LESSON 34 THE FOOLISH MONKEYS

THE FOOLISH MONKEYS

Ⅰ

mon-keys for-est quar-rels

sel-dom a-gree de-light

wrong lead-er real

1. Once upon a time there lived a number of monkeys in a forest, in the middle of which was a deep lake.

2. The monkeys did not always live in peace together. Indeed, there were many quarrels and fights, because they could seldom agree about anything.

3. The old monkeys thought that the young ones were far too fond of having their own way, and that it was their delight to trouble their elders.

4. But the young monkeys said: "Pooh! Who cares for them, we should like to know?

5. "They are always saying: 'You are too young to know anything'; so let us just show them that they are wrong.

6. "We will form a band by ourselves; and then we can do just as we like, and show those slow old things how clever we are."

7. One night, soon after this, the leader of the young monkeys woke from sleep, and saw what looked like a large round moon in the lake.

THE WHOLE BAND FELL INTO THE WATER.

8. It was the light of the real moon which shone on the water; but the monkey did not know this, as the sky was hidden from him by the trees.

9. In a great hurry, he went to rouse his friends.

10. "Get up! Get up!" he cried. "The moon has fallen into the lake. Let us go and pull it out before anyone else has a chance to do so!"