The Crab's Revenge

Long, long ago, a crab and a monkey lived as neighbors. One fine day, they decided to go for a walk. As they walked along a mountain path, they came across a persimmon seed lying on the ground. The monkey picked it up, and they continued on their way. When they reached a river, the crab found a rice ball. He picked it up and showed it to the monkey:

"Look what I found!" said the crab.

"And I found this seed!" replied the monkey.

But secretly, the monkey thought enviously, "Oh, if only I could have that rice ball!" She began to persuade the crab:

"Let's swap: you give me the rice ball, and I'll give you the persimmon seed."

"Eh, no. My rice ball is so big..."

"But you can plant the seed, it will grow into a tree, and think of all the persimmons you'll harvest!"

The crab thought it over and agreed:

"Well, perhaps you're right!" And so, the crab exchanged his big rice ball for the tiny persimmon seed.

The monkey grabbed the rice ball and immediately began to feast on it right in front of the crab. When she finished, she said:

"Goodbye, crab! Thanks for the treat!"

And, chuckling, she ran off. The crab hurried to his garden and planted the seed there.

As he planted it, he muttered:

"Grow quickly, little persimmon seed, or I'll crush you with my claw." Soon, sprouts appeared, and then leaf by leaf, branch by branch, the tree began to grow taller every day. This delighted the crab; he felt immense joy at the thought that soon the tree would be big and full of fruit.

As the saying goes, it takes three years for chestnuts and peaches, but eight years for persimmons.

Exactly eight years later, in the autumn, that tiny seed, no bigger than the tip of a finger, had grown into such a large tree that one had to crane their neck to see the top. And just as the monkey had said, it was covered with red, delicious fruits, hanging like lanterns.

The crab was thrilled. He was eager to taste the persimmons, but no matter how hard he tried to reach them from below, he couldn't grasp them with his claws, as he was too short.

Climbing the tree was also out of the question, since crabs can only move sideways. What was he to do?

"No," he lamented, "it seems I can't manage this alone. I'll have to go to my friend the monkey and ask her to pick the fruits for me. Yes, that's the best solution." In an instant, the crab was at the monkey's home.

"Are you home, Miss Monkey?"

"Ah, Mr. Crab! How nice to see you. It's been a long time."

"Indeed, it has. In that time, the seed I once traded with you for a rice ball has grown into a huge tree."

"See, I told you so. And how are the fruits? Are there many?"

"Plenty... But here's the thing. As you know, I have many legs, but I still couldn't climb the tree and reach the fruits I grew with such care. Isn't that frustrating? I'm ashamed to trouble you, Miss Monkey, but what can I do? Please, go and pick them for me. As a reward for your effort, I'll give you one or two, of course."

"Oh, it's nothing, old friend Crab. What reward! We're friends, after all. I'll go and pick them for you right away."

With that easy agreement, the monkey set off with the crab.

They arrived at the crab's home. The monkey looked at the tree... And indeed! The tree had grown very large, and it was covered with ripe, red fruits.

"It's beautiful, no doubt; and the fruits must be delicious."

"Well, we'll talk about that later. For now, climb the tree quickly, pick the fruits, and hand them down to me."

"I'll do that right away."

The monkey swiftly climbed the tree. She plucked a fruit and immediately started eating it.

"Mmm, so tasty, it couldn't be better." The crab grew restless under the tree.

"Hey! Are you feasting up there? That's not fair!"

"I'm just testing to see if they're poisonous," she said, plucking another fruit and chewing it.

"You're eating again! Don't you dare feast up there alone, throw some down here!"
- Alright, I’ll throw one now. - And she threw one fruit. The Crab deftly caught the fruit and prepared to almost swallow it whole, but... Oh, horror! A sharp bitterness gripped his tongue and throat.

- This one is completely bitter, please pick some ripe ones for me.

- Well, how about this one?

The Crab chewed and chewed, then spat it out: again, it was green.

- Why are you being so picky? Here, take this, and this!

The monkey began throwing completely green, rock-hard fruits with all her might, aiming for the Crab’s head.

