FABLES, CONTES et LEGENDES

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Le Chat :

  par Thu Trinh-Bouvier ...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   - Permettez-moi de vous faire remarquer qu’il a une chose plus puissante que le ciel, ce sont les nuages, puisque les nuages peuvent envahir le ciel.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    - Vous avez raison, répondit le mandarin. Et je vous remercie de cette remarque pleine de sens. Je vais désormais nommer mon chat “Nuage”.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             - Quelque temps après, un autre mandarin vint prendre le thé à la maison.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               - Comment, s’écria-t-il, vous appelez “Nuage” ce magnifique animal ? Mais il existe une chose bien plus forte que les nuages : c’est le vent qui les chasse.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          - Dès lors, son maître nomma “Vent” le bel animal.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        - Une semaine ne s’était pas écoulée que le maire de la ville, invité chez le mandarin, aperçut le précieux animal.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     - “Vent”, dit-il, c’est un nom bien indigne. Le vent trouve facilement son maître puisqu’un mur peut l’arrêter.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             - En effet, répondit le propriétaire du chat. Désormais, mon animal s’appellera “Mur”.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        - Un peu plus tard, un étudiant qui travaillait chez le mandarin fit remarquer respectueusement au seigneur qu’une souris était capable de vaincre le mur.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                - Cher maître, si je puis me permettre, il semble bien qu’une simple souris peut venir à bout de n’importe quel mur. Elle le mine en perçant des trous. Aussi petite soit-elle, elle est capable de grande chose puisqu’elle l’affaiblit et le détruit petit à petit.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          - C’est vrai, reconnut le mandarin. Je vais donc appeler mon magnifique chat “Souris”.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     - Vint alors à passer le petit garçon du jardinier.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           - “Souris” ! s’écria-t-il en éclatant de rire. Mais il y a quelqu’un de bien plus puissant que la souris, c’est le chat qui l’attrape et la mange !

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       - Le mandarin comprit alors sa vanité :
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     - Désormais, il nomma l’animal tout simplement : “ Chat ”.