There was once a greedy little white mouse who lived with her family in the farm. She was so white that everyone who lived in farm called her the most beautiful mouse in the world. But there is a big problem with this mouse, GREED. She was very greedy that she wouldn’t share anything that belongs to her, with her sister or brother. She wanted her toys all to herself, she didn’t want to share room with her sister, much less give some of the food she found during her sneaky walks outside their house. One day, her mother and father went to town to get some needed household things. They came home with tallow for making candles, some bread and lots of cheese. The mother told the white mouse to divide the cheese into 5 equal parts, enough for each member of the family. The white mouse took the cheese, but instead of giving each one a share, she hid one chunk inside a basket,one chunk under the cabinet, one chunk under the stove, another chunk up in the ceiling and the biggest chunk she took inside the umbrella and there she kept eating to her hearts content. When it was already mealtime, mother called everyone to the table, but white mouse was nowhere to be found. The family went out looking for her until they found her inside the umbrella still eating cheese. Her father became so angry that he screamed to the top of his lungs with these words: ” Because you are so greedy, I wish your white fur will turn black like charcoal and the wind will blow you away with the umbrella.” As soon as the father finished saying these words, a bolt of lightning struck and a strong wind blew away the umbrella with a black, (not white ) little mouse inside it. That’s how the BAT came to be, up to the present time.

Storyteller: Grandma

Submitted by: Annie Almaden Gica