These are tales about the smallest deer on earth, about the size of a house cat or rabbit that scientists thought were extinct until recently they found and photographed them in Vietnam.

In these stories the little deer is up against the great animals in the forest: crocodiles, tigers, panthers, snakes, and leopards, as well as men and dogs. These are tales about the power of cleverness and wit; the power of deception; the significance of storytelling; the problem of pride; the value of loyalty; and finally, they are a joyous celebration of survival of the small and clever over the vicious and powerful.

The Clever Mouse Deer has been translated into English from the original text written in colonial Dutch, with Indonesian/ Malay and Arabic phrases or words tossed in.

List of Illustrations
Introduction
Introduction to the Text

1. Kantjil is Hungry
2. The Nibbler is Punished
3. The Greedy Panther is Punished
4. The Dream of the Leopard
5. The Ungrateful Crocodile
6. Kantjil and the Crocodile
7. The Purse of Solomon
8. One Against a Hundred
9. Pride Comes Before the Fall
10. Nabi Soeleiman’s Porridge
11. The Belt of Nabi Soeleiman
12. The Concert
13. The Fishing Expedition
14. The Magical Gong
15. The Trick That Did Not Work
16. The Gratitude of the Tijp Loek Birds
17. Who Was the Guilty One?
18. A Buffalo Without Horns
19. Who was the Cleverest?
20. The King of the Forest

"The wonderful Javanese animal tales in this collection, translated here, usher us into the southeast Asian forest, the world of Kantjil, the clever mouse deer. There are several species of chevrotain or mouse deer endemic to the forests of Vietnam and neighboring countries. The more common, lesser chevrotain (Tragulus kanchil) shares its scientific name with the hero of these stories but it is the rarer member of this genus, the silver-backed chevrotain (Tragulus versicolor) that has its own dramatic story to add to those in this book. This tiny creature, no bigger than a rabbit, was thought likely to be extinct after dropping completely out of sight in 1990, only to be rediscovered using camera traps nearly thirty years later. In these stories the clever Kantjil repeatedly outsmarts the most dangerous predators in the forest and proves too cunning for his human enemies. Can our mouse deer continue to outsmart modern hunters as well as find a way to survive the extensive habitat destruction taking place in the forests in which he dwells? Only time will tell. It would seem to be unwise to underestimate the clever Kantjil. As the stories told here make abundantly clear, he always seems to come up with a plan to survive."

--Dr. Jeremy S. Wasser, Associate Professor, Dept. of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University

"These delightful stories of Kantjil, the endearing and wise mouse deer, are a welcome addition to children’s literature, though, like all the best children’s literature, they have lessons for adult readers as well. As in Aesop’s tales, these fables show how the small can overcome the mighty and how wit is far more valuable than brute strength. This careful translation preserves the original stories while engaging the reader with a voice that is fresh, timely, and immediate, reminding us that it is always possible to find beauty in a dangerous world."

--Prof. Aimee E. Ross-Kilroy, Clinical Associate Professor, Loyola Marymount University; English Teaching Fellow Coordinator; Director, Secondary Teacher Preparation Program English; Multicultural Children’s Literature Specialist

"What a boon for children’s literature and literature at large to have Theresia de Vroom’s translation from the Dutch of the Javanese folktales of The Clever Mouse Deer, the continuous adventures of the mouse deer, Kantjil. Kantjil’s tricky escapes from huge and malicious jungle predators, including humans and hunting dogs, are full of joyful language, puns, and hooligan tactics that recall the narratives of China’s The Monkey King, the Hindu Puranas, the dodgeful rhetoric of Odysseus, the wily manipulations of the Native American trickster Coyote, as well as the narrative fluidity of A Thousand Nights and One Nights. These are tales about the preternatural conquering of brawn by smarts. And whether you’re an adult or a kid, they offer a whole lot of magic and fun."

--Prof. Chuck Rosenthal, author of How the Animals Around You Think Professor of Narrative Writing and Theory, Loyola Marymount University

Theresia de Vroomis Professor of English and Director of the Marymount Institute for Faith, Culture and the Arts at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. She has edited and translated the medieval Netherlandic plays of the Hulthelm MS and was the editor and compiler for In Possession of Shakespeare: Writing Into Nothing. She has written articles on medieval women mystics, beast epics, medieval and Renaissance drama and poetry. In 1998 she was the recipient of the Lois P. and Donald H. Graves Award for Excellence in Teaching.