MOUSE WOMAN STORY: PART 2

Mouse Woman and the Missing Tooth: Greed made her do it!
(Worded as told to a small Indian child)

We left Part 1 in this mini series with a very young Mouse Woman suffering a guilt complex over several lies she told about losing a tooth.

"We must do something about this," Grandmother exclaimed. "Fetch me a drum!"

Ermine Woman was always on hand ready to serve, so she responded to the command and Grandmother began to beat on the drum very softly and calling for spirit guidance.

When she stopped drumming, Grandmother broke the momentary silence. "First, we must find the tooth." Then she sent Ermine Woman to tell all the young children in the village to search for it.

They searched and searched, but no one could find the lost tooth so they went back to the house with Ermine Woman to report to Grandmother.

"Fetch me the drum again, Ermine Woman!" Grandmother ordered. And once again she began to beat on it very softly and for spiritual guidance.

Then she stopped drumming. "Perhaps I can find the tooth," she said, "for I have very sharp eyes. Come with me, Ermine Woman, while the children wait here with Mouse Woman."

And off they went; leaving the children and Mouse Woman who seemed to be looking more and more distressed, as if indeed she might die the way Real People died.

"Ermine Woman," Grandmother said. "I think our small girl has been pilfering the stone pine-hut cakes." For it was well known that Mouse Woman was very fond of stone pine-nut cakes and off they went to a small house where many food boxes were stored.

"Search in that box!" Grandmother ordered, pointing to a large box of stone pine-nut cakes.

So Ermine Woman searched and by and by she held up a small hard cake that had been nibbled around the edges.

Grandmother took the nibbled cake. "Now find the tooth!" she commanded.

And almost instantly Ermine Woman found the tooth. It was right near the spot where the hard little cake had obviously been nibbled.

I think our small girl has been pilfering the stone pine-nut cakes," Grandmother said. And though her eyes twinkled a little, her voice was very stern. For greed was the Great Sin -- especially for a  young person as high-ranking as Mouse Woman.

The two went back to the house with Grandmother hiding the nibbled cake under her fur robe and Ermine Woman holding up the lost tooth.

If the tooth fits...

"You've found her tooth!" several children squeaked...And they crowded around to see it.

Mouse Woman shut her eyes not to see the tooth. And now she was looking even more distressed, as it she might indeed die the way Real People died.

We've found a tooth," Grandmother agreed but "it may not be Mouse Woman's." After all, there were many small children in the room too with teeth missing. So she ordered Ermine Woman to try it first in the gum-gaps of the other children and she dutifully went from child to child trying to fit the tooth into vacant sockets. Bu the gaps in their teeth were always too large or too small.

"Then it must be Mouse Woman's," Grandmother exclaimed. "Open your mouth, my dear."

Reluctantly Mouse Woman opened her mouth, but again shut her eyes with the pain of it all, allowing Ermine Woman to place the tooth in her tooth gap and, of course, it fit perfectly.

"So now my dear,..." Grandmother said looking down at the small girl narnauk lying under the rabbit skin robe and showing her the well nibbled stone pine-nut cake.

"Yes, Grandmother," Mouse Woman  admitted in a very weak voice and looking up at the wise old lady with big, unhappy eyes.

"Guess where I found the tooth?" Grandmother questioned.

"With...the...cake? Mouse Woman answered, as if it might indeed be a guess.

Yes, with the cake, my dear," Grandmother agreed as she turned and quietly made her way out of the house, leaving Mouse Woman and her mother to further sort thing out.

"Well!" her mother said sternly when Grandmother had gone. "You have been pilfering the stone pine-nut cake supply -- you!" Her 'you" was a most indignant mouse squeak because it was well known that GREED was the Great Sin. It was equally well accepted that a high-ranking girl must be an example to other people. And what girl among the Mouse People was as high ranking as the one who wore the great title of Mouse Woman?

"I might as well die," the guilty Mouse Woman said, for it would be dreadful if other children ever found out that I was greedy. What am I going to do?"

"Perhaps you should strangle yourself on a forked willow twig," her mother suggested sarcastically as she turned her head to hide a hint of a smile. It was something Mouse people sometimes said to their children since it was well known that distressed Real Mice occasionally strangled themselves on a forked willow twig. It was equally well known that Mouse People could never die.

"That"s what I'll do," Mouse Woman agreed, suddenly leaping up. Thankful for a way to escape, she rushed out of the house and stayed away for a very long time so that everyone would be sorry.  But at last she crept back into the house.

"I couldn't find a forked willow twig," she told her mother.

"Then perhaps we had better forget all about it, my dear," her mother suggested.

And, again according to rumor, Mouse Woman was very glad to forget all about it and to dedicate her life to trying to keep order between other narnauks and people, especially those who had been tricked into trouble.