Fables of the Green Forest (山ねずみロッキーチャック)

FABLES of the GREEN FOREST

Today's episode: "The importance of Paddy's dam"

What's going on?

Jerry, his small head cocked to one side, is roaming

back and forth along the bank of the Laughing Brook.

What is he thinking about? What could be wrong?

What?

Funny, sure funny!

Strange, strange...

Jerry, what's so strange?

Oh, Johnny!

These eyes of mine, please see if there's something wrong with them!

Something happened to your eyes?

Nothing's wrong with them.

No-no, what I want to know is whether or not

my eyes can distinguish objects clearly or not.

Here, do you see that pace on the bank, over there?

Johnny, my eyes, my head too is become funny!

That's not so!

It's just like he said, the river water is diminishing, is rapidly going down!

That's right! What is it all about?

Terrible! This is awful!

Huh, sure is sultry!

It's times like this that I envy those of the Smiling Pool,

for they can quickly cool off in the water.

Well, good morning all of you of the Smiling Pool!

Hey...

Grandfather Frog, what is this?

If this isn't a dream, the world is turning topsy-turvy, I don't know what's what!

- Hey...! - Grandfather...

- ...all gone, the water's gone from the lake! - What is this?

I can't understand it.

Even during midsummer, when the forest streams dried up

there's never been a time when the water of this lake has ever disappeared!

Grandfather... Grandfather...

How was it over there at the Big River?

Nothing wrong there.

So the water is dissappeared only from the Smiling Pool and the Laughing Brook.

And in these conditions, there's no alternative but to move to the Big River, right?

Are you moving?

Poor me, my house is visible, my secret underwater pass can be discovered,

I can't live here anymore!

Wait, wait, you can't simply throw away your homestead of many comfortable years!

- We can't live in a waterless lake or river! - No...

Keep calm everyone!

Before rushing off, the thing to do is to determine why the water disappeared!

Right, that's right!

Thanks to the water disappearing, we can see the bottom of the pool!

This is amusing!

Jerry, what are you looking for down there?

I thought maybe there might be a hole at the bottom of the pool!

Can't be a stupid reason such as that!

And Grandfather, you'll figure it out?

Well...

I'm giving it a good think over here in my head...

Hmm...

Hmm... Johnny, what's the matter, what's the reason?

Hmm...

What do you mean by that?

That's it!

The reason is the Laughing Brook!

The Laughing Brook?

Get this: the water running from the Laughing Brook makes up the Smiling Pool, you see?!

That flow of water stopped. That's why there's no water in the pool!

That's it!

Something like this, why didn't I notice it sooner?

That's right! Paddy's dam is located up river...

Maybe...

Johnny, Johnny!

- What's up, Sammy? - What happened?

Grandfather has started out with the four others!

- Started out? - Are they moving to the Big River?

They've gone up the Laughing Brook to see Paddy.

If they meet with Paddy, they'll find out the reason, according to Grandfather.

- Johnny? - That's Grandfather alright!

They should be climbing about the old log bridge about now.

Spotty should be the tail end, but this race seems to become interesting!

My-my, here they come!

For these five, to be in the water would be easy and a pleasure,

but today, they must walk uphill along the waterless riverbed, so it's quite a job.

In the lead, the slim but nimble Harry.

Next, Joe the Otter with legs so short that he almost doesn't seem to have any.

Behind him comes Jerry, the muskrat.

At swimming, he's a real expert.

And then leaping along, Grandfather Frog.

And now... oh my, the slowest one is poor Spotty the Turtle,

walking along with his house on his back.

And he just can't go very fast.

Hey, Harry, don't rush so!

Joe, you're the one who should wait a little!

Jerry, do you intend to leave this old one behind?

I'm getting out of breath!

Well, they're trying, they're really trying, believe me!

At times like this, if only I had wings!

OK, everyone! Buck up, Spotty! Don't loiter, keep on moving!

I'll be back to cheer you all again!

Grandfather, we heard from Sammy.

So if it's Paddy you're going to see,

we'll go and meet him for you, if you like.

Sure we'll go for you.

Appreciate your concern, but this matter concerning the brook and the pond

we decided it should be settled by the five of us.

Hey, Jerry, walk a little slower!

Oh, water, how nice!

Oh, is that all?!

Grandfather... better not overdo it!

Are they coming?

At that rate it's quite a struggle.

The riverbed is like a heavily pebbled road, isn't it?

They're all just probably puffing along.

Let's go ahead and look for them!

Alright, let's do that!

You think they're alright?

They're all strong in the water, but to climb a dry riverbed, you know...

We're about half way to Paddy's dam, aren't we?

Yeah, can't see anyone yet...

Although Grandfather Frog had said that they would settle their own problems themselves,

still, Johnny and Polly were worried.

Now, our resolute five climbing along the dry riverbed

still had not come even half way to Paddy's dam.

Uh-huh? Oh, yeah, somebody's coming!

Yeah, somebody's coming! It looks like Spotty!

But... but Spotty shoud've been the slowest!

Where are the others?

Anyway, my feet hurt, and Spotty isn't here, so I...

...I'll just take one quick snooze.

Spotty?

Oh... Go ahead, OK, you go first, I'll easily catch up to that slowpoke.

These shellfish are so delicious!

Pretty soon now!

- Oh, that's Paddy's dam! - Paddy's dam?

Oh, this dam, this is a new dam, where is the old dam?

What's the matter?

- It's over there! - Oh! That's right!

Well, if it isn't Johnny and Polly together!

I haven't seen you two in a while!