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mon he could find and aimed it at the crab's head. The persim-
mon is as hard as stone when it is unripe. The monkey's missile
struck home and the crab was sorely hurt by the blow. Again
and again, as fast as he could pick them, the monkey pulled off
the hard persimmons and threw them at the defenseless crab
till he dropped dead, covered with wounds all over his body.
There he lay a pitiful sight at the foot of the tree he had himself
planted.
When the wicked monkey saw that he had killed the crab he
ran away from the spot as fast as he could, in fear and trem-
bling, like a coward as he was.
Now the crab had a son who had been playing with a friend
not far from the spot where this sad work had taken place. On
the way home he came across his father dead, in a most dread-
ful condition his head was smashed and his shell broken in
several places, and around his body lay the unripe persimmons
which had done their deadly work. At this dreadful sight the
poor young crab sat down and wept.
But when he had wept for some time he told himself that this
crying would do no good; it was his duty to avenge his father's
murder, and this he determined to do. He looked about for
some clue which would lead him to discover the murderer.
Looking up at the tree he noticed that the best fruit had gone,
and that all around lay bits of peel and numerous seeds strewn
on the ground as well as the unripe persimmons which had
evidently been thrown at his father. Then he understood that
the monkey was the murderer, for he now remembered that his
father had once told him the story of the rice-dumpling and the
persimmon-seed. The young crab knew that monkeys liked
130
persimmons above all other fruit, and he felt sure that his
greed for the coveted fruit had been the cause of the old crab's
death. Alas!
He at first thought of going to attack the monkey at once, for
he burned with rage. Second thoughts, however, told him that
this was useless, for the monkey was an old and cunning anim-
al and would be hard to overcome. He must meet cunning with
cunning and ask some of his friends to help him, for he knew it
would be quite out of his power to kill him alone.
The young crab set out at once to call on the mortar, his
father's old friend, and told him of all that had happened. He
besought the mortar with tears to help him avenge his father's
death. The mortar was very sorry when he heard the woful tale
and promised at once to help the young crab punish the mon-
key to death. He warned him that he must be very careful in
what he did, for the monkey was a strong and cunning enemy.
The mortar now sent to fetch the bee and the chestnut (also
the crab's old friends) to consult them about the matter. In a
short time the bee and the chestnut arrived. When they were
told all the details of the old crab's death and of the monkey's
wickedness and greed, they both gladly consented to help the
young crab in his revenge.
After talking for a long time as to the ways and means of car-
rying out their plans they separated, and Mr. Mortar went
home with the young crab to help him bury his poor father.
While all this was taking place the monkey was congratulat-
ing himself (as the wicked often do before their punishment
comes upon them) on all he had done so neatly. He thought it
quite a fine thing that he had robbed his friend of all his ripe
persimmons and then that he had killed him. Still, smile as
hard as he might, he could not banish altogether the fear of the
consequences should his evil deeds be discovered. IF he were
found out (and he told himself that this could not be for he had
escaped unseen) the crab's family would be sure to bear him
hatred and seek to take revenge on him. So he would not go
out, and kept himself at home for several days. He found this
kind of life, however, extremely dull, accustomed as he was to
the free life of the woods, and at last he said:
"No one knows that it was I who killed the crab! I am sure
that the old thing breathed his last before I left him. Dead
131
crabs have no mouths! Who is there to tell that I am the mur-
derer? Since no one knows, what is the use of shutting myself
up and brooding over the matter? What is done cannot be
undone!"
With this he wandered out into the crab settlement and crept
about as slyly as possible near the crab's house and tried to
hear the neighbors' gossip round about. He wanted to find out
what the crabs were saving about their chief's death, for the
old crab had been the chief of the tribe. But he heard nothing
and said to himself:
"They are all such fools that they don't know and don't care
who murdered their chief!"
Little did he know in his so-called "monkey's wisdom" that
this seeming unconcern was part of the young crab's plan. He
purposely pretended not to know who killed his father, and
also to believe that he had met his death through his own fault.
By this means he could the better keep secret the revenge on
the monkey, which he was meditating.
So the monkey returned home from his walk quite content.
He told himself he had nothing now to fear.
One fine day, when the monkey was sitting at home, he was
surprised by the appearance of a messenger from the young
crab. While he was wondering what this might mean, the mes-
senger bowed before him and said:
"I have been sent by my master to inform you that his father
died the other day in falling from a persimmon tree while try-
ing to climb the tree after fruit. This, being the seventh day, is
the first anniversary after his death, and my master has pre-
pared a little festival in his father's honor, and bids you come
to participate in it as you were one of his best friends. My mas-
ter hopes you will honor his house with your kind visit."
When the monkey heard these words he rejoiced in his in-
most heart, for all his fears of being suspected were now at
rest. He could not guess that a plot had just been set in motion
against him. He pretended to be very surprised at the news of
the crab's death, and said:
"I am, indeed, very sorry to hear of your chief's death. We
were great friends as you know. I remember that we once ex-
changed a rice-dumpling for a persimmon-seed. It grieves me
much to think that that seed was in the end the cause of his
132
death. I accept your kind invitation with many thanks. I shall
be delighted to do honor to my poor old friend!" And he
screwed some false tears from his eyes.
The messenger laughed inwardly and thought, "The wicked
monkey is now dropping false tears, but within a short time he
shall shed real ones." But aloud he thanked the monkey politely
and went home.
When he had gone, the wicked monkey laughed aloud at
what he thought was the young crab's innocence, and without
the least feeling began to look forward to the feast to be held
that day in honor of the dead crab, to which he had been in- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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