The clever monkey (for your kids)

[CHUNG Yoon-Ngan <chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au>]

   The clever monkey (for your kids) 

   There lived in the East Sea a Dragon with his wife Mrs Dragon 
who was not in good health. Seeing his wife's health was 
deteriorating the Dragon said to his wife,
                  
"Honey, you look pale and anemic and you should eat
 something which is good for your health. What do you
 want to eat and I'll get it for you?"

Mrs Dragon replied, 
                   
"The thing that I want to eat you will never obtain it.
 Why bother?"

The husband insisted that she should tell him the 
food that she desired.

Mrs Dragon said, 
                    
"Well, if you insist. 
I want to eat the monkey's heart."

The Dragon exclaimed, 
                     
"My dear! Monkeys live in the mountain forests.
 How am I going to get one of their hearts?"

Mrs Dragon said,
                     
"Well, in that case don't bother. 
Anyway, I am going to die soon."

Soon after, the Dragon went ashore. 
There was a forest not far from the
seashore and there were many nut trees there. 
He saw a monkey on a tree top eating nuts. 
The dragon said to the monkey,
                              
"Hello, you up there Mr monkey. 
Aren't you afraid of falling down?"

The monkey replied, 

"Hi, Mr Dragon. I have no fear."

The Dragon said,
                              
"Why are you eating only the same kind of nuts? 
There are many different kinds of nuts 
and flowers across the sea where I live.
Why don't you follow me home?"

The monkey told the Dragon that he did not know how to 
get there. Knowing that the monkey was willing to come 
with him the Dragon told him that it could sit on his 
back while crossing the sea. So the monkey climbed down 
from the tree and followed the Dragon home.

While crossing the sea with the monkey riding on his back, 
suddenly the Dragon made a dive. With the salt water getting
into his mouth and eyes the monkey screamed out,
             
"Where are you going?"

The Dragon told him that his wife was sick and wanted 
to eat the heart of a monkey.

The monkey said,
              
"Oh! my dear friend why didn't you tell me earlier? 
I left my heart on the tree top. 
Take me back and I'll get my heart for Mrs Dargon."
             
Since the monkey did not have his heart with him the Dragon 
thought that he had no choice but to take the monkey back 
to the forest. So the Dragon took the monkey back to the same 
tree. Quickly the monkey climbed up the tree and refused to 
come down. The Dragon called out,
                       
"Hurry, my dear little friend. I am waiting." 

The monkey replied,
                      
"What a fool you are, Mr dragon."

"Hou2 Zi3 Pian4 Long2".

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan.    chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au