Long, long ago, one bright autumn day in Japan, it happened, that a
pink-faced monkey and a yellow crab were playing together along the
bank of a river. As they were running about, the crab found a
rice-dumpling and the monkey a persimmon-seed.

The crab picked up the rice-dumpling and showed it to the monkey,
saying:

"Look what a nice thing I have found!"

Then the monkey held up his persimmon-seed and said:

"I also have found something good! Look!"

Now though the monkey is always very fond of persimmon fruit, he had no
use for the seed he had just found. The persimmon-seed is as hard and
uneatable as a stone. He, therefore, in his greedy nature, felt very
envious of the crab's nice dumpling, and he proposed an exchange. The
crab naturally did not see why he should give up his prize for a hard
stone-like seed, and would not consent to the monkey's proposition.

Then the cunning monkey began to persuade the crab, saying:

"How unwise you are not to think of the future! Your rice-dumpling can
be eaten now, and is certainly much bigger than my seed; but if you sow
this seed in the ground it will soon grow and become a great tree in a
few years, and bear an abundance of fine ripe persimmons year after
year. If only I could show it to you then with the yellow fruit hanging
on its branches! Of course, if you don't believe me I shall sow it
myself; though I am sure, later on, you will be very sorry that you did
not take my advice."

The simple-minded crab could not resist the monkey's clever persuasion.
He at last gave in and consented to the monkey's proposal, and the
exchange was made. The greedy monkey soon gobbled up the dumpling, and
with great reluctance gave up the persimmon-seed to the crab. He would
have liked to keep that too, but he was afraid of making the crab angry
and of being pinched by his sharp scissor-like claws. They then
separated, the monkey going home to his forest trees and the crab to
his stones along the river-side. As soon as the crab reached home he
put the persimmon-seed in the ground as the monkey had told him.

In the following spring the crab was delighted to see the shoot of a
young tree push its way up through the ground. Each year it grew
bigger, till at last it blossomed one spring, and in the following
autumn bore some fine large persimmons. Among the broad smooth green
leaves the fruit hung like golden balls, and as they ripened they
mellowed to a deep orange. It was the l