The Weasel and the Mice
Once upon a time, a cheerful community of mice lived at the edge of an old forest where cool waters flowed. These little rodents had built a safe home for themselves beside the wheat fields. But the cunning and nimble weasels, who were their neighbours, spoiled their peace at every chance. Because of the raids that the weasels often carried out, the mice constantly had to flee. The old members of the community thought that a remedy had to be found for this situation at last. One night the mice gathered in a deep cave and discussed the reason for their defeats at great length. One of them shouted, “Our army lacks discipline and learned commanders.”
This idea was accepted by everyone with great enthusiasm and an election was held at once. The three mice who looked the bravest and the biggest were chosen as generals to lead the army. The new generals wanted to look different from the other mice and to stand in a majestic way. They prepared for themselves huge hats of straw and showy crowns with long feathers. The commanders, swelling their chests with pride, began to show off with the enormous ornaments on their heads. A few days later the cunning weasels broke the silence in the forest and attacked again. Although the army of mice rushed forward with courage, it could not hold out against the strength of the weasels once more.
The little mice, who were defeated, at once began to run quickly towards their very narrow holes. The ordinary mice managed to get inside easily through the narrow cracks in the rocks with their tiny bodies. But the generals who carried huge hats on their heads got stuck at the entrance of the nests. The proud commanders, who could not get their showy crowns through the holes at all, did not manage to escape. The cunning weasels easily caught these haughty generals who were left at the door and put them out of action. Needless pride and a taste for show become the greatest disaster of a person in hard times. A big head has big troubles.