In ancient times, the Monkey and the Crab lived next door. One day they went for a walk together, and suddenly, not far from the river, the Monkey found a grain of the kaki fruit, and the Crab found a rice ball.
- And what a delight I came across! - Crab began first.
- And this is what I have! — the Monkey answers, showing a grain of kaka.
The monkey was very jealous. No matter how much she loved kaki, the grain was of little use to her; You can enjoy the ball right away. The Monkey wanted to take possession of the rice ball at any cost and, planning to get it without fail, she turned to the Crab with a serious look:
- Well, Mr. Crab, would you like to exchange your ball for my grain?
The crab shook his head and refused:
- I don’t have the slightest desire. What's the point in changing? I have such a big rice ball, and your grain is very small.
- That’s how it is, but not quite so. Needless to say, the ball, of course, will be larger than a grain, again, you can try it right away, but if you eat it, that’s the end of everything; You will no longer have any joy from him. It's just this grain! True, you can’t eat it now, but if you plant it in the ground, it will sprout, a big tree will grow, and there will be a lot of tasty kaki on it. To be honest, I’m sorry to give it to you, but I have a lot of them, and I would like you to see for yourself how many fruits are ripening. That's why I was the only one who suggested you change.
If you don’t want it, I won’t especially beg you; I will take it to my home and plant it there; but when the fruits ripen, you will not receive any.
The Monkey was not at all angry, did not express the slightest dissatisfaction and, you know, hummed and hummed to the Crab, cleverly deceiving him.
Simple-minded by nature, the Crab easily fell for the bait.
- Well, I’ll try to plant it, if that’s the case.
“In that case, give me your rice ball here.” Having finally gotten what she wanted from the Crab, the Monkey hurriedly stuffed the treat into her mouth and began to chew, fearing that the Crab might change his mind. She gave her grain to the Crab, trying to show how sorry she was to part with it.
With that we said goodbye.
Well, the Crab took the grain to his home and, as soon as he got there, he immediately planted it, as the Monkey taught, in the garden.
Soon sprouts appeared, and then leaf by leaf, twig by twig, the tree began to grow and grow every day. This amused and pleased the Crab very much; he experienced great pleasure at the thought that the tree would soon become big and there would be a lot of fruit on it.
It’s true what they say: chestnut and peach require three years, and kaka – eight years.
Just in the eighth year in the fall, the former grain, only the size of the tip of the little finger, turned into such a large tree that you had to look at it with your head up, and, just as the Monkey said, it was all hung, like lanterns, with red delicious fruits.
The crab was delighted. He really wanted to try the kaki as soon as possible, but no matter how hard he tried to reach them from below, alas, he could not grab them with his claws, since he was very short in stature.
It was also not possible to climb the branches of the tree, because crabs can only move in one direction - sideways. How can we be here?
“No,” he was upset, “I obviously can’t manage this alone; All that remains is to go to my friend the Monkey and ask her to pick the fruits from the tree for me. Yes, this is the best." In an instant, the crab found himself at the Monkey’s home.
-Are you home, Mrs. Monkey?
- Ah, Mr. Crab! I'm glad to see you, we haven't seen each other for a long time.
- A long time ago. And during this time, the very grain that I once exchanged with you for a rice ball grew into a huge tree.
“You see, I said it then.” Well, what about the fruits, are there many of them?
- A whole lot... But here’s the thing. I have a lot of legs, as you yourself know, but I still couldn’t climb the tree and didn’t get to the fruits that I grew with such care. Well, isn't it annoying? I’m ashamed to make it difficult for you, Mrs. Monkey, but what can I do? Please go and get them for me. As a reward for your work, I will, of course, give you one or two things.
- Really, such nonsense, old Crab. What a reward! After all, you and I are friends, it seems. I'll go and get them for you in a minute.
Having expressed his consent so easily, the Monkey set off with the Crab.
They came to the Crab's dwelling. The Monkey looked at the tree... And it’s true!
The tree has become very large, and it is all hung with red ripe fruits.
- Beautiful, to be sure; and the fruits must be good.
“Well, we’ll talk about this later, but you hurry up the tree, tear them up and bring them here.”
“I’ll do that now.”
The monkey quickly climbed up the tree. Instantly picking one fruit, she immediately began to eat it.
- Hmm, how delicious, it couldn’t be better than this. The crab under the tree was fidgeting restlessly.
- Hey! Are you enjoying yourself there? Well, this is no good.
