DEER AND GECKO

One day, deer held a meeting with his friends in a large building, On the ceiling of the building, Gecko the little house lizard was hiding. While the meeting was going on, Gecko knocked down a stone which struck Deer on the head.

Deer became angry and said, 'Gecko, how dare you hit me with a stone? What's going on? You have courage only because you are safe up there. You think you're clever, but I want to see you drove it.'

Gecko replied, 'Deer, words can only hurt my ears. I want to know how clever you are, too!'

Deer said, 'Gecko, if you want to know how clever I am, let's have a race right now. This meeting house here can be the finishing post. Whoever arrives first wins. If I lose, you can do what you like with me, even kill me. And if you lose, then that's end of you!'

'Okay Deer,' Gecko replied, 'if that's what you want, I'll race you. But not now. Tomorrow we'll begin the contest.' Deer agreed, and so the contest was set for the next day. Gecko, the little lizard, had made a rash promise to race the swift Deer, so he had to think of something quickly. 'Now,' he thought to him‑ self, 'what shall I do, for Deer surely can run faster than I? First of all, I will look for my gecko friends and we can think of a plan.'

Gecko called all his friends, and said, 'Tomorrow I am to race with Deer, with this meeting house as the finishing post. Deer can indeed run fast, so we must have a plan, or I am sure to lose. If Deer loses, we have the right to kill him, for he prom­ised that. Now, here is my plan.

'Since we all look alike, we can have several geckos waiting along the course to fool Deer: one in the tree where the race is to begin, one at the middle post, and one here. Should Deer call out, one of us must answer. Deer will always think it is I.'

Next day, Deer arrived early, but the three geckos were al­ready there. 'Hey, Gecko,' Deer asked, 'do you agree that we start our race now?' .

Gecko answered, 'Okay, let's start from the tree over there. We will race to the middle post and back again to the tree, then to the meeting house.'

'Yes,' said Deer.

Deer set off, calling out, 'Are you off and running, Gecko?

'Already,' answered the second gecko off and running, Gecko?’

Deer thought, Gecko is fast. I'd better not take it easy or I may lose…'

Deer ran on, with the dust flying behind him, and when he had almost arrived at the middle post, he called out, 'Gecko, where are your

The third gecko, who was waiting at the post, replied, 'I'm already here at the post, Deer.'

'You really are clever,' said Deer. 'Now let's run back again.'

Deer ran back just as hard as he could, for he felt a little sorry for himself and wanted to win. As he neared the starting tree, he again called out, 'Where have you got to, Gecko?'

The second gecko in the tree said, 'I'm here again at the tree, Deer.'

When Deer, panting and out of breath, reached the finish­ing line at the meeting house, he found Gecko there again for him. Gecko said to him, 'Well, Deer, I have beaten you both ways and I'm no even breathing hard. Do you remember your promise?’

Deer replied, 'I have not forgotten my promise. Indeed, I have lost, but don't kill me now, Gecko. Later on I'll black face. You will be reborn as a speckled cock with yellow legs. Then it will be the proper time for you to kill me.'

Gecko agreed no to kill Deer right then and there. And that is why in Bali, at the cockfight, the speckled cock with yellow legs always beats the red cock with the black face.