One evening, Opossum was playing in a field with her babies
when Big Bat came swooping down and grabbed all of the little ones
and carried them away. Opossum shouted and begged for Bat to bring
her babies back to her, but he would not. Bat put the little opossums
into a deep hole in the rock and watched over them there.
Opossum walked around and around the forest, crying for her
babies. When Wolf heard her wails, he came to her and asked what
was wrong. "Big Bat has taken my babies from me and he will not
give them back," she told him.
"I will get them for you," Wolf said. "if you show me where
they are."
So Opossum showed Wolf the deep hole in the rock where Bat watched
over her babies. Wolf bravely walked into the darkness. But a moment
later she heard him cursing, and then he came running back outside
saying, "I am sorry, but I cannot retrieve your babies."
So Opossum kept walking around and around the forest, crying
for her babies. When Rabbit heard her wails, he came to her and
asked what was wrong. "Big Bat has taken my babies from me and he
will not give them back," she told him.
"I will get them for you," Rabbit said. "if you show me where
they are."
So Opossum showed Rabbit the deep hole in the rock where Bat
watched over her babies. Rabbit boldly walked into the darkness.
But a moment later she heard him cursing, and then he came running
back outside saying, "I am sorry, but I cannot retrieve your babies."
Opossum was frantic now. Brave Wolf and Bold Rabbit had been
unable to retrieve her babies. She walked around and around the
forest, crying hysterically for her babies. When Highland-Terrapin
heard her wails, he came to her and asked what was wrong. "Big Bat
has taken my babies from me and he will not give them back," she
told him.
"I will get them for you," Highland-Terrapin said. "if you show
me where they are."
Opossum showed Highland-Terrapin the deep hole in the rock where
Bat watched over her babies. Highland-Terrapin carefully walked
into the darkness. A moment later she heard him cursing. Big Bat
had thrown hot ashes down in the path in front of him, burning his
large flat feet. But Highland Terrapin kept going in spite of the
pain. He could see the little opossums huddled together a few paces
away. They were crying for their mother. Highland-Terrapin saw Big
Bat hovering above them, and he scolded Bat for stealing the babies
from their mother. Highland-Terrapin picked up the little opossums
and carried them out of the deep, dark hole. Big Bat dove at him
a few times, but he kept bouncing off the terrapin's hard shell
before he could reach the babies. Finally, Bat gave up and flew
away.
Highland-Terrapin cut a hole in the belly of the happy Opossum
mama and placed her babies inside it. "You keep your babies in there
until they stop nursing," he told her. "When they no longer need
milk to drink, you can let them out."
From that day onward, Opossum mamas have carried their little
babies in a pouch until they are old enough to eat on their own.
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