提 要

動物報恩的故事時有所聞，即使野生動物有未泯滅的野性本能，牠也懂得克制，甚至用來救主。

A long time ago, a farmer named Virgil and his wife lived in a village. After a few years of marriage, his wife gave birth to twin boys. That same night, Virgil saw a baby mongoose without its mother, which was moaning bitterly. Virgil took pity on it and took it home.

Virgil was happy to have a beautiful wife and two sons, they treated the baby mongoose just like their son. His wife used to feed them at the same time. Virgil also equally loved all of his family.

As time passed by, both the son and the mongoose grew and became very close. The boy and little mongoose would play all day long. The mongoose would always sleep by the boy's bed. Nevertheless, the cautious mom kept an eye on the mongoose. She always knew that he was a wild animal. "It's only a matter of time before his animal instincts begin to reflect", she thought. So she would never leave her son alone with the mongoose.

One day she had to go out to the far-off well for water. She asked her husband to keep an eye while both of the little ones while they were playing, but Virgil didn't take it seriously. After his wife left, Virgil fed milk to both of the boys and they fell asleep.

Virgil then went to another room and continued to finish his chores. The mongoose laid itself down near the boys as usual. Shortly afterward, a big cobra entered the boy's room. The Cobra's hissing woke the mongoose up. He too was terrified to see the ferocious venomous reptile. Since snakes and mongoose are natural enemies, the cobra attacked the mongoose, which stimulates the animal instincts of the mongoose and started to fight against the big and strong cobra. The fast and Swifty mongoose dodged the snake attacks and bit him in several places. After half an hour of combat, the little mongoose finally killed the big bad cobra.

The mongoose was happy that he could save the little brother's life. He went to the doorstep and stood up on his two legs, waiting for his mother. When the wife returned with a water bucket on her head, she saw the mongoose covered with blood. She thought this wild creature bit her sons and its animal instincts took over. Her mind was completely in a mess and lost her temper, she threw the heavy water bucket straight to the little mongoose, the severely wounded mongoose fell unconscious. The anxious mom called Virgil and hurried inside the room..... when she saw the dead snake in pieces, she realized her terrible mistake.

She immediately ran outside to fetch the little hero, who was breathing extremely slowly. Virgil was so worried that the mongoose would die. Fortunately, after taking good care for several weeks, the mongoose became alive and kicking. The boys and their mongoose brother resumed their friendship and this family lived happily ever after.

解 說

很久以前，一個叫維吉爾的農夫與妻子住在一個村莊，結婚幾年後，妻子生了一對雙胞胎男孩。同一天晚上，維吉爾看到一隻沒有母親的小貓鼬、狀似痛苦地呻吟著。維吉爾覺得不忍心，決定把小傢伙帶回家。

維吉爾很高興有漂亮妻子和兩個兒子，夫妻倆像對待兒子一樣照顧小貓鼬，他的妻子習慣同時餵他們三個。維吉爾愛他的每一位家人。

隨著時間的流逝，兒子和貓鼬都長大了，彼此也變得非常親密。孩子們和小貓鼬會整天玩在一起，貓鼬總會在男孩的床上睡覺，儘管如此，小心翼翼的媽媽還是盯緊貓鼬的舉動。她一直都沒忘記，牠是野生動物。她認為：「牠的動物本能遲早會開始覺醒的。」所以，她絕對不會讓兩個兒子和貓鼬單獨相處。

有一天，她必須去遙遠的井邊取水，於是要求丈夫在兩個孩子玩耍時保持警覺，但維吉爾並沒當一回事。妻子離開不久，維吉爾餵孩子們牛奶後，他們睡著了。

然後維吉爾去了另一個房間，繼續做家務，貓鼬則像往常一樣躺在男孩附近。沒多久，一隻龐大的眼鏡蛇爬進孩子們的房間，蛇發出的嘶嘶聲喚醒了貓鼬，儘管看到兇猛又有毒的爬蟲牠也害怕，但貓鼬是蛇的天敵，在眼鏡蛇展開攻擊後刺激了牠的「戰鬥本能」，開始與強壯大蛇對抗。迅捷靈活的貓鼬躲開了多次襲擊，反而在蛇身上咬了好幾口。經過半小時的激戰，小貓鼬終於殺死了那條壞眼鏡蛇。

貓鼬很高興自己能拯救小兄弟的性命，牠走到家門口，用兩條腿站立著等待母親。當維吉爾的妻子帶著水桶回來時，看到貓鼬渾身鮮血，立刻以為這個野生動物的本能發作、咬了她的寶貝兒子們，思緒完全錯亂的她，怒氣沖沖地將沉重的水桶扔向貓鼬，受重傷的貓鼬失去了知覺。心急如焚的媽媽呼喚丈夫、匆匆走進房間……當她看到那條死蛇時，才明白自己犯下的可怕錯誤。

她立即跑到外面，抱回那個奄奄一息的小英雄，維吉爾則非常擔心貓鼬會因重傷而喪命。

幸虧經過數周的精心照顧後，貓鼬變回活蹦亂跳的模樣。雙胞胎和他們的貓鼬兄弟繼續不變的友誼，這個家庭從此繼續過著幸福的生活。