Bayushi Guwahime’s Fables
The Ki-Rin and the Scorpion
One day, the Ki-Rin was frolicking in a field. Her sister the Phoenix had told her to look out for the Scorpion, but the Ki-Rin was so busy playing, kicking and jumping and looking at all the new things that she only half-listened to her sister’s warning.
While she was playing, a creature climbed upon a rock to watch. The Ki-Rin saw the creature and said, “I have seen Flower, and I have seen Tree, and I have seen Horse, but I have not seen you. Who are you?”
The creature said, “I am Truth.”
The Ki-Rin smiled. “I am very pleased to meet you, friend Truth. Have you seen the Scorpion? My sister told me to watch for him, but I do not know what he looks like.”
“Yes, I know Scorpion,” said Truth.
“Can you tell me what he looks like?”
“Yes. In fact, let us go look for him now. If you put me on your back, we will go much faster than if we both walk.”
“Good idea!” said the Ki-Rin. “Climb on my back, friend, and we will be off.”
Truth climbed on the Ki-Rin’s back, and together they went looking for Scorpion.
“So,” asked Ki-Rin. “What does Scorpion look like?”
“He has two sharp pincers,” said Truth.
“Ki-Rin looked at Truth’s two sharp pincers and said, “Ah, I see.”
“And he has many legs,”
Ki-Rin looked at Truth’s many legs and said, “Ah, I see.”
“And he has a tail that drips deadly poison.”
Ki-Rin looked at Truth’s tail and said, “Why Truth, he looks just like you!”
Truth smiled and said, “Yes. Yes he does.”
Ki-Rin laughed. “Isn’t it fortunate I met you before I met him!”
The Scorpion nodded. “Yes, it is.”
And Ki-Rin had nothing more to say.
The Lion and the Scorpion
Once there was a Lion sleeping in a sunny field. A Scorpion came to him, and said, “Lion, you are so large. I suppose you are the largest creature in all the lands.”
The Lion replied, “Yes, I believe that I am.”
“And,” said the Scorpion, “You must be the bravest and strongest creature as well.”
“That is what they say,” said the Lion.
“My only advantage is my poison tail,” the Scorpion said. “And I suppose you could smash me underfoot before I could sting you even once.”
“I could, quite easily,” the Lion said, rising and stretching.
“In fact, if I stung you, I doubt you would even notice.”
The Lion looked down at the little Scorpion curiously. “Perhaps. But I believe that I will step upon you now, tiny one, and you will never have a chance.”
“Oh, but great Lion,” the Scorpion said, smiling. “I stung you five minutes ago.”
And the Lion had nothing further to say.
The Crane and the Scorpion
Once there was a Crane and a Scorpion, sitting by the edge of a river. The Crane said, “Isn’t it funny how the Fortunes distributed their blessings among the creatures?”
The Scorpion eyed the Crane suspiciously. “What do you mean?”
The Crane smiled and said, “Look at me. Look at my beautiful wings and feathers. I can fly and I can swim. Look at my perfect neck and my shining eyes. I am the envy of all the creatures in the world.”
Then the Crane looked down at the Scorpion and said, “Look at you. All you have is your tail.”
“Ah,” said the Scorpion, “but all that means is that you have nothing to gain, and I have nothing to lose. And when you are old and have lost your feathers, you will no longer be able to fly. And when you are fat and half-blind, you will no longer be able to swim. Then, when you are counting everything that you have lost, I will be counting everything I have gained.”
And the Crane had nothing more to say.
The Crab and the Scorpion
Once, long ago, Scorpion was walking on a sandy beach with his brother, Crab.
“Ah, Scorpion,” said Crab. “You have tricked Lion, and you have tricked Crane, but you will not best me. For I am safe within my armored house, and not even your poison can reach me here.”
Scorpion eyed Crab’s metal plating, and nodded wisely. “That is true, my friend. But how sad for you that you are trapped in such an unwieldy prison.
“What?” said Crab. “This is not a prison; it is my home.”
“Of course,” smiled Scorpion. “And that is what everyone tells you. But, if it were not a prison, you would be able to take it off. I have heard that you were cursed, condemned to spend the rest of your life, carrying your own prison on your back.”