“I’m trying to see if they are poisonous.” She picked the kaki again and began to chew.
- You're eating again. Don’t you dare feast there alone, throw it here!
“Okay, I’ll throw it now.” And she threw one fruit. The Crab deftly picked up the fruit and prepared to almost swallow it whole, but... Oh, horror! Tart bitterness bound his tongue and throat.
“This one is quite bitter, please pick the ripe ones for me.”
- Well, how is this one?
The crab chewed and chewed and spat: green again.
- And why are you just being picky there? Well, here you go!
The monkey began to throw with all his might the completely green fruits, hard as stone, trying to hit the Crab in the head with them.
- Oh, it hurts! - Crab finally couldn’t stand it, falling backwards.
The monkey threw again.
- It hurts, it hurts!.. What are you doing?
- Why should I talk to you here, all these fruits are mine, and you go to waste, die completely.
And the robber Monkey began to rain down unripe kaki like hail, smashing the Crab’s entire shell into smithereens without remorse.
Finally noticing that he was no longer breathing at all, she picked every last ripe fruit and, grabbing them in an armful, rushed home without looking back.
The Crab had a son; that day he had just gone for a walk with his friend to a distant lake.
But then he returned from his walk - and what horror met his eyes at home! In the garden, under a tree, his father Crab was lying lifeless. The shell and claws were smashed to pieces. He no longer saw, he no longer heard, he was already the Crab of another world.
Seeing this. The son of a crab almost went crazy. He sobbed bitterly, inconsolably, hugging the lifeless body of his father... Alas! This will not bring him back to life. There is only one thing left - to avenge the death of his father by killing the enemy. But who is it? Where is he? How to find any trace? The young man looked around with a dejected look.
Then he noticed that there was no trace left of those beautiful ripe kakis that had hung on the tree just yesterday. Scattered around were only green, unripe fruits, which probably broke his father’s shell. Young Crab slapped his knee.
“Well, now I understand. Obviously, this is the work of the Monkey. I have heard more than once from my father that long ago, when he was walking near the river with the Monkey, he exchanged a grain of kaka for a rice ball, which he planted here.
This means that now this vile Monkey wanted to take advantage of my father’s work, so she killed the unfortunate man like a robber. That's how it is; She took away all the ripe kaki, leaving only the green ones. Well, you wanted to taste the delicacy, what’s wrong with that? If you told your father about this, he would, of course, share it, but it’s so treacherous to kill and run away!
Just wait, the meanest Monkey, soon you will find out how the Crab knows how to take revenge.” He became so angry that he began to snort, spewing foam, and his eyes became bloodshot; then I thought about it again.
“After all, the Monkey is a creature wise by everyday experience; she managed to get rid of even my father so cleverly, how can I cope with her with my inexperience?
He thought for a long time and in the end he was completely upset, not seeing any way out of this situation, but suddenly his head seemed to clear up.
His father was always on great friendship with the stone mortar.
This Mortar was formerly a simple stone in the stone fence where the old Crab lived, but then it was noticed by people and made a brilliant career, achieving the high rank of Mortar. By nature, she is unshakable in principles and of such a character that she will not back down if she makes a promise.
If you tell her everything and ask for help in taking revenge, she probably won’t refuse. Without hesitating a moment, the young Crab went straight to the Mortar. Having been received by her, he sobbed and told all the circumstances of the terrible, undeserved death of his father.
Listening to him. The mortar was deeply worried and consoled the young Crab in every possible way.
- What a crime! - she was indignant. “I can imagine how upset you must be; but don’t worry, please, I will take revenge, I will kill the enemy.
But the enemy is the Monkey, and it’s not so easy to deal with it.” Then she sent her servant to ask for Baked Chestnut, a master of shooting a gun, and Big Wasp, a teacher of spear fencing. The mortar had long been friends with them.
When Kashtan and Osa came to the Mortar, wondering along the way why she was calling them, she addressed them with the following speech:
“I’m very grateful to you for coming so soon.” I dared to disturb you on the following matter. I enjoyed extraordinary favors from the father of the Crab present here. So,” and she told everything in detail, “he suffered an undeserved death from the Monkey, and I decided to help this gentleman, the young Crab, to avenge the death of his father, but our enemy is a famous daredevil, a dexterous Monkey, and it is not so simple and easy to kill him.
I would like to ask you to take part in avenging the death of the old Crab. That's why I disturbed you by asking you to come here.
