SLIM-WAISTED ANT
AND FAT-BELLIED FROG

In olden times Ant, Frog and Hare formed a family and made a living together. Ant and Frog did not go look for food, so every day Hare had to go look for food alone. Hare underwent hardships and brought food, but Ant and Frog did not display good characters and only said bad things about Hare in secret. So Hare thought, “No matter how much I do a servant’s work for them, they’re not the least bit straightforward, so I should retaliate.”

One day Hare went to look for food early. At dusk he brought a piece of meat and said to Ant and Frog, “You two wait and I’ll cook.” He cooked three pieces of meat. Then when they were cooked, he said, “You two go to sleep and I’ll see whether there’s any cooked meat.” He took one piece of meat and ate it. Then after he waited a little while, Hare said, “You two go to sleep and I’ll see if the meat’s tasty,” and he ate another one. Then there was only one piece of meat left, and again Hare said, “This is my share,” and he ate it.

After Hare had retaliated against Ant and Frog according to his wishes, he went off happily, jumping for joy. Then Frog said, “Even if I have the meat stock, it’s ok.” He drank so much meat stock that he got a big belly. Let alone getting a piece of meat, Ant did not even get any soup, and, so that he would not feel hungry, he tied his body with a sash, and so he has a small waist.

—Chos dbyings sgrol ma, Snow-Ornament Youth Newspaper, 1/20/1996