25-the monkey and jelly-fish-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






THE　MONKEY　AND　THE　JELLY…FISH

Children　must　often　have　wondered　why　jelly…fishes　have　no
shells；　like　so　many　of　the　creatures　that　are　washed　up　every
day　on　the　beach。　　In　old　times　this　was　not　so；　the　jelly…fish
had　as　hard　a　shell　as　any　of　them；　but　he　lost　it　through　his
own　fault；　as　may　be　seen　in　this　story。

The　sea…queen　Otohime；　whom　you　read　of　in　the　story　of
Uraschimatoro；　grew　suddenly　very　ill。　　The　swiftest　messengers
were　sent　hurrying　to　fetch　the　best　doctors　from　every　country
under　the　sea；　but　it　was　all　of　no　use；　the　queen　grew　rapidly
worse　instead　of　better。　　Everyone　had　almost　given　up　hope；　when
one　day　a　doctor　arrived　who　was　cleverer　than　the　rest；　and　said
that　the　only　thing　that　would　cure　her　was　the　liver　of　an　ape。　
Now　apes　do　not　dwell　under　the　sea；　so　a　council　of　the　wisest
heads　in　the　nation　was　called　to　consider　the　question　how　a
liver　could　be　obtained。　　At　length　it　was　decided　that　the
turtle；　whose　prudence　was　well　known；　should　swim　to　land　and
contrive　to　catch　a　living　ape　and　bring　him　safely　to　the　ocean
kingdom。

It　was　easy　enough　for　the　council　to　entrust　this　mission　to　the
turtle；　but　not　at　all　so　easy　for　him　to　fulfil　it。　　However　he
swam　to　a　part　of　the　coast　that　was　covered　with　tall　trees；
where　he　thought　the　apes　were　likely　to　be；　for　he　was　old；　and
had　seen　many　things。　　It　was　some　time　before　he　caught　sight　of
any　monkeys；　and　he　often　grew　tired　with　watching　for　them；　so
that　one　hot　day　he　fell　fast　asleep；　in　spite　of　all　his　efforts
to　keep　awake。　　By…and…by　some　apes；　who　had　been　peeping　at　him
from　the　tops　of　the　trees；　where　they　had　been　carefully　hidden
from　the　turtle's　eyes；　stole　noiselessly　down；　and　stood　round
staring　at　him；　for　they　had　never　seen　a　turtle　before；　and　did
not　know　what　to　make　of　it。　　At　last　one　young　monkey；　bolder
than　the　rest；　stooped　down　and　stroked　the　shining　shell　that
the　strange　new　creature　wore　on　its　back。　　The　movement；　gentle
though　it　was；　woke　the　turtle。　　With　one　sweep　he　seized　the
monkey's　hand　in　his　mouth；　and　held　it　tight；　in　spite　of　every
effort　to　pull　it　away。　　The　other　apes；　seeing　that　the　turtle
was　not　to　be　trifled　with；　ran　off；　leaving　their　young　brother
to　his　fate。

Then　the　turtle　said　to　the　monkey；　'If　you　will　be　quiet；　and　do
what　I　tell　you；　I　won't　hurt　you。　　But　you　must　get　on　my　back
and　come　with　me。'

The　monkey；　seeing　there　was　no　help　for　it；　did　as　he　was　bid；
indeed　he　could　not　have　resisted；　as　his　hand　was　still　in　the
turtle's　mouth。

Delighted　at　having　secured　his　prize；　the　turtle　hastened　back
to　the　shore　and　plunged　quickly　into　the　water。　　He　swam　faster
than　he　had　ever　done　before；　and　soon　reached　the　royal　palace。　
Shouts　of　joy　broke　forth　from　the　attendants　when　he　was　seen
approaching；　and　some　of　them　ran　to　tell　the　queen　that　the
monkey　was　there；　and　that　before　long　she　would　be　as　well　as
ever　she　was。　　In　fact；　so　great　was　their　relief　that　they　gave
the　monkey　such　a　kind　welcome；　and　were　so　anxious　to　make　him
happy　and　comfortable；　that　he　soon　forgot　all　the　fears　that　had
beset　him　as　to　his　fate；　and　was　generally　quite　at　his　ease；
though　every　now　and　then　a　fit　of　home…sickness　would　come　over
him；　and　he　would　hide　himself　in　some　dark　corner　till　it　had
passed　away。