Please help me kill this vile Monkey.
After listening to all this, Kashtan moved closer and said with conviction:
“From what I just heard, it follows that the cause of the quarrel was my comrade, the kaki fruit, and so I, also a fruit, consider myself obliged to become an accomplice to Mr. Crab in revenge. Please order, Mortar, whatever you find necessary.
The wasp also did not want to be left behind.
“And I,” she declared, “are very glad to have the opportunity to thrust my spear and take revenge on this vile Monkey, who caused me a lot of grief by desecrating my homes.”
Stupka was very pleased with the unanimity of her friends.
“It just gives me more strength that you agree so willingly.” Well, I have some kind of plan, I just don’t know if you will like it.
- What's the plan?
“In any plan, the most important thing is secrecy, so move closer to me.”
- We are listening to you. Mortar.
They say that if three people deliberate together, then Monju himself will not be able to come up with anything wiser. Mortar, Kashtan and Osa, leaning towards each other, began to develop some kind of secret plan, and, conducting their negotiations in a whisper, finally came to some kind of decision.
“Let’s be careful,” said one.
“We won’t sheathe the sword!” - another man exclaimed courageously.
On this they parted.
The mortar, who was especially friendly with the Crab’s father, went with him to his home and, having dressed the body of the deceased in the proper manner, reverently bowed to him.
Let us now turn to the Monkey. Having vilely killed the Crab and taken all the ripe fruits, she was pleased with how well it all ended, but, still realizing that she had done something bad, she expected terrible revenge from her relatives. The thought of this bothered her, and she sat at home for several days, not showing up anywhere and languishing in boredom.
But the Monkey should not have the impudence.
“No,” she decided, “nothing like that can happen. When I killed the Crab, there was no one else there, again I beat the Crab to death, and the dead do not speak; therefore, no one can even know that this is the work of my hands, and since no one knows this, then why should I be upset and afraid myself. Yes, of course, I don’t need to worry about that.”
Calming myself with such arguments. The Monkey chose a day and carefully made its way to the Crab’s home to find out how things were going. Everything turned out exactly as she had decided.
The young Crab does not even think of taking revenge on her. The relatives of the deceased came to the conclusion that the old man himself carelessly climbed the tree, wanting to pick some kaki, but since his shell was very heavy, his legs could not stand it; he fell head over heels from the tree and, falling on the many hard, unripe fruits lying around, fell to his death.
The reason, then, is the Crab’s own carelessness; he, as they say, has reaped what he sows, and, of course, there is no one to take revenge for this.
The Monkey calmed down and decided that if this was the case, then it would be nice for her to go to the young Crab and express her condolences for the misfortune that had befallen him.
Here it is, monkey wisdom: it sinks deep, but swims shallow.
While the monkey was pondering this state of affairs, a messenger from the Crab came to her. Wondering why he came. The monkey led him inside the dwelling and prepared to listen.
“The other day, our master, the old Crab, wanting to pick kaki fruits in the garden, climbed a tree, which, in fact, he should not have done.
The matter, of course, is unusual for him; Unable to resist, he fell head over heels and immediately gave up the ghost, crashing on the ground.
Today marks the seventh day since his death. You were friends with him, and the son of the deceased asks you to come to the wake, apologizing in advance for the modesty of the Lenten treat. In addition, he asks you to accept a kaki tree as a sign of memory q`ln, which he will no longer need.
Young Master Crab ordered me to ask you to come to us now, along with me. The messenger reported all this very politely.
After listening to him, the Monkey pretended to be amazed. - What do I hear?
Mr. Crab fell out of a tree and died? It can't be! I just can't believe my ears. Ay, ay, what a misfortune! I must tell the truth, there is a share of my sin here.
Since childhood, the Crab and I lived in perfect harmony. Eight years ago we were walking by the river one day, and Mr. Crab found a rice ball, and I
- kaki grain. We then swapped them. Just think that this ill-fated tree grew from that very seed. It’s a pity, it’s even more a pity that I myself, therefore, am a little involved in this... If I had known that this would happen, I would never have given him this grain, but he begged so much that I still agreed... And now... such a story happened... I just can’t find the words!..
Either she secretly licked the pepper, but tears flowed from her eyes uncontrollably, and she began to cry unfeignedly.
“And where does it come from only her? — the messenger was surprised. “Well, let’s see, soon we will make you cry with real tears.”
