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Library:Cave Fables IV
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Weight: 1 Value:  1
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| Author: | Various |
| Publication: | grnarrow |
| Publish Date: | Release 9 |
| Genre: | Fable (series) |
| Original Publication | |
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| Publication: | Cave Fables Writing Contest |
| Publish Date: | January 23, 2014 |
| Series | |
| Series: | Cave Fables |
| Preceded By: | Cave Fables III |
The final book of Cave Fables includes tales by ArcanumVeritas.
Cave Fables IV
The Turtle and the Bat
| Author: | ArcanumVeritas |
by ArcanumVeritas
The Turtle now lived in the bottom of the cave, where the trickles of water formed a pond and the stringy moss grew. It was not as nice as the food had been above ground, but it kept him alive.
The bats had always lived in the caves, and while slightly annoyed at having to share, they learned to accept their new neighbour. After all, they mostly had the cave ceiling to themselves.
One day, there was an earth slide and a Bat was knocked from its perch into the cool pond. The other bats mourned the loss of one of their own, but all was not lost, as the Turtle pulled the Bat to the safety of the shore, who once dry flew back to a new perch.
"If not for your quick action, our son would have surely drowned," said the grateful Bat. "My family and I are in debt to you, friend Turtle."
Weeks later another rock fall created an avalanche that filled the pool with mud and stones. It covered the turtle's food, and the remaining water would surely dry up without the tiny stream to refill it.
The Turtle wailed "What is to become of me? I will starve."
The Bat heard his cries and asked "What about the other pond? On the other side of the ravine?"
"What pond and what ravine?" asked the Turtle.
"It's a short flight away, it is cool and dark like this one used to be. The ravine is a deep nothing, even I have not flown to its bottom," replied the Bat.
"I cannot fly," stated the Turtle.
"You are not so big that I and my friends could not carry you, if you held onto a stick in your mouth and we carried the stick," suggested the Bat.
"What if you drop me in the ravine?" asked the Turtle.
"Then you will surely die," stated the Bat.
"Then I think I will stay here," replied the Turtle.
"Then you will surely die, of starvation. You're only hope to avoid death is to hold on tightly and for us not to drop you," stated the Bat.
"I will think about it," replied the Turtle.
Two weeks passed and the Turtle was now week with hunger.
"Bat, Bat ... I must away, there is no food. Will you and yours please carry me to the new pond?" pleaded the Turtle.
The Bat and his family carried a strong stick down, which the turtle grabbed with his mouth. They carried him up and started across the ravine.
The Turtle looked down in terror at the inky darkness, but in his weakened state could not hold on and fell to his death.
Sometimes one must act immediately, or lose the chance to act at all.
The Mouse and the Toad
| Author: | grnarrow |
by grnarrow
There was a mouse and a toad who lived near each other in the same cave complex. Each day when the mouse went out to forage for food he returned carrying not only food, but also a rock, which he deposited in his cave.
When the toad, sitting in his own cave, would see the mouse pass by carrying a rock, he would call out and make fun of the mouse. “Why do you waste your time and energy carrying rocks? Silly mouse, we are surrounded by rock!”
The mouse ignored the jibes of his neighbor and continued to collect a rock on every trip. One day a cry went up across the cave complex, “Weasels have entered the caves! We are under attack!“
The mouse ran into his cave and pushed the rocks he had collected up against the entrance, sealing himself in. The frog hopped frantically around the tunnels searching for enough rocks to seal his own cave, but before he could collect any the weasels were upon him and made a meal of him. The mouse stayed safe in his cave until the weasels moved on.
The Badger's Cave
| Author: | grnarrow |
by grnarrow
A young badger decided it was time to find a wife. Knowing that he would need a suitable dwelling to attract a bride, he set off from the home where he had been raised, scouting the passageways connecting the caves that made up his clan’s town.
Upon finding a promising spot in which to excavate -- not too close to other dwellings, yet not so far apart -- he began to dig. The rock in that area was softer than usual, and the digging went quickly. Soon the badger had a sufficiently-sized cave, but he realized that with a little more effort, he could have a larger cave and attract a more desirable wife.
Encouraged by the ease of carving through the soft rock, he continued to dig and dig until he had a long hall, a soaring ceiling, and many side rooms. His cave was bigger than any in the community, and he thought, “Surely I will get a fine bride, and my cave will be the envy of everyone I know!”
Having completed his excavation efforts, he rested in his immense cave, musing on his choices for a wife, and anticipating the envy of his clan. Just then, a tremble shook the ground, and the soft rock crumbled, falling in upon the young badger and crushing him. Instead of a wedding, he had a funeral.
Trivia
- The original Cave Fables Writing Contest was won by Trapper for No Way Out.
- The Cave Fables Writing Contest was featured on Portalarium's Community Spotlight[1]
Reference
- ↑ Portalarium. "Community Spotlight ~ Cave Fables: An Unofficial Writing Contest". Shroud of the Avatar. 2014-01-06.