It　was　during　one　of　these　attacks　of　sadness　that　a　jelly…fish
happened　to　swim　by。　　At　that　time　jelly…fishes　had　shells。　　At
the　sight　of　the　gay　and　lively　monkey　crouching　under　a　tall
rock；　with　his　eyes　closed　and　his　head　bent；　the　jelly…fish　was
filled　with　pity；　and　stopped；　saying；　'Ah；　poor　fellow；　no
wonder　you　weep；　a　few　days　more；　and　they　will　come　and　kill　you
and　give　your　liver　to　the　queen　to　eat。'

The　monkey　shrank　back　horrified　at　these　words　and　asked　the
jelly…fish　what　crime　he　had　committed　that　deserved　death。

'Oh；　none　at　all；'　replied　the　jelly…fish；　'but　your　liver　is　the
only　thing　that　will　cure　our　queen；　and　how　can　we　get　at　it
without　killing　you？　　　You　had　better　submit　to　your　fate；　and
make　no　noise　about　it；　for　though　I　pity　you　from　my　heart　there
is　no　way　of　helping　you。'　　Then　he　went　away；　leaving　the　ape
cold　with　horror。

At　first　he　felt　as　if　his　liver　was　already　being　taken　from　his
body；　but　soon　he　began　to　wonder　if　there　was　no　means　of
escaping　this　terrible　death；　and　at　length　he　invented　a　plan
which　he　thought　would　do。　　For　a　few　days　he　pretended　to　be　gay
and　happy　as　before；　but　when　the　sun　went　in；　and　rain　fell　in
torrents；　he　wept　and　howled　from　dawn　to　dark；　till　the　turtle；
who　was　his　head　keeper；　heard　him；　and　came　to　see　what　was　the
matter。　　Then　the　monkey　told　him　that　before　he　left　home　he　had
hung　his　liver　out　on　a　bush　to　dry；　and　if　it　was　always　going
to　rain　like　this　it　would　become　quite　useless。　　And　the　rogue
made　such　a　fuss　and　moaning　that　he　would　have　melted　a　heart　of
stone；　and　nothing　would　content　him　but　that　somebody　should
carry　him　back　to　land　and　let　him　fetch　his　liver　again。

The　queen's　councillors　were　not　the　wisest　of　people；　and　they
decided　between　them　that　the　turtle　should　take　the　monkey　back
to　his　native　land　and　allow　him　to　get　his　liver　off　the　bush；
but　desired　the　turtle　not　to　lose　sight　of　his　charge　for　a
single　moment。　　The　monkey　knew　this；　but　trusted　to　his　power　of
beguiling　the　turtle　when　the　time　came；　and　mounted　on　his　back
with　feelings　of　joy；　which　he　was；　however；　careful　to　conceal。　
They　set　out；　and　in　a　few　hours　were　wandering　about　the　forest
where　the　ape　had　first　been　caught；　and　when　the　monkey　saw　his
family　peering　out　from　the　tree　tops；　he　swung　himself　up　by　the
nearest　branch；　just　managing　to　save　his　hind　leg　from　being
seized　by　the　turtle。　　He　told　them　all　the　dreadful　things　that
had　happened　to　him；　and　gave　a　war　cry　which　brought　the　rest　of
the　tribe　from　the　neighbouring　hills。　　At　a　word　from　him　they
rushed　in　a　body　to　the　unfortunate　turtle；　threw　him　on　his
back；　and　tore　off　the　shield　that　covered　his　body。　　Then　with
mocking　words　they　hunted　him　to　the　shore；　and　into　the　sea；
which　he　was　only　too　thankful　to　reach　alive。　　Faint　and
exhausted　he　entered　the　queen's　palace　for　the　cold　of　the　water
struck　upon　his　naked　body；　and　made　him　feel　ill　and　miserable。　
But　wretched　though　he　was；　he　had　to　appear　before　the　queen's
advisers　and　tell　them　all　that　had　befallen　him；　and　how　he　had
suffered　the　monkey　to　escape。　　But；　as　sometimes　happens；　the
turtle　was　allowed　to　go　scot…free；　and　had　his　shell　given　back
to　him；　and　all　the　punishment　fell　on　the　poor　jelly…fish；　who
was　condemned　by　the　queen　to　go　shieldless　for　ever　after。

＇Japanische　Marchen。＇