In a remote wood there lived a monkey, and one day while he was eating
wood-apples, a sharp thorn from the tree ran into the tip of his tail,
he tried his best to get it out but could not. So he proceeded to
the nearest village, and calling the barber asked him to oblige him
by removing the thorn.
"Friend barber," said the monkey, "a thorn has run into my tail. Kindly
remove it and I will reward you."
The barber took up his razor and began to examine the tail; but as he
was cutting out the thorn he cut off the tip of the tail. The monkey
was greatly enraged and said:--
"Friend barber, give me back my tail. If you cannot do that, give me
your razor."
The barber was now in a difficulty, and as he could not replace the
tip of the tail he had to give up his razor to the monkey.
The monkey, went back to the wood with his razor thus trickishly
acquired. On the way he met an old woman, who was cutting fuel from
a dried-up tree.
"Grandmother, grandmother," said the monkey, "the tree is very
hard. You had better use this sharp razor, and you will cut your
fuel easily."
The poor woman was very pleased, and took the razor from the monkey. In
cutting the wood she, of course, blunted the razor, and the monkey
seeing his razor thus spoiled, said:--
"Grandmother, you have spoiled my razor. So you must either give me
your fuel or get me a better razor."
The woman was not able to procure another razor. So she gave the
monkey her fuel and returned to her house bearing no load that day.
The roguish monkey now put the bundle of dry fuel on his head and
proceeded to a village to sell it. There he met an old woman seated
by the roadside and making puddings. Said the monkey to her:--
"Grandmother, grandmother, you are making puddings and your fuel is
already exhausted. Use mine also and make more cakes."
The old lady thanked him for his kindness and used his fuel for her
puddings. The cunning monkey waited till the last stick of his fuel
was burnt up, and then he said to the old woman:--
"Grandmother, grandmother, return me my fuel or give me all your
puddings."
She was unable to return him the fuel, and so had to give him all
her puddings.
The monkey with the basket of puddings on his head walked and walked
till he met a Paraiya [77] coming with a tom-tom towards him.
"Brother Paraiya," said the monkey, "I have a basketful of puddings
to give you. Will you, in return, present me with your tom-tom?"
The Paraiya gladly agreed, as he was then very hungry, and had nothing
with him to eat.
The monkey now ascended with the tom-tom to the topmost branch of a
big tree and there beat his drum most triumphantly, saying in honour
of his several tricks:--
"I lost my tail and got a razor; dum dum." [78]
"I lost my razor and got a bundle of fuel; dum dum."
"I lost my fuel and got a basket of puddings; dum dum".
"I lost my puddings and got a tom-tom; dum dum."
Thus there are rogues in this innocent world, who live to glory over
their wicked tricks.