It is told that the pointer and the setter kept a public-house together. All the animals would come and eat and drink and pay their account, except the wolf and the hare who would come and eat and drink very heavily, and regularly forget to pay. At last, the pointer and setter could stand it no longer, and they went and lodged their complaint before God. And God said, “As they have treated you so badly, you are free to go for them whenever you see them. You must try and catch them and make them pay.”
And that is the reason why these dogs will go for the wolf as soon as they scent his track, and also that is the reason why, when they catch a hare, he will squeak, “Miat, miat”—which sounds like marţ (Tuesday in Rumanian)—as if he were saying “Wait till next Tuesday when I am going to pay.” And they are still waiting for that Tuesday to come.
CIX.
THE STORY OF THE RAT AND HIS JOURNEY TO GOD.
In a mill a rat once lived and prospered. It took after the miller, and from day to day its paunch grew bigger. It became as round as cucumber and as fat as a candle.
One day, looking at his round, sleek figure, the rat said to itself, “Behold I am so beautiful and strong. Why should I not go and pay a visit to God? He is sure to receive me.”
No sooner said than done. Leaving the mill, he started on his journey to God. After travelling a few days and not coming nearer to God, he stopped and said, “Methinks that either God lives much farther away than I believed, or I have lost my way. I will go to the sun and ask where God is.” Coming to the sun, the rat asked, “Where is God?” “Off with thee,” shouted the sun, “I have no time for idle talkers.”
The rat went to the clouds and asked them, “Where is God?” The clouds stared at him and said, “We cannot stop to bandy words with the like of you.” Away the rat went and came to the wind. “Where is God?” asked the rat. “There,” replied the wind, whistling, and getting hold of the rat hurled him down into an ant-heap, and there he found his level.