the monkey.

"Why the mother will be in a tremendous scare, and before your master
and mistress know what to do, you must run after me and rescue the
child and take it home safely to its parents, and you will see that
when the butcher comes they won't have the heart to sell you."

The monkey thanked the boar many times and then went home. He did not
sleep much that night, as you may imagine, for thinking of the morrow.
His life depended on whether the boar's plan succeeded or not. He was
the first up, waiting anxiously for what was to happen. It seemed to
him a very long time before his master's wife began to move about and
open the shutters to let in the light of day. Then all happened as the
boar had planned. The mother placed her child near the porch as usual
while she tidied up the house and got her breakfast ready.

The child was crooning happily in the morning sunlight, dabbing on the
mats at the play of light and shadow. Suddenly there was a noise in the
porch and a loud cry from the child. The mother ran out from the
kitchen to the spot, only just in time to see the boar disappearing
through the gate with her child in its clutch. She flung out her hands
with a loud cry of despair and rushed into the inner room where her
husband was still sleeping soundly.

He sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes, and crossly demanded what his
wife was making all that noise about. By the time that the man was
alive to what had happened, and they both got outside the gate, the
boar had got well away, but they saw the monkey running after the thief
as hard as his legs would carry him.

Both the man and wife were moved to admiration at the plucky conduct of
the sagacious monkey, and their gratitude knew no bounds when the
faithful monkey brought the child safely back to their arms.

"There!" said the wife. "This is the animal you want to kill--if the
monkey hadn't been here we should have lost our child forever."

"You are right, wife, for once," said the man as he carried the child
into the house. "You may send the butcher back when he comes, and now
give us all a good breakfast and the monkey too."

When the butcher arrived he was sent away with an order for some boar's
meat for the evening dinner, and the monkey was petted and lived the
rest of his days in peace, nor did his master ever strike him again.

THE HAPPY HUNTER AND THE SKILLFUL FISHER.

Long, long ago Japan was governed by Hohodemi, the fourth Mikoto (o