The Fox The Otter And The Monkey

: TALES ACCOUNTING FOR THE ORIGIN OF PHENOMENA.
: Aino Folktales

In very ancient days, at the beginning of the world, there were a fox,

an otter, and a monkey, all three of whom lived on the most intimate

terms of friendship.



One day the fox spoke to the other two as follows: "What do you say to

our going off somewhere, and stealing food and treasures from the

Japanese?" His two companions having consented, they all went together

to a distant place, and stole a bag of
eans, a bag of salt, and a mat

from the house of a very rich man. When they had come home with their

plunder, the fox said: "Otter! you had better take the salt, for it will

be useful to you in salting the fish which you catch in the water when

you go fishing. Monkey! do you take the mat; it will be very useful for

you to make your children dance upon. As for myself, I will take the bag

of beans."



After this, all three retired to their respective houses; and a little

later the otter went to the river to fish. But, as he took his bag of

salt with him when he made the plunge, all the salt was melted in a

moment, to his great disappointment. The monkey was equally unlucky;

for, having taken his mat and spread it on the top of a tree, and made

his children dance there, the children fell, and were dashed to pieces

on the ground below.



The monkey and the otter, enraged by the misfortunes which the fox's

wiles had brought upon them, now joined together in order to fight the

fox. So the latter took a lot of beans out of his bag, chewed them to a

pulp, smeared all his body with the paste, and lay down pretending to be

very ill. And when the otter and the monkey came and made to kill him,

he said: "See to what a pitiful plight I am reduced! As a punishment for

having deceived you, my whole body is now covered with boils, and I am

on the point of death. There is no need for you to kill me. Go away! I

am dying fast enough." The monkey looked, and saw that the fox seemed to

be speaking the truth. So he went testily away, across the sea to Japan.

That is the reason why there are no monkeys in the land of the

Ainos.--(Written down from memory. Told by Ishanashte, 11th July, 1886.)



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