- Ouch, that hurts! - the Crab finally couldn’t take it anymore, falling backward.

The monkey hurled another one.

- It hurts, it hurts!.. What are you doing?

- Why should I waste my breath on you? All these fruits are mine, and you can just drop dead, perish completely.

And the bandit Monkey, like a hailstorm, began pelting the Crab with unripe fruits, smashing his shell to pieces without a shred of remorse.

Finally noticing that he wasn’t breathing at all, she picked all the ripe fruits, gathered them in her arms, and without looking back, dashed home.

The Crab had a son; that day, he had gone for a walk with his friend to a distant lake.

But when he returned from his walk—what horror greeted his eyes at home! In the garden, under the tree, lay his father, the Crab, lifeless. His shell and claws were shattered to pieces. He no longer saw, he no longer heard, he was now a Crab of another world.

Seeing this, the Crab’s son nearly lost his mind. He wept bitterly and inconsolably, clutching his father’s lifeless body... Alas! No tears could bring him back to life. Only one thing remained—to avenge his father’s death by killing the enemy. But who was it? Where was he? How to find even a trace? The young Crab looked around with a heavy heart.

Then he noticed that not a trace remained of the beautiful ripe fruits that had hung on the tree just yesterday. All around lay only green, unripe fruits, which had likely been used to smash his father’s shell. The young Crab slapped his knee.

“Now I understand. It must have been the Monkey. I’ve heard from my father that long ago, when he was walking by the river with the Monkey, he traded her a rice ball for a persimmon seed, which he planted right here.

So now that vile Monkey wanted to take advantage of my father’s labor, and that’s why she killed him so brutally. That’s how it is; she took all the ripe fruits and left only the green ones. Well, if you wanted to taste the treat, what’s the big deal? You could have told my father, and he would have shared, but to kill him so treacherously and run away!

Just you wait, you vile little Monkey, soon you’ll learn how a Crab takes revenge.” He grew so angry that he began to snort, foaming at the mouth, and his eyes filled with blood; then he fell into thought again.

“Still, the Monkey is a creature wise in the ways of the world; she managed to cleverly get rid of even my father, so how can I, with my inexperience, deal with her?”

He pondered for a long time and eventually became completely disheartened, seeing no way out of this situation, but suddenly his mind seemed to clear.

His father had always been great friends with the Stone Mortar.

This Mortar had once been a simple stone in the stone fence where the old Crab lived, but then it was noticed by people and made a brilliant career, achieving the high title of Mortar. By nature, it was unwavering in its principles and of such character that it would never back down once it made a promise.

If he told it everything and asked for help in avenging his father, it surely wouldn’t refuse. Without wasting a moment, the young Crab went straight to the Mortar. Being received by it, he tearfully recounted all the circumstances of his father’s terrible, undeserved death.

Listening to him, the Mortar was deeply moved and comforted the young Crab in every way.

- What a villainous act! - it exclaimed. - I can imagine how grieved you must be; but don’t worry, I will avenge your father, I will kill the enemy.

Still, the enemy is the Monkey, and it’s not so easy to deal with her. - Then it sent its servant to summon Roasted Chestnut, a master marksman, and the Great Wasp, a fencing instructor. The Mortar had long been friends with them.

When the Chestnut and the Wasp arrived at the Mortar, wondering along the way why it had called them, it addressed them with these words:

- I am very grateful to you for coming so quickly. I dared to trouble you with the following matter. I had the great honor of being favored by the father of the Crab here present. So, - and it recounted everything in detail, - he met an undeserved death at the hands of the Monkey, and I decided to help this gentleman, the young Crab, avenge his father’s death, but our opponent is a notorious daredevil, the cunning Monkey, and it’s not so simple or easy to kill her.

I would like to ask you to join in avenging the old Crab’s death. That is why I troubled you, asking you to come here.

Please help us kill this vile Monkey.

Having heard all this, the Chestnut moved closer and said with conviction:

- From what I’ve just heard, it seems that the cause of the quarrel was my comrade, the persimmon fruit, and so I, also a fruit, feel obliged to assist the Crab in his revenge. Please, Mortar, command what you find necessary.

