The Monkey and the Crab

In a peaceful valley in Japan, near a clear stream that flowed down from the mountains, there lived a kind and hardworking crab who was beloved by all the creatures in the area. This crab was known for her gentle nature, her willingness to help others, and her skill at finding the most delicious persimmons that grew on the trees near the water.

The crab had worked very hard to plant and tend a small persimmon tree near her burrow by the stream. Every day, she would carefully water the tree, remove weeds from around its base, and protect it from insects and other threats. Her dream was to one day enjoy the sweet, ripe persimmons that would grow on its branches.

After many months of patient care, the persimmon tree finally began to bear fruit. However, the persimmons that grew on the lower branches were still small and green, while the large, ripe, orange persimmons hung temptingly from the higher branches that the crab could not reach with her small claws.

One day, as the crab was admiring her tree and wishing she could somehow reach the ripe fruit, a clever but greedy monkey came swinging through the forest. The monkey noticed the crab’s dilemma and saw an opportunity to take advantage of her predicament.

“Hello, little crab,” the monkey said with a friendly smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I see you have a wonderful persimmon tree here, but it looks like you’re having trouble reaching the best fruit.”

“Yes,” the crab replied sadly. “I’ve worked so hard to grow this tree, and now that it finally has ripe persimmons, I can’t reach them. They’re all too high up for me to climb.”

The monkey’s smile grew wider as he devised a plan to trick the honest crab. “I have an idea,” he said. “Why don’t we make a trade? I can easily climb your tree and pick the ripe persimmons from the top branches. In exchange, you can give me one of those rice balls I see you carrying. It seems like a fair trade – my climbing ability for your food.”

The crab was so eager to finally taste the persimmons she had worked so hard to grow that she agreed to this arrangement without thinking carefully about whether it was truly fair. She gave the monkey one of her precious rice balls, and in return, the monkey climbed nimbly up the persimmon tree.

However, instead of picking the ripe persimmons and sharing them with the crab as she had expected, the greedy monkey began eating all the best fruit himself. He sat on the high branches, enjoying the sweet, juicy persimmons while the crab watched helplessly from below.

“Hey!” the crab called up to the monkey. “What are you doing? You were supposed to pick the persimmons for me to eat!”

The monkey just laughed and continued munching on the delicious fruit. “These persimmons are so good,” he said mockingly. “Thank you for growing such a wonderful tree and for giving me a delicious rice ball as well!”

When the crab protested that this wasn’t what they had agreed upon, the monkey became even more cruel. He began throwing the hard, unripe persimmons from the lower branches down at the poor crab, hitting her shell and causing her great pain.

“There are your persimmons!” the monkey called down maliciously. “I never said I would give you the good ones!”

One of the hard persimmons struck the crab so forcefully that it cracked her shell and injured her badly. The cruel monkey just laughed at her pain and continued eating the ripe fruit, leaving the wounded crab lying helplessly beside her own tree.

Fortunately, the crab had many friends among the other creatures who lived near the stream, and they quickly came to her aid when they heard about what the monkey had done. A mortar, a chestnut, a bee, and a piece of cow dung all gathered around their injured friend, horrified by the monkey’s cruelty and greed.

“This is terrible!” exclaimed the mortar, who was known for being solid and dependable. “The monkey has stolen the fruit of your labor and injured you besides. We cannot let such injustice go unpunished.”

“You’re right,” agreed the chestnut, who was small but very determined. “The monkey thinks he can take advantage of anyone smaller or weaker than himself. He needs to learn that there are consequences for treating others so badly.”

The bee buzzed angrily as she flew in circles around the group. “I’ve seen that monkey’s behavior before,” she said. “He’s always bullying smaller creatures and taking things that don’t belong to him. It’s time someone taught him a lesson he won’t forget.”

Even the cow dung, who was usually quiet and humble, spoke up with indignation. “The crab is one of the kindest creatures in this entire valley,” he said. “She’s always helping others and never asks for anything in return. The monkey’s treatment of her is absolutely unforgivable.”

After much discussion, the four friends decided to work together to teach the monkey a lesson about justice and proper behavior. They carefully planned their strategy, with each friend contributing their unique abilities to ensure that their plan would be effective.

The mortar would hide in the rafters of the monkey’s house, ready to fall on him at the right moment. The chestnut would hide in the fire pit, where he would pop and startle the monkey. The bee would conceal herself in the water bucket, ready to sting when the monkey tried to cool himself off. And the cow dung would make the floor slippery right at the entrance to the house.

The next day, when the monkey returned to his home after another day of bullying and stealing from other creatures, the trap was set. As soon as he walked through his front door, he slipped on the cow dung that had been spread across the floor and fell down hard.

