The Mountains in Labour

One day, the Countrymen noticed that the Mountains were in labor. Smoke billowed from their summits, the earth quaked beneath their feet, trees crashed down, and huge rocks tumbled. They felt certain that something terrible was about to happen.

Gathering together in one place, they anxiously awaited the revelation of this disaster. They waited and waited, but nothing happened. At last, a more violent earthquake shook the ground, and a massive gap appeared in the side of the Mountains.

Falling to their knees, the Countrymen continued to wait, their hearts pounding with anticipation. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a teeny, tiny mouse poked its little head and bristles out of the gap and scampered down towards them.

From that day forward, they would often say, "Much outcry, little outcome," a reminder of their anxious wait for something that turned out to be so small.