The Monkey and the Turtle.

 Narrated by Bienvenido Gonzales of Pampanga. He heard the story from his younger brother, who heard it in turn from a farmer. It is common in Pampanga.

 

Once there lived two friends,—a monkey and a turtle. One day they saw a banana-plant floating on the water. The turtle swam out and brought it to land. Since it was but a single plant and they had to divide it, they cut it across the middle.

 

“I will have the part with the leaves on,” said the monkey, [368]thinking that the top was best. The turtle agreed and was very well pleased, but she managed to conceal¹ her joy. The monkey planted his part, the top of the tree; and the turtle planted hers, the roots. The monkey’s plant died; but that of the turtle grew, and in time bore much fine fruit.

 

One day, since the turtle could not get at the bananas, she asked the monkey to climb the tree and bring down the bananas. In return for this service she offered to give him half the fruit. The monkey clambered up the tree, but he ate all the fruit himself: he did not give the turtle any. The turtle became very angry, waiting in vain²; so she collected many sharp sticks, and stuck them in the trunk of the tree. Then she went away. When the monkey slid down to the ground, he injured³ himself very badly on the sharp sticks; so he set off to find the turtle and to revenge⁴ himself.

 

The monkey looked for a long time, but finally found the turtle under a pepper-plant. As the monkey was about to strike her, she said, “Keep quiet! I am guarding the king’s fruits.”

 

“Give me some!” said the monkey.

 

“Well, I will; here are some!” said the turtle. “But you must promise me not to chew⁵ them until I am far away; for the king might see you, and then he would punish me.” The monkey agreed. When the turtle was a long way off, he began to chew the peppers⁶. They were very hot, and burned his mouth badly. He was now extremely⁷ angry, and resolved⁸ that it would go hard with the turtle when he should catch her.

 

He searched all through the woods and fields for her. At last he found her near a large snake-hole. The monkey threatened to kill the turtle; but she said to him, “Friend monkey, do you want to wear the king’s belt?”

 

“Why, surely⁹! Where is it?” said the monkey.

 

The turtle replied, “It will come out very soon: watch for it!” As soon as the snake came out, the monkey caught it; but the snake rolled itself around his body, and squeezed¹⁰ him nearly to death. He finally managed to get free of the snake; but he was so badly hurt, that he swore he would kill the turtle as soon as he should find her.

 

The turtle hid herself under a cocoanut-shell. The monkey was by this time very tired, so he sat down on the cocoanut-shell to rest. As he sat there, he began to call loudly, “Turtle, where are you?”

 

[369]The turtle answered in a low voice, “Here I am!”

 

The monkey looked all around him, but he saw nobody. He thought that some part of his body was joking him. He called the turtle again, and again the turtle answered him.

 

The monkey now said to his abdomen¹¹, “If you answer again when I don’t call you, stomach, I’ll punish you.” Once more he called the turtle; and once more she said, “I am here!”

 

This was too much for the monkey. He seized a big stone, and began to hit his belly¹² with it. He injured himself so much, that he finally died.

 

1 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

2 vain   

adj.徒劳的，徒然的，无效的，空虚的，自负的

参考例句：

• It was in vain that we tried to find his mother.我们百般设法找他的母亲，但毫无结果。
• He's very vain of his abilities.他对于自己的能力很自负。

3 injured   

adj.受伤的

参考例句：

• Our best defender is injured and won't be able to play today.我们最佳的防守员受伤了，今天不能参加比赛。
• The injured men have been dug out of the snow.受伤人员从雪中被挖了出来。

4 revenge   

v.报...之仇，为...报仇 ；n.报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• She poisoned his mind with ideas of hate and revenge.她用复仇的思想来毒害他的心灵。
• There was anger in his eyes and revenge in his heart.他两眼闪现怒火，一心只想复仇。

5 chew   

vt.咀嚼，嚼碎；vi.咀嚼，细想；n.咀嚼，咀嚼物

参考例句：

• This candy is so hard that no one can chew it.这种糖太硬，没人嚼得动。
• You should chew over this thing.你应当好好思量这件事。

6 peppers   

n.胡椒粉( pepper的名词复数 )；辣椒

参考例句：

• She takes a few peppers in the hand. 她拿了一些辣椒在手里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Peppers sting the tongue. 胡椒蜇舌头。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 extremely   

adv.极其，非常，极度

参考例句：

• The film is extremely good,I just cannot miss it.这部电影太精彩了，我非看不可。
• The old man was extremely difficult to get along with.这个老人极难相与。

8 resolved   

adj.下定决心的，断然的；坚决的；已解决的v.做决定，分解(resolve的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• I was resolved not to see him. 我决意不见他。
• The union resolved to strike by 40 votes to 18. 工会以40票对18票通过决议举行罢工。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 surely   

adv.确实地，无疑地；必定地，一定地

参考例句：

• It'should surely be possible for them to reach an agreement.想必他们可以达成协议。
• Surely we'll profit from your work.我们肯定会从你的工作中得到益处。

10 squeezed   

squeeze（挤压）的过去式与过去分词

参考例句：

• freshly squeezed orange juice 鲜榨橙汁
• They squeezed too many people into the small room. 他们把太多的人塞进这间小房间里。

11 abdomen   

n.腹，下腹(胸部到腿部的部分)

参考例句：

• How to know to there is ascarid inside abdomen?怎样知道肚子里面有蛔虫？
• He was anxious about an off-and-on pain the abdomen.他因时隐时现的腹痛而焦虑。

12 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。