The Tale of Dodo and Didi: The Kancil Brothers and the Mouse

Once upon a time, in a lush forest, there lived two sibling mouse-deer named Dodo and Didi. Though they were brothers, their personalities were worlds apart. Didi was diligent and kind-hearted, while Dodo was lazy, mischievous, and fond of lying.

One day, Dodo went searching for food. Starving, he noticed some lush green grass across a shallow stream but was too lazy to cross over. Instead, he sneaked into Didi’s stash and stole his food. When Didi went to eat, he found his food gone and questioned Dodo. “Where’s my food?” asked Didi.

Dodo lied without hesitation, “Oh, a mouse stole it!”
“That doesn’t make sense!” Didi exclaimed.
“Well, don’t you trust your brother?” Dodo replied confidently, trying to sound convincing.

At first, Didi doubted him, but after hearing the same excuse repeatedly, he began to believe Dodo. Unbeknownst to Dodo, Didi decided to summon the mouse to his home.

The next morning, the mouse arrived at Didi’s request. Dodo’s face turned pale upon seeing him. “Mouse, did you steal my food yesterday?” Didi asked.
“What? Me? I’d never even think of doing such a thing!” replied the mouse.
“Liar! You’re just defending yourself!” Dodo accused, trying to shift the blame.

Didi chose to move past the argument. “Alright, Mouse. Could you help me fetch some food from across the stream? I got some from there earlier.”
Agreeing, the mouse set off toward the riverbank and used a small boat to cross. He already suspected Dodo was the real culprit.

Meanwhile, at another part of the stream, Dodo quickly crossed and set up a trap, hoping to catch the mouse and stop him from returning.

As the mouse approached the riverbank, he noticed the trap and realized Dodo was behind it. Thinking fast, the mouse pretended to fall into the water. “Help! Dodo! I’m drowning—I can’t swim!” he cried.

Hearing this, Dodo rushed over to rescue the mouse. Once saved, the mouse requested Dodo’s company to collect food across the stream. Forgetting about the trap he had set, Dodo carelessly walked into it.

“AHH!” Dodo cried in pain as his leg was caught in the trap. The mouse hurried over to help. Carefully, the mouse freed Dodo’s injured leg, which was bleeding. Overwhelmed with guilt, Dodo admitted his wrongdoing, confessing he had stolen Didi’s food and falsely blamed the mouse.

“I’m sorry, Mouse,” Dodo said. “Because of me, you’ve been troubled, and I’ve caused so much harm. I’ll never lie or steal again!”
Moved by Dodo’s apology, the mouse forgave him. Limping home, Dodo promised to change his ways. From that day on, he worked hard to mend his relationship with Didi and live an honest life.

Moral of the Story: Never lie or steal—these actions only lead to more trouble. Always be honest, admit your mistakes, and strive to be better.