The Story of Kancil (Mouse-Deer) and the Giraffe

One morning by the river, three friends—Goat, Donkey, and Sheep—were enjoying the fresh water. Suddenly, a loud voice came from behind. "Move aside!" ordered Giraffe arrogantly, pushing them away from the drinking spot. "You're trespassing on my right."

Goat, feeling offended, whispered to Sheep, "Does he think the river belongs to him alone?"

"Shh, or you'll get kicked again like last time," said Donkey, trying to calm Goat, who was starting to get agitated.

Giraffe, full of himself, began praising his own appearance. "Ah, I'm so handsome. My body is impressive, my neck is long, my hooves are neat, my fur is smooth," he said, admiring his reflection in the clear river water. "And my face, always clean and bright." With a disdainful look, Giraffe glanced at the three friends. "What about you? Not tall, and on top of that, you're dirty… ugh! What do you have that's better than me?"

Goat, who had been thirsty for a while, became even more restless. "But I'm really thirsty," he whispered to Donkey.

Donkey nodded, feeling the same way. This wasn’t the first time Giraffe had behaved rudely. Previously, he had kicked Sheep simply because Sheep had scolded him for rubbing his hooves on a pile of sheep wool. That wool was meant to be a bed for newborn wild kittens. Because of Giraffe's actions, the wool got dirty and was no longer usable. Donkey had a similar experience when Giraffe ate the grass Donkey had gathered without asking. "He always insults and mistreats us," Donkey complained.

Suddenly, Kancil (Mouse-Deer) appeared and, without asking, approached the river and started sipping the water. "Ah, so refreshing," he said cheerfully.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing? This is my river. No one is allowed to drink while I’m drinking," Giraffe snapped angrily.

Kancil just smiled slightly. "Huh? Who said so?" he replied calmly. "This river is in the forest, and I don't see any sign that says it belongs to you. So, everyone should be allowed to drink here."

Giraffe, feeling insulted, yelled even louder, "You little, ugly, dirty creature! I could kick you or put you on a high branch with my neck."

Kancil chuckled. "Yes, you're tall, but I'm not sure you can run fast enough to catch me."

"Don't provoke me; you'll regret it, Kancil!" Giraffe shouted, now furious.

Kancil quickly responded to the challenge, "Come on, prove it. Chase me now."

Without thinking, Giraffe began to chase Kancil, who swiftly ran through rocks, trees, and tall grass in a zigzag pattern. Despite his long legs, Giraffe struggled to keep up with Kancil. His long neck made it difficult for him to look down, causing him to trip over rocks several times. He also found it hard to run in a zigzag because each turn made him lose balance.

Kancil ran towards a cave and went inside. Giraffe followed, though he hesitated as the cave grew deeper, darker, and narrower. The stalactites on the cave’s ceiling began to scrape Giraffe’s face and head. "Ouch, my head!" Giraffe cried out, stopping in pain.

Kancil, already deep inside the cave, turned around and heard Giraffe's cry. He approached and asked, "What happened? Are you okay, Giraffe?"

Giraffe moaned, "Ouch, you're stepping on me." His head was bleeding, and he lay weak on the cave floor.

"I'm sorry. It's really dark in here," Kancil said as he tried to help Giraffe stand up. "Come on, let me help you out of here."

With great effort, Kancil helped Giraffe out of the cave. Outside, Sheep, Donkey, and Goat were waiting, worried about their friend's condition.

"Your friend here needs first aid; can anyone help?" Kancil asked.

Donkey nodded, "I can provide first aid."

Goat hurried, "I'll get water to clean his wounds."

"I’ll fetch sheep wool to cover your wound and the first aid kit," Sheep added enthusiastically.

Giraffe, no longer arrogant, cried with gratitude, "Why are you being so kind to me? I've always been arrogant and mean to you."

Donkey gently replied, "Yes, you were arrogant to us. But seeing you hurt and in need of help, we couldn’t leave you if we can assist."

Kancil added, "Every creature has strengths and weaknesses, Giraffe. If you're tall, you can reach things high up. But if you're short, you can easily spot obstacles below. We should work together, not look down on each other."

Giraffe smiled, feeling grateful for the valuable lesson he had learned. "I'm sorry for my arrogance," he said sincerely. "From now on, let's be friends."

Sheep, Donkey, and Goat smiled in agreement, happy to see the change in Giraffe's heart. Meanwhile, Kancil bid them farewell, leaving them with the message that friendship and cooperation are the keys to living peacefully in the forest.