47 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
47 lines
3.2 KiB
Plaintext
THE HOLE THAT WAS TOO NARROW
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Once upon a time. . . a stoat was so greedy that he would eat anything that
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came his way. But he was punished for his greed. He found some old stale eggs
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in a barn and, as usual, gobbled the lot. However, he soon started to feel
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agonizing pains in his tummy, his eyes grew dim and he broke out in a cold
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sweat. For days, he lay between life and death, then the fever dropped. The
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first time he dared climb a tree to rob a nest, thin and weak with his
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trousers dangling over an empty stomach, he became dizzy and fell. That is how
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he twisted his ankle. Sick with hunger, he limped about in search of food, but
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that made him feel even hungrier than before. Then good luck came his way.
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Although wary of venturing too close to human habitations, he was so hungry he
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went up to a tavern on the outskirts of the village. The air was full of
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lovely smells and the poor stoat felt his mouth watering as he pictured all
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the nice things inslde. An inviting smell coming from a crack in the wall
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seemed to be stronger than the others. Thrusting his nose into the crack, he
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was greeted by a waft of delicious scents. The stoat frantically clawed at the
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crack with his paws and teeth, trying to widen it. Slowly the plaster between
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the blocks of rubble began to crumble, till all he had to do was move a stone.
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Shoving with all his might, the stoat made a hole. And then a really wonderful
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sight met his gaze. He was inside the pantry, where hams, salamis, cheeses,
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honey, jam and nuts were stored. Overwhelmed by it all, the stoat could not
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make up his mind what to taste first. He jumped from one thing to another,
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munching all the time, till his tummy was full. Satisfied at last, he fell
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asleep. Then he woke again, had another feast and went back to sleep. With all
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this food, his strength returned, and next day, the stoat was strong enough to
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climb up to the topmost shelves and select the tastiest delicacies. By this
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time, he was just having a nibble here and a nibble there. But he never
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stopped eating: he went on and on and on. By now, he was very full indeed, as
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he chattered to himself: "Salami for starters . . . no, the ham's better! Some
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soft cheese and a spot of mature cheese as well . . . I think I'll have a
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pickled sausage too . . ."
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In only a few days, the stoat had become very fat and his trouser button
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had popped off over a bulging tummy. But of course, the stoat's fantastic luck
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could not last for ever.
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One afternoon, the stoat froze in mid-munch at the creak of a door. Heavy
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footsteps thumped down the stairs, and the stoat looked helplessly round. Fear
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of discovery sent him hunting for a way to escape. He ran towards the hole in
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the wall through which he had come. But though his head and shoulders entered
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the hole, his tummy, which had grown much larger since the day he had come in,
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slmply would not pass. The stoat was in a dangerous position: he was stuck!
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Two thick hands grabbed him by the tail.
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"You horrid little robber! So you thought you'd get away, did you? I'll
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soon deal with you!"
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Strange though it may sound, the only thought in the greedy stoat's head
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was a longing to be starving of hunger again . . .
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