Long ago, there was a rabbit. He was a great hunter and set traps to catch animals. But he suddenly started finding his traps empty. He realised that it was a thief’s mischief. He made a trap from a stout bow-string and set it beside his snare. He carried the end of the bow-string and hid himself. The Moon suddenly disappeared and it grew very dark. Soon, he saw a white light coming towards the trap. He pulled the bow-string, closed the trap and tied the string to a tree.
He took some black mud and threw it at the white light. He heard a voice saying, “I am the Moon and you have spotted my face with mud. Come and untie me.” The rabbit untied the prisoner and took a promise that he would never steal his prey. The Moon hurried on his way. Since that night, the Moon still bears the marks of the black mud on his face. Sometimes, he goes away to wash off the mud. But he never succeeds in cleaning himself and when he comes back to his work, the black marks are still upon his shining face.
