to Friend Tiger's eating you, I should feel exceedingly sorrowful, exceedingly distressed; but things being only as you say, I feel neither." "If you will assist me," said the Elephant, "I will become your slave, and my descendants shall be your slaves forever." "Very well, it that is the case, I will assist you," said the Mouse-deer. "Go and look for a jar full of molasses." Friend Elephant promised to do so, and went to look for it at the house of a maker of palm-wine. The owner of the house fled for his life, and the jar fell into Friend Elephant's possession, who bore it back to the Mouse-deer.
Then Friend Mouse-deer said, "When does your promise expire?" and Friend Elephant replied, "To-morrow." So when next morning arrived they started, and the Mouse-deer said, "Now pour the molasses over your back and let it spread and spread and run down your legs." Friend Elephant did as he was ordered. Friend Mouse-deer then instructed the Elephant as follows: "As soon as I begin to lick up the molasses on your back, bellow as loud as you can and make believe to be hurt, and writhe and wriggle this way and that."
And presently Friend Mouse-deer commenced to lick hard, and Friend Elephant writhed and wriggled and made believe to be hurt, and made a prodigious noise of trumpeting. In this way they proceeded and Friend Mouse-deer got up and sat astride upon Friend Elephant's back. And the Elephant trumpeted and trumpeted all the way till they met with Friend Tiger. At this Friend Mouse-deer exclaimed, "A single Elephant is very short commons; if I could only catch that big and fat old Tiger there, it would be just enough to satisfy my hunger."
Now when Friend Tiger heard these words of the Mouse-deer, he said to himself, "So I suppose if you catch me, you'll eat me into the bargain, will you?" And Friend Tiger stayed not a moment longer, but fled for his life, fetching very lofty bounds.
And soon he met with the Black Ape, and Friend Ape asked, "Why running so hard, Friend Tiger? Why so much noise, and why, just when the Rains are upon us, too, do you go fetching such lofty bounds?" Friend Tiger replied, "What do you mean by 'so much noise'? What was the Thing that was got upon Friend Elephant's back, that had caught Friend Elephant and was devouring him so that he went writhing and wriggling for the pain of it, and the blood went streaming down in floods? Moreover the Thing that was got on Friend Elephant's back said, to my hearing, that a single Elephant was very short commons: but if It could catch a fat old Tiger like myself that would be just enough to satisfy Its hunger." Friend Ape said, "What was that Thing, Friend Tiger?" "I don't know," said the Tiger. "Ah," mused the Ape, "I wonder if it could be Friend Mouse-deer!" "Certainly not," said the Tiger; "why, how in the world could Friend Mouse-deer swallow Me? To say nothing of his not being used to meat food." "Come and let us go back again," said the Ape.
Then they went back again to find the Elephant, and first the Ape went the faster, and then the Tiger went the faster, and then the Ape got in front again. But Friend Mouse-deer sitting on Friend Elephant's back saw them coming and shouted. "Hullo, Father Ape," said he, "this is a dog's trick indeed; you promised to bring me two tigers and you only bring me one. I refuse to accept it, Father Ape."
Now when Friend Tiger heard this, he ran off at first as fast as he could, but presently he slackened his pace and said, "It is too bad of you, Friend Ape, to try to cozen me in order to pay your own debts. For shame, Father Ape! It was only through good luck that he refused to accept me; if he had accepted, I should have been dead and done with. So now, if you come down to the ground, you shall die the death yourself, just for your trying to cheat me."
Thus the Tiger and the Ape were set at enmity, and to this day the Tiger is very wroth with the Ape for trying to cheat him. And here the story ends.
Story DNA
Moral
Cleverness and wit can overcome brute strength, and those who are greedy or break promises often get their just deserts.
Plot Summary
This collection of Malayan fables primarily features the cunning Mouse-deer, who consistently outwits larger, stronger, and often more aggressive animals. Stories include a Flower-pecker tricking an old man, the Mouse-deer escaping a shipwreck and then deceiving a shark and a tiger, and the Mouse-deer tricking a treacherous tiger back into a trap. The longest fable details how the Mouse-deer saves an Elephant from being eaten by a Tiger by making the Tiger believe the Mouse-deer is a fearsome, elephant-eating creature, ultimately setting the Tiger and Ape at enmity.
