The Wolf and Shrimps

A great amount of shrimps was served as food within the wolf's reach. How could the wolf eat them?

Once upon a time, there was a big wolf roaming around looking for ponds or lakes to catch fish for food. He arrived at a pond that had completely dried up except for a muddy hole full of fish, shrimp, and crabs. The wolf was very glad and thought: "It is my lucky day."

The shrimp was clever. On hearing what the wolf had exclaimed, he pleaded with the wolf, saying: "We are all your food, Brother Wolf, but we are so muddy that we are not appetizing for you to eat in such a state."

The wolf then said: "What can I do to make you more appetizing?"

The shrimp said: "Before you eat all of us, you should wash us clean first. This way, it will be more appetizing for you to eat."

The wolf said: "How can I take all of you to wash clean as there are so many of you?"

The shrimp replied: "Don’t worry. I can help you, but you have to follow my instructions." The wolf said: "I’ll do whatever you tell me to." "So you have to lie down in the mud," the shrimp said, adding that: "And we'll bite and cling to your hair so that you can take us to wash in a pond or a lake which contains clear water. After that, you can enjoy eating us at your own will.

The wolf was so naive that he did exactly what the shrimp told him to do. All the shrimps and fish bit and clung to the wolf’s hair and the wolf walked away in search of water until he saw a large lake with clear water.

He then walked into the water and all the shrimps and fish jumped into the water and said: "Brother Wolf! You go back and bring all the remaining shrimp, fish, and crabs first, and then you can eat all of us later. We are waiting for you here." The wolf went back to bring the remaining shrimp, fish, crabs, and snails.

Once the shrimp, crabs, fish, and snails learned that the wolf had already moved all of them to the new pond, they dived deep into the water. It was too late when the wolf knew that he had been deceived.

Source: https://aseanfolktales.wordpress.com/2015/12/06/the-wolf-and-shrimps-translated-from-khmer-by-chhim-chan-bora/

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Cambodian Manuscript and Audio

កាលពីព្រេងនាយ មានចចកត្រោសធំមួយ។ ដល់ខែលំហើយ វាដើររកត្រពាំង បឹងបួរដែលរីងទឹក ដើម្បីចាប់

ត្រីធ្វើជាចំណី។ លុះទៅដល់ត្រពាំងមួយរីងទឹកអស់ នៅតែប្រឡង់មួយឃើញសុទ្ធតែភក់ ហើយមានត្រី កំពឹស បង្កង ក្តាមជាច្រើន។ ចចកឃើញហើយមានចិត្តត្រេកអរណាស់ហើយគិតថា «ថ្ងៃនេះអញមានលាភធំណាស់ ជាលាភចម្លែកជាងសព្វថ្ងៃ» ។ ឯកំពឹសមានប្រាជ្ញា លឺចចកថាដូច្នេះហើយ ក៏និយាយលួងលោមចចកថា «យើងទាំងអស់គ្នាសុទ្ធតែជាចំណីរបស់បងចចកឯងទាំងអស់ហើយ ប៉ុន្តែបើបងស៊ីយើងទាំងភក់ដូច្នេះច្បាស់

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