In the Reign of Coyote/The Cricket and the Cougar
THE CRICKET AND THE COUGAR
NE day Juañita and Tecla were sewing in the courtyard, while Antonio lay on his back near their feet watching a humming bird dart in and out of the trumpet flowers. Suddenly Antonio turned over and raised himself to a sitting position. "I wish these ants would let a person enjoy his own yard," he grumbled.
That gave Juañita a thought. "Tecla, do you know any more stories about the ant?" she asked.
"No more about the ant, but I know one about his cousin, the cricket. My godmother told it to me when I was smaller than you, Nita. If you will keep on with your seam and not waste your time, I will tell you that story now."
Juañita straightened herself up in her chair and smoothed out her towel. Then, as she drew her needle in and out, Tecla told them the story.
One day the cougar was out walking in the woods. As he was stepping near an old rotten log, he heard a tiny voice say, Oh, please don't step there. That 's my house, and with one step more you will destroy it."
The cougar looked down and saw a little cricket sitting on the log. He roared, "And is it you, weak little creature, that dares to tell me where to step? Don't you know that I am king of the beasts?"
"You may be king of the beasts, but I am king of my house, and I don't want you to break it down, king or no king."
The cougar was amazed at such daring. "Don't you know, you weakling, that I could kill you and your house and all your relatives with one blow of my paw?"
"I may be weak, but I have a cousin no bigger than I am, who can master you in a fight."
"O-ho! o-ho!" laughed the cougar. "Well, little boaster, you have that cousin here to-morrow, and if he does not master me, I 'll crush you, and your house, and your cousin all together."
"The next day the cougar came back to the same spot"
The next day the cougar came back to the same spot and roared, "Now, boaster, bring on your valiant cousin."
Pretty soon he heard a buzzing near his ear. Then he felt a stinging. "Oh, oh!" he roared, "get out of my ear!" But the cricket's cousin, the mosquito, kept on singing and stinging.
With every sting the cougar roared louder and scratched his ear and jumped around; but the mosquito kept on stinging and singing.
The cricket sat on the log and looked on. At last he said, "Mr. Cougar, are you satisfied to leave my house alone?"
"Yes, anything, anything," groaned the cougar, "if you will only get your cousin out of my ear."
So the cricket called the mosquito off, and then the cougar ran away and never bothered them any more.
"Once a flea got into my ear," broke in Antonio, eagerly, "and I was almost crazy until mamma put some warm oil in and drowned the flea out."
"Yes, I can remember how you cried," said his sister.
"No, you can't. You were too little then. And you 'd cry, too, with a flea thundering in your ear."
"You may put up your sewing now, Nita," said Tecla, "and play until supper time."