Themes
Emotional Arc
tension to relief
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
These fables are part of a rich oral tradition, often featuring the Mouse-deer (Sang Kancil) as a central trickster figure, common in Southeast Asian folklore.
Plot Beats (15)
- Father Lime-stick catches a Flower-pecker, which promises a large Bezoar-stone if released, then mocks the old man for believing it.
- The Mouse-deer and Heron sail to Java, but the Mouse-deer repeatedly dozes, leading the Heron to peck a hole in the boat and fly away.
- The shipwrecked Mouse-deer promises a young Shark 'excellent Magic' if carried ashore, then binds the Shark and kills it.
- A Tiger approaches, and the Mouse-deer tricks it into preparing the Shark meat, then escapes with it up a tree.
- A man releases a Tiger from a trap after a promise, but the Tiger immediately tries to eat him.
- The man and Tiger consult a Road and a Tree, both of which lament being repaid evil for good by humans.
- The Mouse-deer is consulted, insists on returning to the trap, and tricks the Tiger back inside, leading to its death.
- Two men play a 'drowsy tune' on a harp, causing a Tiger trying to enter their hut to fall, and its companion devours it as per their agreement.
- The Elephant and Tiger make a wager about scaring a Monkey; the Elephant fails, but the Tiger succeeds.
- The Elephant begs for seven days' respite before being eaten by the Tiger and seeks help from the Mouse-deer.
- The Mouse-deer instructs the Elephant to cover itself in molasses and pretend to be in pain while the Mouse-deer licks it.
- When the Tiger encounters them, the Mouse-deer, riding the molasses-covered Elephant, declares that a single Elephant is 'short commons' and a fat Tiger would be better.
- The terrified Tiger flees, later encountering the Black Ape who questions its fear.
- The Ape convinces the Tiger to return, but the Mouse-deer shouts that the Ape promised two tigers and only brought one, further terrifying the Tiger.
- The Tiger, enraged at the Ape's perceived betrayal, sets itself at enmity with the Ape, and the Mouse-deer's trick is complete.
Characters
Father Lime-stick
A lean, wiry old man, likely with sun-weathered skin from working outdoors. His build suggests a life of manual labor, perhaps slightly stooped with age.
Attire: Simple, practical Malay peasant attire. Likely a loose-fitting 'baju Melayu' top made of coarse cotton or linen, paired with a 'kain sarong' (a wrapped skirt) in a muted color or simple batik pattern. Perhaps a 'songkok' (cap) or 'tanjak' (headcloth) if he's out in the sun.
Wants: To gain wealth and sustenance, to profit from his efforts.
Flaw: Greed and gullibility, which lead him to be easily tricked.
Learns a lesson about the absurdity of unrealistic expectations and the importance of understanding one's own limitations.
Greedy, easily swayed by promises of wealth, somewhat gullible, prone to quick decisions.
Flower-pecker
A tiny, colorful bird, no bigger than a human thumb. Its feathers are likely vibrant, perhaps with iridescent qualities, typical of flower-peckers found in Southeast Asia. Small, delicate beak and bright, intelligent eyes.
Attire: Natural plumage, likely a mix of bright reds, blues, or greens, with a lighter underside.
Wants: To escape capture and preserve its life.
Flaw: Its small size makes it vulnerable to predators.
Successfully outwits its captor and teaches him a lesson.
Clever, quick-witted, deceptive, resourceful, articulate.
Mouse-deer
A small, delicate hoofed mammal, about the size of a rabbit, with slender legs and a graceful, agile build. Its fur is a reddish-brown or grey-brown, with a lighter underside. It has large, expressive dark eyes and small, pointed ears. Its most distinctive feature is its tiny, deer-like antlers (though often depicted without in folklore, relying on its 'mouse' aspect).
Attire: Natural fur coat.
Wants: Self-preservation, to outsmart others and gain an advantage, often for food or safety.
Flaw: Can be overly confident, sometimes lazy (as seen when dozing at the helm).
Consistently demonstrates its cunning, reinforcing its role as the ultimate trickster. No significant internal change, but its reputation grows.
Extremely cunning, resourceful, deceptive, quick-wwitted, self-serving, a trickster.
Stump-tailed Heron
A medium-sized heron with long legs and a long neck, but specifically noted as 'stump-tailed,' implying a shorter or damaged tail compared to typical herons. Its plumage would be grey, white, or greenish-brown, common for herons in the region. A sharp, pointed beak.