The Wasp also didn’t want to be left out.

- And I, - she declared, - am very glad for the chance to thrust my spear and take revenge on this vile Monkey, who has caused me much grief by defiling my homes.
Stupka was very pleased by the unanimous support of her friends.

"It gives me strength to see how willingly you agree. Well, I have a plan, though I don’t know if you’ll like it."

"What kind of plan?"

"The most important thing in any plan is secrecy. Come closer to me."

"We’re listening, Stupka."

They say that when three people consult together, even Monju himself couldn’t come up with anything wiser. Stupka, Kashtan, and Osa, leaning close to one another, began to devise a secret plan. Whispering their negotiations, they finally reached a decision.

"We must be vigilant," said one.

"We will not sheathe our swords!" the other exclaimed courageously.

With that, they parted ways.

Stupka, who was particularly close to Crab’s father, went with him to his home and, after properly preparing the deceased’s body, bowed reverently before it.

Now let us turn to the Monkey. After treacherously killing Crab and taking all the ripe fruit, she was pleased with how smoothly everything had gone. Yet, aware that she had done wrong, she expected terrible revenge from Crab’s relatives. This thought troubled her, and for several days she stayed at home, not showing herself anywhere, tormented by boredom.

But the Monkey was not one to lack audacity.

"No," she decided, "nothing like that can happen. When I killed Crab, there were no outsiders present. Besides, I beat Crab to death, and the dead don’t speak. Therefore, no one can know that it was my doing. And if no one knows, why should I upset myself and be afraid? Yes, of course, there’s no need for me to worry about this."

Reassured by such reasoning, the Monkey chose a day and cautiously made her way to Crab’s dwelling to see how things stood. Everything turned out exactly as she had decided.

The young Crab wasn’t thinking of revenge at all. The deceased’s relatives had concluded that the old man had carelessly climbed the tree to pick persimmons, but since his shell was very heavy, his legs couldn’t hold him. He tumbled down from the tree, fell onto the numerous hard, unripe fruits scattered below, and died on impact.

The cause, therefore, was Crab’s own carelessness. As the saying goes, he reaped what he sowed, and there was no one to take revenge for it.

The Monkey calmed down and decided that if this was the case, it wouldn’t hurt for her to visit the young Crab and express her condolences for his misfortune.

Such is the wisdom of monkeys: they sink deep but swim shallow.

While the Monkey was pondering the situation, a messenger from Crab arrived. Wondering why he had come, the Monkey invited him inside and prepared to listen.

"The other day, our master, the old Crab, wishing to pick kaki fruits in the garden, climbed a tree—something he really shouldn’t have done. Of course, it was an unusual task for him. Losing his grip, he tumbled down and immediately breathed his last, breaking upon the ground.

Today marks exactly seven days since his passing. You were close to him, and the deceased’s son asks you to attend the memorial service, apologizing in advance for the modest vegetarian offerings. Additionally, he asks you to accept, as a keepsake, the persimmon tree, which he no longer needs.

The young master Crab has instructed me to ask you to come with me immediately."

The messenger delivered all this very politely.

Upon hearing him, the Monkey pretended to be shocked. "What am I hearing? Master Crab fell from a tree and died? It can’t be! I can’t believe my ears. Oh, what a tragedy! I must admit, there’s a part of my guilt in this.

Since childhood, Crab and I were soulmates. Eight years ago, we were strolling by the river, and Master Crab found a rice ball, while I found a kaki seed. We exchanged them then. To think that this unfortunate tree grew from that very seed! It’s a pity, all the more so because I’m somewhat involved in this... If I had known it would turn out like this, I would never have given him that seed, but he begged so earnestly that I agreed... And now... such a thing has happened... I’m at a loss for words!"

Whether she had secretly licked pepper or not, tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes, and she wept sincerely.

"Where does she get it all from?" the messenger wondered. "Well, we’ll see. Soon we’ll make you cry real tears."

