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JUMPING MOUSE - Native America Listen to a Recording of this Story JUMPING MOUSE – Native America Once there was a little mouse. He was just like any other little mouse. He was always gathering up seeds to eat and twigs and cotton to build a nest with. But every once in a while this little mouse would pause, stand still and listen intensely. He would listen silently for a while, then go back to his work. Now this little mouse started to wonder about this sound he was listening to. He asked another mouse. “Brother mouse, do you ever hear a roaring in your ear?” The other mouse just looked at him as if he were crazy, then dashed off into the log of a rotting cottonwood tree. He tried asking other mice the same thing, but they were too busy working to even answer his question. But the mouse keep hearing it, and one day decided that he would investigate this sound that he heard. He followed the sound very carefully. It took him to strange places, places he’d never been to before, far away from the comfort of his home. He was a little scared, but also very curious. “Hello little brother. What are you doing way out here?” he heard a voice, and it scared him so much he nearly jumped out of his fur. “Don’t be afraid little fellow, I am brother raccoon. Again, what are you doing out here?” “Ah!” the raccoon cried. “That sound, what you hear is the sound of the river!” “The river? What is a river?” the little mouse asked. “Come, I will show you.” And the mouse followed the raccoon deeper into the strange territory of woods. Finally, they came upon a river, mighty wide and huge, roaring across the land. It seemed that parts of the world were floating down it. “Here is the river, little friend. I must go now, but I leave you in good hands with brother Frog here.” “Ok, nice to meet you, Brother Frog,” mouse said. The frog nodded, as raccoon wandered down the river’s edge to go and catch some fish. “Little Mouse,” Frog said. “Do you want some medicine?” “Medicine? For me? Oh, why, yes! I would love some medicine!” Mouse said. “Then crouch down as low as you can and jump as high as you can,” Frog instructed. So little mouse crouched down as low as he could and jumped as high as he could. He was in mid air and he saw something amazing. He saw the sacred mountains, blue and beautiful. He hung midair in awe and amazement as he gazed in wonder at their majestic beauty that touched his heart. Then, he dropped back down and splash, fell into the river. “Glub, blub, blub,” little mouse struggled to get to the river’s edge. Finally he succeeded with great effort pulled himself from the waters. “You tricked me, Frog!” mouse said furious. “Wait!” Frog cried. “Before your anger gets the best of you, think about what you saw.” Little mouse thought for a moment, then his angry eyes turned blissful, as he recalled the beauty of the mountains and how he felt inside his heart. “Oh, why, yes. I saw the sacred mountains. They were amazing. I can never forget that vision.” “And,” Frog said, “You now have a new name. You are Jumping Mouse.” “Jumping Mouse! Oh, this is wonderful! Wonderful!” Jumping Mouse cried. “Thank you, thank you, Brother Frog!” and he scurried off back home. But when Jumping Mouse returned home, nobody would listen to his story. They thought he was crazy and didn’t believe in the river or any sacred mountains. Worse, since he was wet, they thought that an animal had snatched him up in its mouth, but spit him out because he was poison. So everybody shunned Jumping Mouse. He was very sad. Day after day, Jumping Mouse went about his business again of collecting seeds and materials for his nest. But he could not get the image and feeling out of his mind and heart about the Sacred Mountains. How he longed for them! Finally, he could stand it no longer. He was determined to see the Sacred Mountains once more. “I will see them again!” he cried, and went out to the edge of his world and looked out on the prairie where he thought the mountains lay. He was frightened as he looked out on the open prairie and up into the wide sky above, filled with eagles ready to snatch him up. But the vision pulled at him with great desire, and he mustered up all his courage and then dashed out on to the prairie. His little legs carried him as fast as he could, as his eyes, glazed over with fear, looked into the sky. Finally, he spotted a bush and dashed into it. His heart was beating furiously as he caught his breath. Then he looked around and saw some amazing things. Why, there were many, many seeds to collect and so much more nesting material than back home! How easy life was here! Then, he saw an old mouse. “Why hello!” Jumping Mouse said. “You must be a very special and wise mouse to be way out here. You must have seen the sacred mountains!” “Yes, that is true. I am old and therefore wise. I have come a long way in my life. But those sacred mountains. Forget about them. They are not true. You should just stay here and journey no further.” Jumping Mouse thought about this for a while as he watched the old mouse in his comfortable surroundings. But he remembered the vision of the sacred mountains. “No, no! You are wrong! The mountains DO exist. I saw them myself!” “Don’t be a fool,” the old mouse said. “Do you see those black dots up there? Those are eagles. They will snatch you up quickly once you hit the prairie again. Stay here where you are safe and have so much to live for!” “No! NO!” and Jumping Mouse gathered up all his courage, looked up at the eagles above, but closed them and dashed out onto the prairie. He hurried as fast as his little legs could carry him and he was fearful as he heard the sound of beating wings. Suddenly he saw a chokecherry bush, and dashed to safety. He panted hard catching his breath. Then he looked around in his new surroundings. There were even more things that he could eat. The chokecherries were abundant. Just then he heard a sound. It was heavy, uneven breathing. He peeked out of the chokecherry bush, and saw an enormous, brown, furry animal. “Hello there,” Jumping Mouse said. “Who are you? Are you all