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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 which 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 those scars as a reminder to them of
what happens when one animal makes fun to another.
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