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As
this bear went along turning over big logs with his paws to look for
food to eat, he felt very sure of himself. "There
is nothing I cannot do," said
this bear.
"Is that so?"
said a small voice. Bear looked down. There was a little chipmunk looking
up at Bear from its hole in the ground.
"Yes,"
Bear said, "that
is true indeed."
He reached
out one huge paw and rolled over a big log. "Look
at how easily I can do this. I am the strongest of all the animals.
I can do anything. All the other animals fear me."
"Can you stop
the sun from rising in the morning?" said
the Chipmunk.
Bear thought for a moment. "I
have never tried that," he said. "Yes,
I am sure I could stop the sun from rising."
"You are sure?"
said Chipmunk.
"I am sure,"
said Bear. "Tomorrow morning
the sun will not rise. I, Bear, have said so." Bear
sat down facing the east to wait.
Behind him the sun set for the night and still he sat there. The chipmunk
went into its hole and curled up in its snug little nest, chuckling
about how foolish Bear was. All through the night Bear sat. Finally
the first birds started their songs and the East glowed with the light
that comes before the sun.
"The sun will not rise today,"
said Bear. He stared hard at the glowing light.
"The sun will not rise today."
However, the sun rose, just as it always had. Bear was very upset, but
Chipmunk was delighted. He laughed and laughed. "Sun
is stronger than Bear,"
said the
chipmunk, twittering with laughter. Chipmunk was so amused that he came
out of his hole and began running around in circles, singing this song:
"The sun came up,
The
sun came up.
Bear
is angry,
But
the sun came up."
While Bear sat there looking very unhappy, Chipmunk ran around and around,
singing and laughing until he was so weak that he rolled over on his
back. Then, quicker than the leap of a fish from a stream, Bear shot
out one big paw and pinned him to the ground.
"Perhaps I cannot stop the sun
from rising," said Bear, "but
you will never see another sunrise."
"Oh, Bear,"
said the chipmunk. "Oh, oh, oh, you
are the strongest, you are the quickest, you are the best of all of
the animals. I was only joking." But Bear did not
move his paw.
"Oh, Bear,"
Chipmunk said, "you
are right to kill me, I deserve to die. Just please let me say one last
prayer to Creator before you eat me."
"Say your
prayer quickly," said Bear. "Your
time to walk the Sky Road has come!"
"Oh, Bear," said Chipmunk, "I
would like to die. But you are pressing down on me so hard I cannot
breathe. I can hardly squeak. I do not have enough breath to say a prayer.
If you would just lift your paw a little, just a little bit, then I
could breathe. And I could say my last prayer to the Maker of all, to
the one who made great, wise, powerful Bear and the foolish, weak, little
Chipmunk."
Bear lifted up his paw. He lifted it just a little bit. That little
bit, though, was enough. Chipmunk squirmed free and ran for his hole
as quickly as the blinking of an eye. Bear swung his paw at the little
chipmunk as it darted away. He was not quick enough to catch him, but
the very tips of his long claws scraped along Chipmunk's back leaving
three pale scars.
To this day, all chipmunks wear stipes.
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