The Battle of the Ape and the Crab

If a man thinks only of his own profit, and tries to benefit himself

at the expense of others, he will incur the hatred of Heaven. Men

should lay up in their hearts the story of the Battle of the Ape and

Crab, and teach it, as a profitable lesson, to their children.

Once upon a time there was a crab who lived in a marsh in a certain

part of the country. It fell out one day that, the crab having picked

up a rice cake, an ape, who had got a nasty hard persimmon-seed, came

up, and begged the crab to make an exchange with him. The crab, who

was a simple-minded creature, agreed to this proposal; and they each

went their way, the ape chuckling to himself at the good bargain which

he had made.

When the crab got home, he planted the persimmon-seed in his garden,

and, as time slipped by, it sprouted, and by degrees grew to be a big

tree. The crab watched the growth of his tree with great delight; but

when the fruit ripened, and he was going to pluck it, the ape came in,

and offered to gather it for him. The crab consenting, the ape climbed

up into the tree, and began eating all the ripe fruit himself, while

he only threw down the sour persimmons to the crab, inviting him, at

the same time, to eat heartily. The crab, however, was not pleased at

this arrangement, and thought that it was his turn to play a trick

upon the ape; so he called out to him to come down head foremost. The

ape did as he was bid; and as he crawled down, head foremost, the ripe

fruit all came tumbling out of his pockets, and the crab, having

picked up the persimmons, ran off and hid himself in a hole. The ape,

seeing this, lay in ambush, and as soon as the crab crept out of his

hiding-place gave him a sound drubbing, and went home. Just at this

time a friendly egg and a bee, who were the apprentices of a certain

rice-mortar, happened to pass that way, and, seeing the crab's piteous

condition, tied up his wounds, and, having escorted him home, began to

lay plans to be revenged upon the cruel ape.

Having agreed upon a scheme, they all went to the ape's house, in his

absence; and each one having undertaken to play a certain part, they

waited in secret for their enemy to come home. The ape, little

dreaming of the mischief that was brewing, returned home, and, having

a fancy to drink a cup of tea, began lighting the fire in the hearth,

when, all of a sudden, the egg, which was hidden in the ashes, burst

with. the heat, and bespattered the frightened ape's face, so that he

fled, howling with pain, and crying, "Oh! what an unlucky beast I am!"

Maddened with the heat of the burst egg, he tried to go to the back of

the house, when the bee darted out of a cupboard, and a piece of

seaweed, who had joined the party, coming up at the same time, the ape

was surrounded by enemies. In despair, he seized the clothes-rack, and

fought valiantly for awhile; but he was no match for so many, and was

obliged to run away, with the others in hot pursuit after him. Just as

he was making his escape by a back door, however, the piece of seaweed

tripped him up, and the rice-mortar, closing with him from behind,

made an end of him.

So the crab, having punished his enemy, went home in triumph, and

lived ever after on terms of brotherly love with the seaweed and the

mortar. Was there ever such a fine piece of fun!