Crab said, “I can take it off whenever I want to!”
Scorpion nodded sadly and said, “I’ll be sure to tell everyone that.”
Crab stomped in the sand. “I can take off my shell whenever I want!”
“Scorpion said, “Have you ever tried?”
Crab stopped and took his house off his back and threw it to the ground.
Scorpion smiled as they looked at each other.
And Crab had nothing else to say.
The Phoenix and the Scorpion
One day, Scorpion came to Phoenix in his high mountains and said, “I have a gift for you.”
Phoenix backed away. “Oh, no. I know of you, brother Scorpion. I know all about you. I don’t want your gift.”
“Oh, really,” said Scorpion. “I will leave it here,” he said as he put it on the ground. “And if you don’t want it, someone else certainly will.” Then, Scorpion walked away.
Phoenix looked at the gift and thought, “If I take the gift, and it is a trap, then I have been tricked. But if I leave it and it is not a trap, then I have been tricked. What shall I do?”
All day long, Phoenix sat pondering it. “What does he have in mind? He tricked the Crab with anger and the Lion with pride. He tricked the Ki-Rin with ignorance and the Crane with flattery. How does he mean to trick me?”
Soon, Mother Sun had crossed the sky and Father Moon had made his nightly progress, but Phoenix still had not moved a single footstep. He was rooted to the spot, pondering Scorpion’s gift. When he looked up the next morning, he saw Scorpion watching him and he was laughing.
And Phoenix had nothing more to say.
The Dragon and the Scorpion
One day, Dragon came to Scorpion and said, “I saw how you tricked Ki-Rin.”
And Scorpion nodded.
Dragon continued. “I saw how you tricked Lion.”
And Scorpion nodded.
Dragon continued. “I watched you trick Crane.”
And Scorpion nodded.
Dragon continued. “I was there when you tricked Crab.”
And Scorpion nodded.
Dragon continued. “And I knew what you would do to Phoenix.”
And Scorpion said, “And you stood by and did nothing.”
And Dragon had nothing more to say.
One day, the Ki-Rin was frolicking in a field. Her sister the Phoenix had told her to look out for the Scorpion, but the Ki-Rin was so busy playing, kicking and jumping and looking at all the new things that she only half-listened to her sister’s warning.
While she was playing, a creature climbed upon a rock to watch. The Ki-Rin saw the creature and said, “I have seen Flower, and I have seen Tree, and I have seen Horse, but I have not seen you. Who are you?”
The creature said, “I am Truth.”
The Ki-Rin smiled. “I am very pleased to meet you, friend Truth. Have you seen the Scorpion? My sister told me to watch for him, but I do not know what he looks like.”
“Yes, I know Scorpion,” said Truth.
“Can you tell me what he looks like?”
“Yes. In fact, let us go look for him now. If you put me on your back, we will go much faster than if we both walk.”
“Good idea!” said the Ki-Rin. “Climb on my back, friend, and we will be off.”
Truth climbed on the Ki-Rin’s back, and together they went looking for Scorpion.
“So,” asked Ki-Rin. “What does Scorpion look like?”
“He has two sharp pincers,” said Truth.
“Ki-Rin looked at Truth’s two sharp pincers and said, “Ah, I see.”
“And he has many legs,”
Ki-Rin looked at Truth’s many legs and said, “Ah, I see.”
“And he has a tail that drips deadly poison.”
Ki-Rin looked at Truth’s tail and said, “Why Truth, he looks just like you!”
Truth smiled and said, “Yes. Yes he does.”
Ki-Rin laughed. “Isn’t it fortunate I met you before I met him!”
The Scorpion nodded. “Yes, it is.”
And Ki-Rin had nothing more to say.
The Lion and the Scorpion
Once there was a Lion sleeping in a sunny field. A Scorpion came to him, and said, “Lion, you are so large. I suppose you are the largest creature in all the lands.”
The Lion replied, “Yes, I believe that I am.”
“And,” said the Scorpion, “You must be the bravest and strongest creature as well.”
“That is what they say,” said the Lion.
