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.

Proofread by Claire Deakin.
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 around 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 around 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 had 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 nearby. 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 have to 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, and 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 was 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 around early and when I see my opportunity I will seize the child and run off with it.”

“What then?” Asked 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 gotten 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.

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.