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

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