THE RABBIT AND THE GREEDY MONKEY
ONCE upon a time there lived in the mountains a rabbit and a monkey who were great friends. As they sat by the road side one day hobnobbing together, they saw a man approaching with a bamboo pole over his shoulder, and at each end of the pole was a bundle hung by a string. There were bananas in one bundle and sugar in the other.
“Friend of my heart,” said the monkey to the rabbit, “do as I tell you. Go and sit in the road in front of that man, and as soon as he sees you, run. He will be sure to drop his load and follow. Then I will pick up his bundles and hide them, and when you come back we will share the contents between us.”
So the rabbit went and sat in the road, and when the man saw him, away the rabbit ran, and the man dropped his burden and gave chase. The monkey, who had been concealed in the tall wayside grass, pounced on the man’s bundles, climbed a tall tree with them, and began to gobble up the bananas and sugar they contained.
By and by the man came back, hot and empty-handed. When he saw that his goods, as well as the rabbit, were gone, he cursed loudly and went home to be scolded by his wife.
The rabbit returned soon after the man left, and hunted about for his friend the monkey. He searched the vicinity thoroughly, but not a trace of his friend could he find, till he happened to look up aloft, and behold, there was Mr. Monkey in a tree munching away with every sign of enjoyment.
“Hello, comrade!” said the rabbit, “come down out of that.”
“I’m very comfortable here, thank you,” said the monkey.
“But where is my share of our plunder?” the rabbit asked indignantly.
“All gone, all gone,” mumbled the monkey, and pelted the rabbit with banana peels and wads of paper made out of the wrappings of the sugar. “Where have you been all this time? I got hungry and couldn’t wait any longer.”
The rabbit would not believe that the things in the bundles were all gone. He thought his friend was joking. But the truth of the matter was that the greedy creature had not left a scrap of either sugar or bananas.
“Do you really mean it?” said the poor rabbit at last.
“If you don’t believe me, come and see,” said the monkey, and he descended the tree-trunk nearly to the ground, seized the rabbit by his long ears, and hauled him up into the tree. After mocking him and making great sport he left him there and went away.
The rabbit was afraid to jump down from such a height. So he remained up in the tree for a long time. Many animals passed under the tree, but not one took pity on the rabbit until an old and foolish rhinoceros came along and stopped to rub his wrinkled hide against the tree-trunk.
“Kind rhinoceros,” said the rabbit, “let me jump down on your back.”
The rhinoceros agreed, and down came the rabbit with such a thump that the creature’s back was broken, and he died. But the rabbit was not hurt, and he ran and he ran until he came to the king’s palace. There he hid under the king’s golden throne. By and by in came the king with his courtiers. All the grandees were standing around the throne in their gorgeous robes glittering with rubies and diamonds when they were startled by a sudden sneeze.
“God bless you!” exclaimed the courtiers.
“Who has the bad manners to sneeze in my royal presence?” cried the king.
Each man looked at his neighbor and wondered who did it. “Off with his head!” shouted the king.
Another sneeze came. This time every one was alert and on the watch, and they noticed that the sound came from beneath the king’s golden throne. So they reached under and dragged out the rabbit, who was so scared he looked more dead than alive.
“All right,” said the king, “off with his head!”
The executioner ran to get his sword. But the rabbit, in spite of his fright, had his wits about him, and he sat up on his hind legs, put his two forepaws together, and said respectfully: “O great king, first hear what I have to say. If you will spare my life I will give you a dead rhinoceros. Let twenty men go with me to bring the body to your palace.”
The king and his courtiers laughed loud and long. However, just to see what would come of it, the king ordered twenty men to go with the rabbit. They were guided by the rabbit to the spot where the rhinoceros lay dead, and with great exertion they dragged the body to the palace. Every one was very glad, because the horn of a rhinoceros is good for curing many diseases. The court physician ground the horn into powder, and made out of it a most wonderful medicine, and the king was so pleased that he gave the rabbit a horse to ride on and a handsome new coat.
The rabbit put on his new coat, mounted the horse, and rode off. Presently, who should he meet but his friend, the monkey. “Hello!” said the monkey, “where did you get all that finery?”
“This horse and this coat were given to me by the king,” replied the rabbit.
“And why should the king make such a present to a simpleton like you?” the monkey asked.
“I, whom you call a simpleton,” said the rabbit, “got this horse and this elegant coat by sneezing under the king’s golden throne.” Then he rode away.
The monkey fell a-thinking how nice it would be if he could get a fine coat and a horse. “I can sneeze,” said he. “Why shouldn’t I try my luck?”
Off he scampered to the king’s palace, and hid beneath the king’s golden throne. Soon the king and his courtiers came in, all richly arrayed, and the monkey sneezed in the most auspicious manner he could contrive.
“Who is that?” thundered the king, glaring about him. “Who has the bad manners to sneeze in the king’s presence?”
They searched till they found the monkey hidden under the throne, and hauled him out.
“Wily tree-climber,” said the king, “have you any gift for me that might cause me not to bid the executioner to cut off your head?”
The monkey pondered a few moments in fear and trembling, and then stammered, “O king, I have some banana peels and pellets of paper.”
This reply only increased the king’s wrath, and the unfortunate monkey was led away to be executed.
