The Guardians

A furry, brown mouse sat eating the leftover remains of a dead cricket. The hungry mouse devoured his meal quickly, so as not to attract any unwanted attention. Just as it finished its last mouthful, it sensed danger. It turned to run away when it heard the snake’s unmistakable rattle.

“Señor  snake, I know you are probably hungry, but I implore you to reconsider your options.” Simon slowly eased his head around towards the mouse’s back.

“What exactly are my options, Señor fat mouse?” The mouse, visibly shaking, turned away from the rattles in front of him to face the forked tongue of a full-grown adult rattlesnake.

“Well, you can give in to your base desire and eat me or you can find a meal elsewhere; gaining a friend for life.” Simon shook his tail a little quicker as he moved a little closer.

“Did you give the cricket I watched you feast on, the same courtesy?” Always quick on his furry little feet, Senor mouse responded coolly:

“The aforementioned cricket was already deceased. I only ate what was left over. Simon stopped moving towards him and slowed the flicking of his tail.

“Will your friendship stop my hunger?” Again, quick on his feet the mouse had an answer:

“No, it won’t, but my friendship--if allowed to be earned--will last a lifetime. If that is not good enough for you then may I at least have the name of my executioner?” Simon eased forward just a bit, flicking his tongue a little faster.

“My name is Simon Cuauhtemoc.” The mouse smiled devilishly as he considered the rattler’s name.

“Your name is from the Nahuatl, is it not?’ Simon stopped moving his body and flicking his tongue in sheer disbelief.

“And just how would you know that, rodent?” The mouse sensed that his execution just might be stayed a bit longer and took advantage of it.

“My ancestors are the Kumiai, who settled in an area they called Uacuatay, which is present day Rosarito. My father is of Kumiai ancestry. He met my mother, who was from an area originally in the south of Mexico. Her ancestors built a thriving community during the time of the Aztecs. Because of soil erosion the Mixtecs migrated to other areas. My mother’s family along with others traveled north and formed the Colonia Obrera (workers’ neighborhood). That area overlooks present day Tijuana.”

“I didn’t ask for a history lesson, I asked how did you know that my name is Nahuatl?”