But he gave no sign of his thoughts and spoke even more respectfully: "How this has upset you, how you grieve! Our late master Crab must be rejoicing in the depths of his grave. What answer shall I give to my master?"

"Naturally, what else? I am very guilty for not coming sooner to express my condolences, not knowing what had happened. But I want to correct this oversight and will go at once to bid farewell to the deceased."

"How pleased the young master will be that you’ve agreed so readily to come. Well, then I’ll go ahead a little."

"I’ll follow right away."

"We’ll be eagerly waiting."

"I’ll be there soon."
- Goodbye.
- Goodbye, thank you very much.

When the messenger left, the Monkey began talking to herself:

"Well, of course, it's all as it seems, no tricks here. That fool Crab has bulging eyes for nothing; he sees nothing useful with them. He's good for nothing. And now, he doesn't even notice his enemy, who is already nearby. On the contrary, he persistently invites them to bid farewell to the deceased, begs them to take the tree as a keepsake... As the saying goes, 'A thief gets his reward.'

What a fool, such a fool! But let's not chatter about this; it all works in my favor. Let's go, let's go to their memorial."

The further it went, the bolder the Monkey became. Dressed appropriately for the occasion, she set off for Crab's dwelling. There, she was respectfully greeted by Crab's relatives, who bowed deeply to the ground and sat solemnly on either side of the stone fence. Seeing this, the Monkey walked slowly and haughtily between them into the front room.

Here, Crab's servant awaited her. Upon seeing the guest, he bowed respectfully, led her through the corridor to the inner rooms, and invited her to sit in the prepared spot.

The Monkey sat where she was told and began to rest.

After some time, the host, the young Crab, came out to her.

"Welcome, Madame Monkey. Please forgive me for receiving you in such a humble abode," he greeted her politely.

"Ah! The son of the late Crab! Such misfortune has befallen you so unexpectedly; I can imagine how heavy this must be for you," replied the Monkey, expressing her condolences with great importance.

Meanwhile, the preparations for hosting the guest began.

A small table with food was brought in; sake was served.

The Monkey, extremely pleased to be treated so well, completely forgot her caution and began to feast to her heart's content.

After the meal, the guest was led to the tea room, where a full tea ceremony was to take place. Asking her to rest here, the young Crab left.

A considerable amount of time passed, and he still hadn't returned.

"I've heard that the tea ceremony is very long, but I can't bear to wait this long. Ah! I wish I could have some tea soon; my throat is so dry," she thought.

Gradually sobering up, the Monkey began to feel a strong thirst.

Losing all patience and wanting to drink at least a cup of hot water, she approached the hearth. But as soon as she touched the lid of the kettle, Chestnut, who had hidden there earlier, seized the moment and shot out with a loud bang, striking her in the neck.

This was a complete surprise for the Monkey. With a gasp, she fell. But she wasn't the kind of creature to be taken down so easily.

"Ow! It burns!" she screamed, clutching her wound, and dashed out of the tea room.

Outside the house, hidden under the eaves, Wasp was waiting for her.

"Aha! You're exactly who I need, mountain Monkey!" she said, thrusting her large spear-point directly into the Monkey's cheek.

Ambush after ambush; the Monkey was completely disoriented. Deciding that of all thirty-six strategies, fleeing was the best option at the moment—since life is most precious—she covered her head with her paws and bolted away.

But on her path, Mortar, hidden in the stone fence, was waiting. With a dull thud, it fell onto the head of the passing Monkey and pinned her to the ground. Under the weight of the Mortar, the Monkey couldn't even move; sprawled out, she could only whimper pitifully.

By then, the young Crab, who had already changed into his battle armor, arrived. Gleaming his inherited claws right in front of the Monkey's face, he coldly laughed upon seeing her in such a pitiful state.

"What do you think will happen now, mountain Monkey?"

"Well, of course, I... about that..."

"Of course! There's no need to discuss it. For how mercilessly you treated my father..."

"No... He himself, because of that..."

"Ah! So you still insist on your version?! Well, I'll silence your lying tongue," he said, snapping open his claws and immediately severing the Monkey's head.

And so, Crab avenged his father's death splendidly.

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