The Monkey and the Turtle

NARRATORS: One day / the Monkeys met the Turtles /on the road and
asked./

MONKEYS: "Where are you going?

TURTLES:" We are going to find /something to eat/ for we have no

food /for three whole days,".

MONKEYS: "We too /are hungry,"

MONKEYS & TURTLES: and since /we are all hungry, / let us go
together /and hunt food / for our stomachs' sake."/

NARRATORS: They soon / became good friends / and chatted along

the way, / so that the time passed quickly. / Before they had gone far, /
the Monkeys saw a large bunch / of yellow bananas on a tree / at a
distance.

MONKEYS: "Oh, / what a good sight that is!" / "Don't you see / the
bananas/hanging on that / banana-tree? [pointing with his first finger
toward the tree]. They are fine! / We can taste them / already." /

NARRATORS: But the Turtles were short-sighted / and could not see
them. / By and by / they came near the tree, / and then / they saw
them. /The two friends / were very glad. / The mere sight / of the ripe, /
yellow fruit / seemed to assuage / their hunger. /
But the Turtles / could not climb the tree, / so they agreed / that the
Monkeys / should go up / and should throw some / of the fruit down to
them. / The Monkeys were up / in a flash; / and, seating himself
comfortably / they began to eat / the finest of the fruit / and forgot to
drop / any down to the Turtles / waiting below. /

TURTLES: Can we ask / for some…

NARRATORS: but the Monkeys / pretended not to hear. / They ate even
the peelings, / and refused to drop / a bit to their friend, / who were
patiently / begging under the tree. /

At last / the Turtles became angry / very angry / "so they thought
they would revenge" /. While the Monkeys / were having a good time, /
and filling their stomach, /

The Turtles gathered sharp,/ broken pieces of glass, / and stuck

them, / one by one, / all around the banana-tree. / Then they hid
themselves / under a coconut-shell / not far away./ These shells had a
hole in the top / to allow the air to enter. / That was why / the Turtles
chose it / for their hiding-place.

The Monkeys / could not eat all the bananas, / for there were
enough / to last a good-sized family / several days; "but they ate all /
what they can," / and by and by / came down the tree / with great
difficulty, / for the glass was so sharp/ that it cut even the tough hand /
of the Monkeys. / They had a hard time, / and their hands were cut in
many places. / The Turtles thought / they had their revenge / and were
not so angry as before./

But the Monkeys / were now very angry / at the trick that had been
played upon them,/ and began looking for the Turtles,/ intending to kill
them./
For some time/ they could not find their foe,/ and, being very
tired, / /they sat down on the coconut-shell nearby./ Their weariness /
increased / their anger / at the Turtle very much./

They sat on the shell / for a long time, / suffering from their
wounds, / and wondering where to find the Turtles, / --their former
friend / , but now their enemies. / Because of the disturbance of the
shell,/ the Turtles inside / could not help making a noise. /
These the Monkeys heard;/ and they were surprised, / for they could
not determine / where the sound came./ At last / they lifted their stool, /
and there found their foe the Turtles./
MONKEYS: "Ha! / Here you are!",/ "Pray now, / for it is the end of your
life."/

NARRATORS: They picked up the Turtles by the neck / and carried

them /near the riverbank, /where they meant to kill them./ They took
mortars and pestles, / and built a big fire,/ intending to pound them to
powder / or burn them to death. / When everything was ready, / they
told the Turtles./

MONKEYS: choose whether you die in the fire / or be "grounded" in the

mortars./

NARRATORS: The Turtles begged/ for their lives; / but when they
found /they were in vain. /

TURTLES:" (praying) You can throw us into the fire / or ground in the
mortar,--/ anything / except be thrown into the water. /

NARRATORS: On hearing this, / the Monkeys picked the Turtles up/ in

their bleeding fingers,/ and with all their might / threw them into the
middle of the stream./

Then/ the Turtles were very glad./ They chuckled at their own wit
/and laughed at the foolishness/ of the Monkeys./ they came up to the
surface of the water / and mocked at the Monkeys, / saying….

TURTLES:" This is our home. / The water is our home."/

NARRATORS: These made the Monkeys so angry / that they lost their
self-possession entirely. /
They jumped into the middle of the river / after the Turtle, / and they
were drowned./

NARRATORS: Since that /the monkeys and turtles /have been bitter
enemies./