wound themselves up like a windlass over the branches, and squatting on
the trees, set up a doleful chattering.

"Now," says the tortoise, "I want you to go with me. If you don't, I'll
eat you up. Get on my back and I'll carry you; but I must hold your paw
in my mouth so you won't run away."

Half frightened to death, the monkey obeyed, and the tortoise trotted off
to the sea, swam to the spot over the Queen's palace, and in a fillip of
the finger was down in the gardens of Riu Gu.

Here, let me say, that according to another version of this story the
monkeys assembled in force when they suspected what the tortoise had come
after, and catching him napping turned him over on his back so that he
could not move or bite. Then they took his under shell off, so that he
had to travel back to Riu Gu and get another one. This last version
however is uncertain and it looks like a piece of invention to
suppose that the monkeys had a sufficient medical knowledge to make them
suspicious of the design of the tortoise on the monkey's liver. I prefer
the regular account.

[Illustration: THE MONKEYS IN GRIEF.]

The Queen hearing of the monkey's arrival thanked the tortoise, and
commanded her cook and baker to feed him well and treat him kindly, for
the queen felt really sorry because he was to lose his liver.

As for the monkey he enjoyed himself very much, and ran around everywhere
amusing the star-fishes, clams, oysters and other pulpy creatures that
could not run, by his rapid climbing of the rocks and coral bushes, and
by rolling over the sponge beds and cutting all manner of antics.

They had never before seen anything like it. Poor fellow! he didn't
suspect what was to come.

All this time however the jelly-fish pitied him in his heart, and could
hardly keep what he knew to himself. Seeing that the monkey, lonely and
homesick was standing by the shore of a pond, the jelly-fish squeezed
himself up near him and said:

"Excuse my addressing you, I feel very sorry for you because you are to
be put to death."

"Why?" said the monkey, "What have I done?"

"Oh, nothing," said the jelly-fish, "only our queen is sick and she wants
your liver for medicine."

Then if ever any one saw a sick looking monkey it was this one. As the
Japanese say "his liver was smashed." He felt dreadfully afraid. He put
his hands over his eyes, and immediately began to plan how to save both
his liver and his life.

After a while the rain began to