One day the Countrymen noticed that the Mountains were in

　　labour; smoke came out of their summits, the earth was quaking at

　　their feet, trees were crashing, and huge rocks were tumbling.

　　They felt sure that something horrible was going to happen. They

　　all gathered together in one place to see what terrible thing this

　　could be. They waited and they waited, but nothing came. At last

　　there was a still more violent earthquake, and a huge gap appeared

　　in the side of the Mountains. They all fell down upon their knees

　　and waited. At last, and at last, a teeny, tiny mouse poked1 its

　　little head and bristles2 out of the gap and came running down

　　towards them, and ever after they used to say:

　　"Much outcry, little outcome."