“My only advantage is my poison tail,” the Scorpion said. “And I suppose you could smash me underfoot before I could sting you even once.”
“I could, quite easily,” the Lion said, rising and stretching.
“In fact, if I stung you, I doubt you would even notice.”
The Lion looked down at the little Scorpion curiously. “Perhaps. But I believe that I will step upon you now, tiny one, and you will never have a chance.”
“Oh, but great Lion,” the Scorpion said, smiling. “I stung you five minutes ago.”
And the Lion had nothing further to say.
The Crane and the Scorpion
Once there was a Crane and a Scorpion, sitting by the edge of a river. The Crane said, “Isn’t it funny how the Fortunes distributed their blessings among the creatures?”
The Scorpion eyed the Crane suspiciously. “What do you mean?”
The Crane smiled and said, “Look at me. Look at my beautiful wings and feathers. I can fly and I can swim. Look at my perfect neck and my shining eyes. I am the envy of all the creatures in the world.”
Then the Crane looked down at the Scorpion and said, “Look at you. All you have is your tail.”
“Ah,” said the Scorpion, “but all that means is that you have nothing to gain, and I have nothing to lose. And when you are old and have lost your feathers, you will no longer be able to fly. And when you are fat and half-blind, you will no longer be able to swim. Then, when you are counting everything that you have lost, I will be counting everything I have gained.”
And the Crane had nothing more to say.
The Crab and the Scorpion
Once, long ago, Scorpion was walking on a sandy beach with his brother, Crab.
“Ah, Scorpion,” said Crab. “You have tricked Lion, and you have tricked Crane, but you will not best me. For I am safe within my armored house, and not even your poison can reach me here.”
Scorpion eyed Crab’s metal plating, and nodded wisely. “That is true, my friend. But how sad for you that you are trapped in such an unwieldy prison.
“What?” said Crab. “This is not a prison; it is my home.”
“Of course,” smiled Scorpion. “And that is what everyone tells you. But, if it were not a prison, you would be able to take it off. I have heard that you were cursed, condemned to spend the rest of your life, carrying your own prison on your back.”
Crab said, “I can take it off whenever I want to!”
Scorpion nodded sadly and said, “I’ll be sure to tell everyone that.”
Crab stomped in the sand. “I can take off my shell whenever I want!”
“Scorpion said, “Have you ever tried?”
Crab stopped and took his house off his back and threw it to the ground.
Scorpion smiled as they looked at each other.
And Crab had nothing else to say.
The Phoenix and the Scorpion
One day, Scorpion came to Phoenix in his high mountains and said, “I have a gift for you.”
Phoenix backed away. “Oh, no. I know of you, brother Scorpion. I know all about you. I don’t want your gift.”
“Oh, really,” said Scorpion. “I will leave it here,” he said as he put it on the ground. “And if you don’t want it, someone else certainly will.” Then, Scorpion walked away.
Phoenix looked at the gift and thought, “If I take the gift, and it is a trap, then I have been tricked. But if I leave it and it is not a trap, then I have been tricked. What shall I do?”
All day long, Phoenix sat pondering it. “What does he have in mind? He tricked the Crab with anger and the Lion with pride. He tricked the Ki-Rin with ignorance and the Crane with flattery. How does he mean to trick me?”
Soon, Mother Sun had crossed the sky and Father Moon had made his nightly progress, but Phoenix still had not moved a single footstep. He was rooted to the spot, pondering Scorpion’s gift. When he looked up the next morning, he saw Scorpion watching him and he was laughing.
And Phoenix had nothing more to say.
The Dragon and the Scorpion
One day, Dragon came to Scorpion and said, “I saw how you tricked Ki-Rin.”
And Scorpion nodded.
Dragon continued. “I saw how you tricked Lion.”
And Scorpion nodded.
Dragon continued. “I watched you trick Crane.”
And Scorpion nodded.
Dragon continued. “I was there when you tricked Crab.”
And Scorpion nodded.
Dragon continued. “And I knew what you would do to Phoenix.”
And Scorpion said, “And you stood by and did nothing.”
And Dragon had nothing more to say.
