MYTH
The wolf had the greatest love for the toad. It was such an intense love that it swelled up within his heart and fairly consumed the wolf with passion.
One night, the wolf armed himselfe with the strength of his greatest desire and went in search of his beloved. This was the night that he would court the toad and win her affections. Before he left, the wolf prayed to the Moon that she might shine brightly on his adventure. His prayer was answered and, beneath the bright of the full Moon, the wolf set out to pursue the toad.
The toad saw the wolf in his search for her and managed to elude him for a long time. At last, the wolf saw by the clear moonlight that place in which he toad had taken refuge. The wolf stalked her in his quietest manner. When he was standing over the rock under which she had been hidding, he quickly turned over the rock and the bright moonlight enveloped her. It was then that the chase began.
The wolf pursued the toad throughout the night. The chase took them through the swamp and wood, hill and meadow. Just as the wolf was about the close in on his love, she would jump her highest and farthest. In a moment, she would land again, far from his grasp. Then the chase would begin anew.
For several hours, they went on in this manner. The wolf would close in on the toad, and she would suddenly leap beyond his reach. But as time passed, the toad found it was more and more difficult to elude the wolf. The toad was growing weary. her legs were growing tired and her leaps of escape did not carry her as far from the wolf and they had at first. As the night went on, her persuer was getting closer to victory.
The toad knew that there was little power left in her legs. She had but one strong jump left within her. If she did not make it a good one, the wolf would surely be upon her. She was almost within the wolf's hold when she mustered all her strength and made her final attempt at freedom. With every bit of strength in her body, she made her last desperate and hopeful spring. When she landed, it was upon the face of the Moon.
There she can still be seen when the Moon is full, far from the paws of the little wolf that would have had her for his own. |