right?” The creature moved a bit then spoke. “I am a buffalo. But I am dying. The only thing that can cure me is the eye of a mouse. But there is no such thing as a mouse, so I must die.” Jumping Mouse ran back into the bush. “An eye of a mouse!” he said. “I am a mouse! My eye can heal him! But to lose my eye!” Jumping Mouse sat for a very long time, wondering what to do. “If I don’t give it to him, this great being will die!” Finally, Jumping Mouse came back to the buffalo. “Buffalo,” “Yes?” There is such a thing as a mouse. I am a mouse. And I give you one of my eyes.” “Oh, Jumping Mouse,” the buffalo said. “I am so grateful for your gift. You have healed me. I wish to do something for you in return. I know of your quest for the sacred mountains. I will take you there. You can walk beneath me and I will protect you from the eagles. “Oh! Thank you, thank you!” Jumping Mouse said. And he walked beneath the buffalo, although it was very difficult with the heavy pounding hooves shaking the earth and with the use of only one eye. He was terrified, but so excited that he was closer to his goal. Finally, the buffalo stopped, and so did all the shaking. “Here is the foot of the sacred mountains. I can go no further, and I must now give-away to the people.” “Oh, that’s quite all right. Thank you so much!” Jumping Mouse said. “No, thank you,” Buffalo said. Jumping mouse searched around some more, investigating all around him the best he could. There were even more seeds, more nesting materials than ever before! He was amazed, and got busy. However, he came across a wolf. “Wolf! Wolf!” Jumping Mouse cried. The wolf suddenly shot up to its feet. “Yes, that’s right! I remember now. I am a wolf, I’m a … I’m …a” “Wolf!” “Wolf, yes, that’s me! I am a wolf. I’m. I’m what? “Goodness,” Thought Jumping Mouse. “What a great being this is, but he has no memory!” Jumping Mouse thought for a little while and then went to the wolf and said. “Wolf!” “I’m a wolf! That’s right!” the wolf said jumping up. “Wolf! I understand that you have no memory. And I have that which will heal you. It’s one of my eyes, and I willingly give it to you.” No sooner that he said those words, that his second eye went flying out of his head and went straight into the wolf and he was healed. Tears streamed out of the wolf’s eyes, but little Jumping Mouse could not see them for he was blind. “I am so grateful to you, little mouse,” the wolf said. “I remember now, that I am a guide to these mountains. I can take you to the lake at the top of these mountains, if you wish. “Oh, yes, yes, that would be nice,” Jumping Mouse said. The wolf gently picked him up in his mouth and climbed to the top of the mountain, where he set Jumping Mouse down by the lake’s edge. “I will stay here as long as you wish,” the wolf said. “Oh, thank you, but there are others who will need your services.” “Very well. As you wish.” And the wolf left Jumping Mouse alone. Jumping Mouse didn’t know what to do, alone and blind at the edge of the lake on top of the mountain, he felt fear and he swore he could feel the presence of eagles around him. He heard screeches and the beating of wings and then…..something hit him, and he blacked out. Jumping Mouse lay there for a long time before waking up. And when he did he found that he could see! Yes, he could see! Not very clearly at first, it was blurry. Then he heard a voice. “Jumping Mouse. Do you want some medicine?” “Medicine for me? Oh, yes, yes!” “Then crouch down as low as you can and jump as high as you can.” So Jumping Mouse did as he was told. He crouched down low and then jumped high with all his might. He found that as he jumped, he was lifted up into the air, the wind lifted him higher and higher, and the higher he went, the clearer his vision became. He looked down upon the lake and he saw the whole world reflected in it. And in the center of it, was his friend, Brother Frog. His vision restored, Jumping Mouse soared through the air. “And you have a new name, “ Frog said. “You are Eagle and you will live here for eternity.”
WORKING WITH THE STORY Jumping Mouse tells the story of the classis hero’s journey. The little mouse hears the call to adventure. He follows his call, and in the process of trials and sacrifices, dies to his old self and is reborn and transformed. The hero's journey is pure yoga! Tell this story to children in a yoga class. You can either tell it during relaxation, by itself, re-enact the story with yoga or use it as a theme throughout the class. For a theme, tell children that they are the hero in their life. There is a call to adventure, something that happens in our life. This is your life! Are we going to heed that call or refuse it? What trials and diffiulties to you encounter? How do you persevere? What must you let go of to achieve your goal? Who or what helps you along the way? Moving through asana and a yoga practice is an adventure in itself and a process. Call kids' attention to the fact that they are moving through the process with the poses. There will be many trials during the journey, however, these trials and experiences give gifts. During yoga practice, even though it can be challenging and you have to work at your poses, what are the gifts of the practice? Strength, endurance, balance, health, etc. For preschool children, telling the story and adding yoga poses they can re-enact is best. Who is the story about? What Happens to him? He goes on a journey. Raccoon - Camel pose, ustrasana Old Mouse – He needs some heart opening! Bow pose, dhanurasana. Buffalo – Warrior II, virabhradrasana I Jumping Mouse Traveling – Triangle pose and side angle pose, trikonasana and parshvakonasana. How does it end? He becomes an eagle after reaching the top of the mountain. Eagle – Eagle pose – garudasana Sacred Mountain – Mountain pose, tadasana Meditaton to quiet the mind and listen within. A minute of silence. Have children draw a picture of their favorite part of the story. Older children 8-12, can use this story to self-reflect. Do you listen within? What do you hear? Practice meditation and quiet the mind!
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