THE TORTOISE, THE MONKEY, and THE BANANA TREE (5) 完

THE TORTOISE, THE MONKEY, and THE BANANA TREE (5) 完


The tortoise, watching from where she lay hidden, smiled, and then laughed, and if a tortoise could have split her sides, she'd have spiit her sides.

※
split ［burst, shake, hold］ one's sides
laughing ［with laughter］ 腹をかかえて笑う, 笑いこける

Which was the worst thing she could have done. That's to say, laugh.

For the monkey now knew where she was hidden, and he ran there.

While she was helpless with laughter, he picked her up and turned her on her back.

As you know, a tortoise on her back is useless tortoise. A tortoise on her back doesn't know how to get onto her front again.

" Now to punish you ! " cried the monkey.
" I'm not sure what's bad enough for you.
Shall I beat you with a stick ? No, that would be so kind !
Shall I put you in mortar, as if you were grain,and pound you to pieces ? No, that would be gentle.

He was still picking thorns out of his toes, and growing angrier and angrier.

" I think throwing you off the top of a very high mountain might be about right ! "

But the tortoise had been doing some upside-down thinking, and she said.

" Oh, dear, do whatever you like wit me: beat me with a stick, pound me to pieces in a mortar, throw me from the top of the highest mountain in the land."

"I don't mind, as lomg as you don't throw me in the water ! Oh, please, don't throw me i the water ! "

" Ho, ho ! " cried the monkey.
" So that's what you're most afraid of ! Right ! Into the water you shall go ! "

He picked up the tortoise, carried her to the river. up the tortoise, carried her to the river. and threw her in.

Spash !

To the monkey's great delight, the tortoise disappeared under the water.
" That's the end of you, " he cried.

But at that very moment, here come the tortoise's head, above moment, here come the tortoise's head, above the water; and she was smiling.

Then, with quick little movements of her legs, off she swam.

The smiling tortoise said to the frowning monkey,
" Thank you, you extremely foolish creature ! I'd have though even you would have known that water is my second home ! "

And within a minute, or not much longer, she was out of sight.

(おわり　5/5)