Atondido Stories
How the Monkey Got a Drink When He Was Thirsty
Once upon a time the monkey made the tiger very angry. This is
how it happened. The monkey was seated high up among the
leafy branches of a mango tree playing upon his guitar. The tiger
passed that way and lay down under the tree to rest. Just to tease
him the monkey played and sang this little song:
"Tango ti tar, tango ti tar,
The tiger's bones are in my guitar.
Tee hee, Tee hee."
The tiger was very angry. "Just wait until I catch you, Mr.
Monkey," he said. "Then I'll show you a trick or two with bones."
The monkey leaped from one tree to another keeping himself so
well hid by the foliage that the tiger could not see him. Then he
came down out of the trees and hid himself in a hole in the
ground. When the tiger came near he again played and sang his
little song:
"Tango ti tar, tango ti tar,
The tiger's bones are in my guitar.
Tee hee, Tee hee."
The tiger put his paw into the hole and caught the monkey's
leg. "Oh, ho, Mr. Tiger!" said the monkey. "You think that you
have caught my leg but what you really have is just a little stick.
Oh, ho! Oh, ho!" Then the tiger let go of the monkey's leg.
The monkey crawled farther back into the hole in the ground
where the tiger's paw could not reach him. Then he said: "Thank
you so much, Mr. Tiger, for letting go of my leg. It really was my
leg, you know." Again he played and sang his little song:
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