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The Monkey and the Boar
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This story from Japan shows us that we should respect the old – even an old monkey. It’s about a dancing monkey who has served his master faithfully all his life. Now he is too old to dance, his master wants to get rid of him. The monkey consults a wise old wild boar, who hatches a plan to remind the master of his monkey’s faithful service.
The plot of this story resembles Old Sultan by the Brothers Grimm from Germany – suggesting that there is something universal about a good plot.
Read by Natasha. Duration 7.13. Sponsored by AudibleKids
Long, long ago, there lived in the province of Shinshin in Japan, a traveling monkey-man, who earned his living by taking round a monkey
and showing off the animal’s tricks.
One evening the man came home in a very bad temper and told his wife to send for the butcher the next morning.
The wife was amazed and asked her husband:
“Why do you wish me to send for the butcher?”
“It’s no use taking that monkey round any longer, he’s too old and forgets his tricks. and now he won’t dance properly. I must now sell him to the butcher and make what money out of him I can. There is nothing else to be done.”
The woman felt very sorry for the poor little animal, and pleaded for her husband to spare the monkey, but her pleading was all in
vain, the man was determined to sell him to the butcher.
Now the monkey was in the next room and overheard ever word of the conversation. He soon understood that he was to be killed, and he
said to himself:
“I never knew my master was so cruel and heartless. I have served him faithfully for years, and instead of allowing me to end my days comfortably and in peace, he is going to let me be cut up by the butcher, and my poor body is to be roasted and stewed and eaten? Woe is me! What am I to do. Ah! a bright thought has struck me! There is, I know, a wild boar living in the forest near by. I have often heard tell of
his wisdom. Perhaps if I go to him and tell him abut the trouble I am in he will give me his advice.. I will go and try.”
There was no time to lose. The monkey slipped out of the house and ran as quickly as he could to the forest to find the boar. The boar
was at home, and the monkey began his tale of woe at once.
“Good Mr. Boar, I have heard of your excellent wisdom. I am in great trouble, you alone can help me. I have grown old in the service of
my master, and because I cannot dance properly now he intends to sell me to the butcher. What do you advise me to do? I know how clever you are!”
The boar was pleased at the flattery and determined to help the monkey. He thought for a little while and then said:
“Hasn’t your master a baby?”
“Oh, yes,” said the monkey, “he has one infant son.”
“Doesn’t he lie by the door in the morning when your mistress begins the work of the day? Well, I will come round early and when I see my
opportunity I will seize the child and run off with it.”
“What then?” said the monkey.
“Why the mother will be in a tremendous scare, and before your master and mistress know what to do, you must run after me and
rescue the child and take it home safely to its parents, and you will see that when the butcher comes they won’t have the heart to
sell you.”
The monkey thanked the boar many times and then went home. He did not sleep much that night, as you may imagine, for thinking of the
the following day when the butcher was due to come to the house. His life depended on whether the boar’s plan succeeded or not. He was the first up, waiting anxiously for what was to happen. It seemed to him a very long time before his master’s wife began to move about and open the shutters to let in the light of day. Then all happened as the boar had planned. The mother placed her child near the porch as usual while she tidied up the house and got her breakfast ready.
The child was crooning happily in the morning sunlight, dabbing on the mats at the play of light and shadow. Suddenly there was a noise
in the porch and a loud cry from the child. The mother ran out from the kitchen to the spot, only just in time to see the boar
disappearing through the gate with her child in its clutch. She flung out her hands with a loud cry of despair and rushed into the
inner room where her husband was still sleeping soundly.
He sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes, and crossly demanded what his wife was making all that noise about. By the time that the man was
awake and they both got outside the gate, the boar had got well away, but they saw the monkey running after the thief as hard as his legs would carry him.
Both the man and wife were amazed to see the monkey chasing the thief. And when he bought the baby back safely to them, they could not stop crying with joy and gratitude.
“There!” said the wife. “This is the animal you want to kill–if the monkey hadn’t been here we should have lost our child forever.”
“You are right, wife,” said the man as he carried the child into the house. “You may send the butcher back when he comes,
and now let us us all have a good breakfast and the monkey too.”
When the butcher arrived he was sent away with an order for some meat for the evening dinner, and the monkey was petted and
lived the rest of his days in peace.
This story is silly and yuck .
HI Bertie I have three things to tell you about this story that I like
(1)It is tricky
(2)it is short
(3)it is a WorldFairytale(Love WorldFairytales)
this is a great story
gg I like this story :D
this story is the worst one i have ever heard
More monky syories111!!!!!!!
This story is a fimiliar story.
Click my name to hear the old sultan.
Dear Call me smiley, I’m afraid that the princess has to kiss the frog, not the other way round. But thanks for the suggestion.
Dear bertie I have a question why dont you go in to the princesse room and kiss her !!!! That is one solution so you dont have to wait
do you know the coolest way to say cool ! Guess! It is coolio
it was a good story!! I liked it!
This story is so good bertie I like it so much that I could read it to night and bertie your friend Tim the tadpole will like this story .
no ghost story
What a true story!
I am a Monkey male. Recently I met a boar female and after a while she told me: What can I do to help you?
I go deep in many domains, she is wise and patient and calm. She stands still on her 2 feet, I dance and search and find at all levels of life but forget sometimes the basic of taking care of myself.
The story of the Monkey and the Boar, in their older age, coming to maturity and completing each other.
Your story if fantastic and speak to the Heart
lovely story
it was realy good i enjoyed the tale this is a very entertaintmant one i loved it for sure keep on doing this please
it;s good story
Great story! Like the wild boar. Hope to be like him someday
I LOVE YOUR STORY.I ALSO LISTEN THIS STORY.YOUR VOICE IS VERY NICE.
I LOVED THIS STORY! THE BOAR IS VERY SMART. :) :)
story is very interesting, and i loved the story. The English pronunciation is absolutely wonderful.
Good story :)
yeah!
i’m korean.but it is a good chance
thinks it is lovely story
Thanks I’ll look up the Cowherd and the Spinning Girl
Nice story, i like it.
Do you have any clue what your next story is? I really like The Cowherd and the Spinning Girl. It is a chinese story.
Thanks Cattien, that sounds interesting, and we’ll look at it
Can you have a chinese storynory called The Fish-Basket Goddess?It’s mainly about a bridge that saved people from drowning.:)
Hi Luca, we haven’t got another story from Japan planned just at the moment, but we’ll keep looking for some nice ones.
Dear Bertie,
I like the story of the monkey and the boar. By the way, when is the next story from Japan coming?
Rachma We’ll start looking for and Indonesian story, but if you have any suggestions, please let us know
I looove natasha’s voice, and good story too. When will you tell story from my country, indonesia?
Good story
it’s ROCKING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well read and well made story….You should introduce more stories from other cultures, religions and places…like India ,Australia etc.
Gooooooooooooooood stoooooooooooory :) :) :)
thanks. it is a good story also it is very nice with your voice…
very good story >>>>>>>>>>>
can you send type of story in my ID
please????????????
(dmatch_cool@yahoo.com)
it is quite small. but it is good
bertie when will the next gladys story be coming out?
im the 1st to comment!!!!!!
Thank you for your sharing.