As the monkey tried to get up, confused and angry about his fall, the chestnut in the fire pit began to pop loudly, startling him and making him think his house was being attacked by intruders.

When the frightened monkey ran to the water bucket to splash water on his face and cool down, the bee that was hiding inside stung him on the nose, causing him to yelp with pain and surprise.

Finally, as the monkey stumbled around his house trying to escape from all these unexpected attacks, the heavy mortar fell from the rafters and landed squarely on top of him, pinning him to the floor and ensuring that he couldn’t run away.

“Please!” the monkey cried out as he found himself trapped and surrounded by the crab’s friends. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean any harm! Please let me go!”

“You didn’t mean any harm?” asked the mortar sternly. “You stole the crab’s persimmons, ate them all yourself, and then injured her by throwing hard fruit at her. How can you say you didn’t mean any harm?”

“And this isn’t the first time you’ve behaved this way,” added the bee, still buzzing angrily. “You’ve been bullying and cheating other creatures for years. It’s time you learned how it feels to be treated unfairly.”

The chestnut popped again for emphasis. “The crab worked hard for months to grow that persimmon tree,” he said. “She watered it, weeded around it, and protected it from harm. All she wanted was to enjoy the fruit of her labor, but you stole it from her and hurt her besides.”

The cow dung, speaking from his position near the door, added his voice to the chorus of criticism. “The crab is one of the most generous and helpful creatures in this valley. She’s always sharing what she has with others and offering help to anyone who needs it. Your treatment of her shows that you have no sense of fairness or decency.”

Trapped beneath the heavy mortar and surrounded by angry voices, the monkey finally began to understand the seriousness of his actions. For the first time in his life, he was experiencing the fear and helplessness that he had made so many other creatures feel.

“I… I realize now that what I did was wrong,” the monkey said, and for once he sounded sincere rather than cunning. “I was selfish and greedy, and I hurt someone who didn’t deserve it. Is there any way I can make up for what I’ve done?”

The four friends looked at each other, considering whether the monkey’s repentance was genuine or just another trick to escape punishment.

“If you’re truly sorry,” the mortar said finally, “then you need to do more than just apologize. You need to make things right with the crab and change your behavior toward all the other creatures you’ve mistreated.”

“Yes,” agreed the bee. “You need to bring the crab a whole basket of the finest persimmons you can find, and you need to help her tend her tree until she’s fully recovered from her injuries.”

The chestnut added, “And you need to apologize to all the other creatures you’ve cheated or bullied over the years. You need to return what you’ve stolen and make amends for the harm you’ve caused.”

“Finally,” said the cow dung, “you need to promise that you’ll never again take advantage of anyone who is smaller or weaker than you are. Instead of being a bully, you should use your strength and cleverness to help others, just as we’re all doing now.”

The monkey, still pinned beneath the mortar and thoroughly humbled by his experience, agreed to all of these conditions. “I promise,” he said solemnly. “I’ll do everything you’ve asked, and I’ll try to become the kind of creature who helps others instead of hurting them.”

True to his word, the monkey spent the following weeks making amends for his past behavior. He brought the crab the finest persimmons he could find and helped her care for her tree while she recovered from her injuries. He sought out all the creatures he had wronged over the years and returned stolen goods, offered sincere apologies, and tried to make up for the harm he had caused.

Most importantly, the monkey completely changed his approach to dealing with other creatures. Instead of looking for opportunities to trick or bully them, he began offering his climbing skills and physical strength to help them with tasks they couldn’t accomplish on their own.

The crab, who had always been kind-hearted, forgave the monkey for his past cruelty and even became his friend once she saw that his transformation was genuine. She taught him about the satisfaction that comes from growing things and caring for them, while he helped her reach high places and carry heavy objects.

The four friends who had worked together to teach the monkey his lesson were pleased to see how well their plan had worked. They had not only delivered justice for their injured friend but had also helped transform a bully into a helpful member of their community.

The story of the monkey and the crab became a favorite tale among all the creatures who lived near the stream, serving as a reminder that bullying and greed eventually lead to consequences, while kindness and cooperation create lasting friendships and happiness.

Children who heard this story learned important lessons about the difference between right and wrong, the value of working together to stand up against injustice, and the possibility of redemption for those who are willing to acknowledge their mistakes and work to change their behavior.

The tale also taught that true friendship involves standing up for each other when someone is being treated unfairly, and that even the smallest creatures can make a difference when they work together toward a common goal.

Most importantly, the story showed that while people might make mistakes and hurt others, there is always an opportunity for forgiveness and new beginnings for those who are genuinely sorry and willing to make amends for their actions.

To this day, the persimmon tree that the crab planted continues to bear sweet fruit, and it serves as a symbol of the rewards that come from patience, hard work, and the support of true friends who believe in justice and kindness.