Once upon a time, deep in the lush green forests of Southeast Sulawesi, a mischievous monkey and a kind-hearted hen lived as neighbors. Though they were called friends, the monkey was far from friendly. He was selfish, greedy, and loved nothing more than playing mean tricks on the poor hen.
One sunny afternoon, the monkey swung down from a high branch, grinning cheekily.
"Hey there, Little Hen!" called the monkey, scratching his chin. "How about we take a nice, relaxing stroll through the forest together? It’ll clear our minds!"
The hen, who always preferred to see the good in others, offered a gentle nod. "Very well, Monkey. An afternoon walk sounds lovely."
So, side by side, they set off down the winding forest path. But as the sun began to dip below the horizon and shadows lengthened, the monkey’s stomach began to rumble loudly. Grumble! Roar!
Suddenly, his mischievous mind began to scheme. Without warning, the monkey leaped onto the hen, pouncing on her back and ruthlessly pulling out her feathers!
"Ouch! Hey! What on earth are you doing, Monkey?" squawked the hen, thrashing in distress. "Stop it! I am your friend! Why are you always picking on me? Let me go! Release me!"
The monkey only laughed, tightening his grip as he kept plucking her soft feathers. With a desperate flap of her wings and a burst of strength, the hen managed to slip free from his grasp. Frightened and heartbroken, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her, not caring where she went—just as long as she was far away from the wicked monkey.
Gasping for air, the hen finally collapsed on the cool, sandy banks of a nearby river. There, sitting upon a smooth rock, was her dear friend, the wise old crab.
"My goodness, Little Hen!" cried the crab, scampering over. "You’re trembling and missing your feathers! What happened?"
"Oh, Crab..." panting heavily, the hen caught her breath. "It was the monkey again! He tried to pluck all my feathers out! I don't know what got into him... I think he was so hungry he wanted to eat me alive! And after all the times I’ve been kind to him!"
The crab’s eyes flared with anger. His claws snapped loudly in indignation.
"That insolent, greedy brute!" snapped the crab. "It is one thing to be playful, but another to hurt a loyal friend. Enough is enough! We must teach that monkey a lesson he will never forget so he never dares to bully anyone again!"
The hen sighed softly. "How can we possibly repay his bad behavior, Crab? Do you have a plan?"
The crab grinned a wide, mysterious grin. "I have a brilliant idea. We shall invite the greedy fellow on a scenic river cruise using a special boat made of soft clay! Here is what we'll do: I will craft the boat out of river clay, while you go back and convince the monkey to join us. Once we reach the very middle of the deep, rushing river, I will call out a secret code word: 'HOLE!' The moment you hear it, peck through the clay bottom as hard as you can!"
The hen’s eyes lit up. "A clay boat! Genius! I will go persuade him right away."
While the clever crab set to work shaping the sticky clay into a small canoe, the hen hurried back into the forest. She found the monkey resting on a low branch, still looking hungry.
"Hello again, Monkey," said the hen cheerfully, pretending nothing had happened. "You may have been mean to me earlier, but a good friend doesn't hold grudges. The crab and I are about to embark on a little adventure across the river. Would you like to come along?"
The monkey scratched his ear curiously. "Across the river? Bah! What’s over there anyway?"
"Oh, you wouldn't believe it!" whispered the hen excitedly. "The trees over there are overflowing with the sweetest, juiciest fruits you have ever seen! You can eat as much as your belly can hold!"
The monkey's eyes turned wide with greed. "Fresh, sweet fruit?! Unlimited fruit?! Well, why didn't you say so sooner? Count me in!"
Without suspecting a thing, the greedy monkey trotted behind the hen down to the riverbank. Waiting by the water’s edge was the crab, standing proudly beside his freshly molded clay boat.
"Welcome aboard, my friend!" called the crab.
The three animals climbed inside the small boat and pushed off from the shore. The current gently carried them toward the middle of the river, where the waters grew deeper and ran much faster.
Suddenly, the crab looked up at the sky and shouted the secret signal: "HOLE!"
Instantly, the hen raised her sharp beak and pecked violently at the bottom of the boat. Tap! Tap! CRACK! A large crack opened up, and cool river water began gushing inside.
The monkey gasped, staring at the flooding floor in pure horror. "What are you doing, Hen?! Are you crazy?! You're going to sink us! You know I can't swim!"
"This is for every time you bullied your friends!" clucked the hen.
Within seconds, the heavy clay boat broke apart and sank straight to the riverbed. The crab calmly slid into the water, swimming away with ease. The hen flapped her wings furiously, leaping into the air and gliding safely to the grassy bank on the other side.
As for the bully monkey? He was left flailing in the deep, fast-flowing water, struggling desperately as the river carried him away. The selfish monkey, who never listened to advice and always mistreated his friends, finally got the exact punishment he deserved.
Moral of the Story
Treat your friends with kindness and respect. Greedy and mischievous behavior will always bring trouble upon yourself in the end!
Give it a try! Help the Hen and Crab teach the mischievous Monkey a lesson.
More folklore from Southeast Sulawesi:
- The Story of the Monkey and the Chicken
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