<h2><SPAN name="VIII" id="VIII"></SPAN>VIII</h2>
<h2>How the Monkey Became a<br/> Trickster</h2>
<div class="figleft"><ANTIMG src="images/image_o.jpg" alt="O" width-obs="50" height-obs="50" /></div>
<p>nce upon a time there was a beautiful garden in which grew all sorts
of fruits. Many beasts lived in the garden and they were permitted to
eat of the fruits whenever they wished. But they were asked to observe
one rule. They must make a low, polite bow to the fruit tree, call it
by its name, and say, "Please give me a taste of your fruit." They had
to be very careful to remember the tree's correct name and not to
forget to say "please." It was also very important that they should
remember<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_88" id="Page_88"></SPAN></span> not to be greedy. They must always leave plenty of fruit for
the other beasts who might pass that way, and plenty to adorn the tree
itself and to furnish seed so that other trees might grow. If they
wished to eat figs they had to say, "O, fig tree, O, fig tree, please
give me a taste of your fruit;" or, if they wished to eat oranges they
had to say, "O, orange tree, O, orange tree, please give me a taste of
your fruit."</p>
<p>In one corner of the garden grew the most splendid tree of all. It was
tall and beautiful and the rosy-cheeked fruit upon its wide spreading
branches looked wonderfully tempting. No beast had ever tasted of that
fruit, for no beast could ever remember its name.</p>
<p>In a tiny house near the edge of the garden dwelt a little old woman
who knew the<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_89" id="Page_89"></SPAN></span> names of all the fruit trees which grew in the garden.
The beasts often went to her and asked the name of the wonderful fruit
tree, but the tree was so far distant from the tiny house of the
little old woman that no beast could ever remember the long, hard name
by the time he reached the fruit tree.</p>
<p>At last the monkey thought of a trick. Perhaps you do not know it, but
the monkey can play the guitar. He always played when the beasts
gathered together in the garden to dance. The monkey went to the tiny
house of the little old woman, carrying his guitar under his arm. When
she told him the long hard name of the wonderful fruit tree he made up
a little tune to it, all his own, and sang it over and over again all
the way from the tiny house of<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_90" id="Page_90"></SPAN></span> the little old woman to the corner of
the garden where the wonderful fruit tree grew. When any of the other
beasts met him and asked him what new song he was singing to his
guitar, he said never a word. He marched straight on, playing his
little tune over and over again on his guitar and singing softly the
long hard name.</p>
<p>At last he reached the corner of the garden where the wonderful fruit
tree grew. He had never seen it look so beautiful. The rosy-cheeked
fruit glowed in the bright sunlight. The monkey could hardly wait to
make his bow, say the long hard name over twice and ask for the fruit
with a "please." What a beautiful colour and what a delicious odour
that fruit had! The monkey had never in all his life been so near to
anything which smelled so good.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_91" id="Page_91"></SPAN></span> He took a big bite. What a face he
made! That beautiful sweet smelling fruit was bitter and sour, and it
had a nasty taste. He threw it away from him as far as he could.</p>
<p>The monkey never forgot the tree's long hard name and the little tune
he had sung. Nor did he forget how the fruit tasted. He never took a
bite of it again; but, after that, his favourite trick was to treat
the other beasts to the wonderful fruit just to see them make faces
when they tasted it.</p>
<hr style="width: 65%;" />
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_95" id="Page_95"></SPAN></span></p>
<div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/image_009.jpg" width-obs="550" height-obs="336" alt="HOW THE MONKEY AND THE GOAT EARNED THEIR REPUTATION" /></div>
<div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />