r. On his
way to the town he saw a flock of crows eating up his corn. He paid
no attention to the birds; but on his way back, when he saw these
same birds still eating his corn, he became angry. He picked up a
stone about the size of his fist, and crept into a bush near by. He
had hardly hidden himself when the birds heard a rustling, and began
to fly off. Juan jumped up, and hurled his stone with such accuracy
and force that one of the crows fell dead to the ground. He tied
the dead crow to a bamboo pole, and planted it in the middle of his
cornfield. No sooner was he out of sight than the crows flew back to
the field again; but when they saw their dead companion, they flew off,
and never troubled Juan again.

For six months Juan had no trouble from birds. He did not know,
however, that not far from his field there was a monkey (chongo)
living in a large tree. This monkey used to come to his field every
day and steal two or three ears of corn. One day, as Juan was walking
across his field, he saw many dead cornstalks. He said to himself,
"I wonder who it is that comes here and steals my corn! I am no longer
troubled by birds; and yet I find here many husks." He went home and
made an image of a crooked old man like himself. This he covered with
sticky wax. He placed it in the middle of the field.

The next morning, when the sun was shining very brightly, the monkey
felt hungry, so he ran towards the field to steal some corn to
eat. There he saw the statue. Thinking that it was Juan, he decided
to ask permission before he took any corn. "Good-morning, Juan!" said
the monkey in a courteous tone; but the image made no reply. "You
are too proud to bend your neck, Juan," continued the monkey. "I have
only come to ask you for three or four ears of corn. I have not eaten
since yesterday, you know; and if you deny me this request, I shall
die before morning." The waxen statue still stood motionless. "Do you
hear me, Juan?" said the monkey impatiently. Still the statue made
no reply. "Since you are too proud to answer me, I will soon give you
some presents. Look out!" he cried, and with his right paw he slapped
the statue which he thought was Juan; but his paw stuck to the wax,
and he could not get free. "Let my hand loose!" the monkey shouted,
"or you will get another present." Then he slapped the statue with his
left paw, and, as before, stuck fast. "You are foolish, Juan. If you
do not let me go this very moment, I'll kick