Wants: To reach Java, to maintain control and order during the journey.
Flaw: Impatience and a quick temper, leading to rash actions.
Acts as a foil to the Mouse-deer's laziness and trickery, ultimately abandoning the Mouse-deer due to frustration.
Responsible, easily frustrated, quick to anger, decisive, somewhat short-tempered.
Young Shark
A sleek, powerful shark, smaller than a fully grown adult but still formidable. Its skin is grey, smooth, and hydrodynamic, with sharp fins and a powerful tail. Its mouth is filled with rows of sharp teeth.
Attire: Natural skin.
Wants: To find food, to learn 'Magic' to avoid hunting.
Flaw: Gullibility and desire for an easy meal, which the Mouse-deer exploits.
Is tricked and killed by the Mouse-deer, serving as a cautionary tale of trusting the cunning.
Hungry, opportunistic, somewhat naive, easily convinced by promises of an easier life.
Tiger
A large, powerful, and muscular Malayan tiger, with distinctive orange fur and bold black stripes. Its paws are massive, and its tail is long and striped. It moves with a predatory grace and immense strength.
Attire: Natural fur coat.
Wants: To eat, to assert dominance, to seek revenge for being tricked.
Flaw: Gullibility, pride, and a lack of critical thinking when faced with the Mouse-deer's schemes.
Repeatedly outsmarted by the Mouse-deer, leading to increasing frustration and a lasting enmity with the Ape.
Hungry, opportunistic, initially trusting (when trapped), but quickly becomes vengeful and easily tricked by superior cunning. Can be boastful and arrogant.
Father Elephant
A massive, grey Malayan elephant with thick, wrinkled skin, large ears, and a long trunk. He is immensely strong but also depicted as somewhat clumsy and easily distressed. He has large tusks.
Attire: Natural skin.
Wants: To save his life from the Tiger, to protect his family.
Flaw: Fear, gullibility, and a tendency to give up easily.
Is saved from the Tiger by the Mouse-deer's cunning, becoming indebted to him.
Powerful but easily intimidated, prone to despair, loyal to his family, somewhat naive, easily manipulated.
Black Ape
A nimble and agile Black Ape, likely a gibbon or langur, with sleek black fur. It has long limbs and a prehensile tail, allowing it to move quickly through trees. Its face might be darker than its fur, with expressive eyes.
Attire: Natural fur coat.
Wants: To understand the Tiger's distress, to potentially gain an advantage or avoid danger.
Flaw: Gullibility and fear, leading it to be tricked by the Mouse-deer and abandon the Tiger.
Is tricked by the Mouse-deer into leading the Tiger back, resulting in a lasting enmity with the Tiger.
Curious, observant, initially skeptical but then easily convinced, somewhat opportunistic, ultimately cowardly.
Locations
Father Lime-stick's Tree
A tree in a natural setting, likely within a forest or near a dwelling, where Father Lime-stick has applied bird-lime to catch birds. The ground around it would be natural earth or foliage.
Mood: Initially expectant and predatory, then shifts to a scene of clever escape and a moral lesson.
The Flower-pecker is caught and then tricks Father Lime-stick into releasing it.
Open Sea
Vast expanse of tropical ocean, with the sky meeting the horizon. The water is deep and potentially choppy, reflecting the open sky.
Mood: Initially calm and adventurous, then becomes perilous and desperate as the boat sinks and the Mouse-deer is stranded.
The Mouse-deer and Heron sail to Java, the boat sinks, and the Mouse-deer encounters a shark.
Tropical Beach with She-oak Tree
A sandy tropical beach leading to a dense coastal forest, featuring a prominent Casuarina (She-oak) tree. The sand is light-colored, and the vegetation is lush and green.
Mood: Initially a place of trickery and survival, then becomes a vantage point for escape and observation.
The Mouse-deer tricks the Shark and then the Tiger, escaping with the meat by climbing the She-oak tree.
Dense Tropical Forest
A thick, humid tropical rainforest with towering trees, dense undergrowth, and likely muddy ground due to recent rains. The air is heavy with moisture.
Mood: Somber and tense due to the Elephant's distress, then shifts to cunning and frantic as the Mouse-deer orchestrates his plan.
The Elephant laments his fate, the Mouse-deer devises a plan to trick the Tiger, and the Tiger and Ape are set against each other.