But he did not show any sign and told her even more respectfully:
- How this upset you, how you grieve! Our late Mr. Crab is probably rejoicing in the depths of his grave. And what answer do you order to report to my master?
- It goes without saying which one. I am very guilty that, not knowing about what happened, I have not yet come to express my condolences, but I want to correct this oversight and will immediately go to say goodbye to the deceased.
“How pleased the young master will be that you so willingly agreed to come.” Well, then I'll go a little ahead.
- I'll follow right away.
“We’ll be looking forward to it.”
- Now, I’ll be there now.
- Goodbye.
- Goodbye, very grateful.
When the messenger left. The monkey spoke to himself:
“Well, of course, that’s how it is, there’s no catch. This idiot Crab has bulging eyes for nothing; he doesn’t see anything with them; he is not good for anything worthwhile. Here it is now:
he is completely unaware of his enemy, who is already nearby. On the contrary, he persistently invites him to say goodbye to the deceased, begs him to accept the tree as a souvenir... The proverb says the truth: “A thief gets his reward.”
Fool, oh fool! But let’s not talk about it, it’s all in my favor. Let’s go, let’s go to their wake.”
The farther on, the more impudent and impudent the Monkey became. Dressed appropriately for the occasion, she went to the Crab's home. There she was respectfully greeted, bowing to the ground, by the Crab’s relatives, who sat decorously to the right and left near the stone fence. Seeing this, the Monkey, with an arrogant look, slowly walked between them into the hallway.
Here the servant of the Crab was waiting, who, seeing the guest, bowed respectfully in greeting, led her through the corridor into the inner rooms and invited her to sit in the place prepared for her.
The monkey sat down where it was indicated and began to rest.
After some time, her owner, a young Crab, came out to her.
- Welcome, Mrs. Monkey. I apologize for hosting you in such a wretched home,” he greeted her politely.
- Ahh! Son of the late Crab! Such misfortune has suddenly befallen you; I can imagine how hard it must be for you,” answered the Monkey, expressing his thoughts with importance.
Meanwhile, efforts began to receive the guest.
They brought in a small table with food; Sake was served.
The monkey, extremely pleased to see that he was being looked after in this way, completely forgot about caution and began to help himself, as they say, to his heart’s content.
After lunch, the guest was taken to the tea room, where he had to drink tea according to all the rules of the tea ceremony. After asking her to rest here, the young Crab left.
Quite a while has passed and he still hasn’t returned.
“I heard that the tea ceremony is very long, but I really can’t stand it for that long. Oh! It would be nice to drink tea as soon as possible, my throat is completely dry,” she thought.
The monkey, gradually sobering up, began to experience extreme thirst.
Having lost all patience and wanting to drink at least a cup of boiling water, she went up to the brazier, but just put her hand to the lid of the cauldron, when Chestnut, who had hidden there in advance, calculating that the right moment had come, fired at her so that it only thumped, and hit her in the neck.
This was a complete surprise for the Monkey, and, gasping, he fell down. But this is not such a creature that you can put it down in one go.
- Oh! W...w...burns! - she screamed and, clutching the wound, quickly ran out of the tea room.
Here, outside the house, the Wasp, hidden under the canopy, was waiting for her.
- Yeah! It's you that I need, Mountain Monkey! - And she, putting out the huge tip of her spear, immediately plunged it into the Monkey’s cheek.
One ambush after another; The Monkey was completely at a loss and, having decided that of all the thirty-six ways to fight at the present time, flight would be the best, for life is most precious, she covered her head with her paws and rushed headlong away.
But on the way, Mortar was already waiting for her, hiding in a stone fence. With a dull roar, it fell on the head of a running Monkey and crushed it to the ground. Under the weight of the Mortar, the Monkey could not even move; spread out, she only moaned pitifully.
Then the young Crab, who had already changed into battle armor, came running and, glistening in front of the Monkey’s face with his claws inherited from his father, he laughed coldly when he saw her in such a pitiful situation.
- What do you think, Mountain Monkey, what will happen now?
- Yes, of course, that’s what I’m talking about...
- Of course! There is nothing to say about this. Because you treated my father so mercilessly...
- No... He himself because...
- Ah! So you still insist on your own?! “Well, I’ll silence your lying tongue,” he said, and, opening his claws with a click, he immediately cut off the Monkey’s head.
So gloriously the Crab took revenge on the Monkey for his father.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru