Many folklores and myths tell us the origin of our world, stars, and the moon. They also offer moral lessons about virtues such as compassion, generosity, love, patience, and more while discouraging greed, trickery, and envy, among other vices.
However, most traditional folktales and myths are fading away with the spread of technology. Today’s knowledge may make ancient stories seem childish and irrational, and it’s easy to downplay the importance of folktales, but we still need them. They form an essential foundation in the lives of children and link people to their ancestors.
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Folklore can also teach children and adults how to care for their environment. And sometimes, your environment pays you back for your compassion. That said, here is a Native American traditional story about a mouse and a compassionate young man.
A short story about compassion
Once upon a time, in a small native village lived a young man. Winter was coming, so the village people worked very hard throughout the summer to put away food for the long winter. They caught salmon and other fish using long dip nets and other fish traps. They also stored grain and other foods.
One day, this young man decided to walk and look for ripe berries in the forest. On his way, he met a small mouse carrying a large fish egg. However, a big fallen tree was blocking the mouse’s path, and it was struggling to climb over it.
The kind young man saw this struggle and decided to help the mouse. He lifted it over the log and gently put it on the other side. The tiny mouse quickly disappeared into the brush.
Unfortunately, winter came too early before the village people could store enough food. And halfway through the winter, most of the food was gone. As a result, many people became weak, emaciated, and sick; indeed, there was no way to survive this winter.
Hunger drove people to walk in the bitter cold to try and find something to eat. One day, as the kind young man was scavenging for food in the forest, he stumbled upon a small house. He heard a voice from inside telling him to close his eyes and turn around three times, which he obeyed.
Suddenly, he shrank and became small enough to go through the door, and inside, he met a small man in a brown fur coat.
“We were waiting for you. Please, come and sit down,” the man in a brown coat said. “Your people have no food, and it’s a tough winter for them. But I will help you,” he added.
The host then came with a small bag and started filling it with berries, fish, and grease. He gave it to the kind young man who was still astonished at why he was being helped.
“This summer, you helped me over a log when I was carrying a large fish egg for my family. Now I would like to repay your kindness by helping you,”
Now the young man remembered helping the tiny mouse and realized this man in the fur coat was the same. So he thanked him, went outside, and became prominent again. But his bag didn’t become big.
“Thanks, but this won’t be enough for me, let alone the whole village,” the young man said.
“When you return to your village, leave the bag outside and sing this song I’m about to teach you. Then, in the morning, you will have a large pile of food,” the man in the fur coat replied.
The kind young man did this, and in the morning, he found enough food for himself and the whole village. And through his compassion, he saved the entire village from starvation.
