A Mountain was in labour, and the people of seven cities had assembled to watch its movements and hear its groans. While they waited in breathless expectancy out came a Mouse.
"Oh, what a baby!" they cried in derision.
"I may be a baby," said the Mouse, gravely, as he passed outward through the forest of shins, "but I know tolerably well how to diagnose a volcano."
What is he mocking?
Crowds laugh at small warnings; the mouse who recognises a volcano has already left.
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Discussion questions
- What were the townsfolk expecting to see, and how did their reaction change when the Mouse appeared?
- How does the story reflect real-life situations where expectations do not match reality?
- In what ways can a small achievement hold significant value despite being less than expected?
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Read it in another language
- الجبل والفأر · العربية
- Der Berg und die Maus · Deutsch
- La Montaña y el Ratón · Español
- کوه و موش · فارسی
- La Montagne et la Souris · Français
- पहाड़ और चूहा। · हिन्दी
- La Montagna e il Topo · Italiano
- A Montanha e o Rato · Português
- Гора и Мышь · Русский
- పర్వతం మరియు ఎలుక · తెలుగు
- Ang Bundok at ang Daga · Tagalog
- Гора і Миша · Українська
- 山与鼠 · 中文
