Once upon a time, during a very hot dry season, a hungry wolf was looking for food to eat. It was so dry and hot with no monsoon rains for so long that almost all the lakes and ponds became muddy with shallow, mirky water.

The wolf almost gave up hope because he went to many places and could not find any living creature to eat, when suddenly he came across a muddy lake full of tiny shrimp and little baby fish. Wasting no time, the hungry wolf jumped into the muddy water and started to hunt after the little creatures who tried to move away from him but without any progress.

Then one tiny shrimp shouted: "Wait, Brother Wolf. Do not eat us in such filthy condition. We are too dirty for you to eat. You shoud wash us first, so that your meal is clean and taste better."

Wolf asked: "How do I clean you?"

The shrimp said: "Let us hang onto you and then you take us to where there is clean water. When you jump into the water, we will be cleansed of the mud and then you can eat us for your food."

Wolf agreed and proceeded to bring some of the shrimp to a bigger lake with clear cool water, lily pads and lotuses. Once in the water the shrimp told the wolf: "You should bring all my brothers and sisters too, so we can all be clean and ready to be your delicious food."

The wolf was greedy and looking forward to a big sumptuous, delicious meal, so he agreed once more to bring all the shrimp and tiny fish to the big lake. Once all the shrimp and fish were safe in the water, they swam away and hid in little nooks not be seen or caught by the wolf. Wolf could not find any shrimp or fish around him and realized that the tiny shrimp tricked him into bringing them to a bigger lake to save their own lives.

Wolf became very angry and sought revenge on the shrimp and little fish. He went to assemble all the animals to help him get his vengence. Boa, Elephant, Tiger, Fox, Monkey and Deer all volunteered to help Wolf get even. Together they devised a plan to divert water from the lake to another basin close by to empty the lake, so that all the fish and shrimp would suffer and become their easy prey. Boa volunteered to use his body as a boundary for the new basin while Elephant used his trunk to pump the water out of the lake.

When the shrimp and fish heard about the plan, they all got very scared and discussed among themselves how to stop the deadly plot.

One fish said: "Let's get Suphea Rabbit to help us. He is well known for his rescue plan and giving a fair trial."

All the other fish responded: "How can we find him? We cannot survive outside the lake on dry land."

Then a little mud fish said: "Let me go, I can roll myself over on grassy land and I can stay dry longer than most of you. I can tolerate dry skin longer too."

So the robust mud fish Trey Kranh volunteered and was picked by all the fish and shrimp to go look for Suphea Rabbit. Trey Kranh hopped out of the water and into the grassy bank and rolled himself many times until he met Rabbit who was sitting leisurely on a tree stump watching the clouds move across the sky as if counting them.

When Suphea Rabbit saw mud fish, he was all exhausted and covered with mud. Surprised to see a fish rolling itself so far away from any body of water, Rabbit asked: "Little fish, where are you going? Why do you look so desperate?"

The fish answered: "I am sent by my brothers and sisters to come and get you."

Rabbit asked: "Why?"

Trey Kranh answered: "Wolf, Tiger, Elephant, Monkey, Deer and Boa are pumping water out of our lake so we will all become their food. We are coming to seek your help to save our lives."

Rabbit said: "Take me with you."

Along the way, Suphea Rabbit picked a big leaf full of holes left by caterpillars. When he got to higher ground where all the animals were busy pumping water out of the lake, he positioned himself on a rock and held the holey leaf in front of him, pretending to read and shouted:

"Everybody listen to me, The Lord Indra has picked me as his messenger. He has this message for you. He is going to rearrange all the creatures on earth to make it more perfect in his sight: The boa is too long and will be shortened, the elephant's trunk is too big and will be replaced with a smaller one, the monkey's hands and legs are to be switched with the tiger's..."

Upon hearing this alarming message from God Indra, the Creator, all the animals were so gripped with fear and shock and surprise that they all abandoned the lake and lost interest in the project. Everyone ran away in different directions to hide for safety to prevent their body parts from being rearranged.

Suphea Rabbit thus saved the lives of the tiny shrimp and fish from the hands of the bigger animals.

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