GROUNDHOG AND HIS SHADOW “There once was one called Groundhog, who believed that the world was made just for him. Since it was made just for him, he ate everything he could find. He ate and ate until he was completely full, but he still wanted more to eat. So he pushed all of that food into his tail until his tail was as big as he was. “After that, he kept on eating until he was full again. Content, he said, ‘Now I will sleep and sleep and sleep.’ He went into his burrow and slept dreaming of the world that was his to eat. “The Creator saw this and said, ‘It is not right that anyone would think that the world was made just for him. I’m going to shake this little one up!’ The Creator let Groundhog sleep until the world was hard and white. Then The Creator shook the burrow, and Groundhog woke up. “He slowly poked his head out of his burrow to see what had happened. Everything was covered with ice and snow. He shivered and said, ‘I’m going back to sleep.’ But as he turned to go back into his burrow, he caught movement from the corner of his eye. He looked. There was Rabbit trying to find food. But the bright yellow eyes and sharp ears behind a bush staring at rabbit are what held groundhog’s attention. ‘Bobcat!’ For the first time in his life, Groundhog thought of someone else. He whistled a warning to Rabbit. Rabbit jumped just as Bobcat leapt. “Groundhog rolled back on his huge tail and laughed and laughed. Bobcat had landed in a snowdrift with only his little stub of a tail sticking out. Groundhog laughed harder and harder at the silly little tail sticking out of the snow. But as he rolled back on his huge tail laughing and kicking his feet, he suddenly saw a shadow leaping at him. The shadow was full of fangs and claws. Bobcat didn’t think it was funny! “Groundhog quickly rolled into his burrow, but not before there was a ‘SNAP!’ and a great pain in his tail. He poked his head out of the burrow again. Bobcat was dragging off his tail snarling, ‘Laugh at my tail. Now everyone will laugh at his, and I’ll feast on this all winter.’ “Groundhog tried to go back to sleep, but his tail hurt, at least what was left of it. His dreams were filled with shadows that had sharp teeth and claws. He suddenly thought of Rabbit out there alone in that dangerous place.” “Now when Groundhog was sure Bobcat had left, he went back out to look for his friend Rabbit. Rabbit was grateful to Groundhog for saving his life, but was also feeling sorry for himself because he had no place to live for the winter. He complained about it to Groundhog while Groundhog was still having his new thoughts about caring about someone other than himself. “Groundhog decided that it might be fun to have some company for the winter so he invited Rabbit to stay in his burrow, and Rabbit accepted. When it was clear that winter had come to stay, Groundhog and Rabbit went into the burrow. “Groundhog wanted to take a long nap. Everyone thinks that Rabbit is a quiet fellow, but Rabbit talked and talked. Groundhog had a hard time sleeping. When spring arrived, Groundhog and Rabbit poked their heads out of the burrow and Groundhog said to Rabbit, ‘You can keep this old burrow. I’ll dig a new one for myself.” From then on Groundhog has lived by himself, and Rabbit often lives in holes that Groundhog has left. “Groundhog still likes to eat, and he still likes to sleep. But he no longer believes that the world was made just for him. To be sure Groundhog remembers this, The Creator wakes him up every year before spring fully arrives. Groundhog goes out to look around. If he sees a shadow, he knows it is full of teeth and claws so he goes back into his burrow and sleeps some more. © Fred A. Shaw
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 17:16:14 +0000
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