Long ago, there were a turtle and a monkey
in Mapayapa.
One day, the turtle went to the riverside
to have a banana.
At the same time, the monkey also went to the riverside
because he also wanted to eat a banana.
So, they met
under the banana tree
on the riverside.
Both of them, the monkey and the turtle, wanted
to have more bananas.
They started to fight
to get all the bananas that were
hanging from the banana tree.
After they fought each other for a while,
the monkey shouted.
"Wait,
turtle!
Listen to me."
The turtle stopped fighting for a moment
and looked at the monkey.
"We don't need to fight each other
for one banana tree.
How about we
divide the banana tree into two equally?
The turtle thought that the monkey was right.
"Okay,
monkey.
Let's divide it equally into two."
"But,
I'll choose the half that I want to have
because I thought of this good idea."
The turtle agreed with the monkey.
The monkey sawed off
the middle of the tree.
Then, he had the top of the tree
that bore many bananas.
The turtle had to take
the stump which had no bananas.
Then, the turtle asked the monkey.
"Monkey,
we are friends
who have lived in the same forest for a long time.
So, please give me some fruit.
Please.
The bananas that you have
are so many
that you can't eat them all by yourself."
The monkey shook his head.
"No.
We each promised to take half of the tree.
We already shared the tree in halves as promised.
Why are you asking me for more?"
The monkey picked every banana
from the top of the tree
and said, while planting the empty tree in the ground.
"If I plant the tree,
the tree will bear bananas again."
The monkey gathered
all the bananas and went away hapily.
Meanwhile,
the turtle, who had the stump without bananas,
sighed deeply.
As time passed,
the top of the tree, which the monkey had planted,
didn't take root in the ground,
so it withered and died.
However, the turtle's stump
branched out
and bore more bananas than
the monkey had before.
The monkey stood
by his dead tree
and drooled,
looking at the turtle's tree
that bore delicious-looking bananas.
However, the turtle had no desire
to give the monkey his bananas.
The turtle said
to the drooling monkey.
"Hey,
monkey!
Don't even try to take
my bananas.
You said
that we already carried out our promise
as we each took half of the tree for each."
The monkey was disappointed at the turtle
and couldn't help but go back.
While going back home,
the monkey thought
that he should steal the turtle's bananas.
In the middle of the night,
the monkey
seceretly climbed up the turtle's banana tree.
However, the turtle
already expected
that the monkey would come
to steal his bananas.
The turtle waited
until the monkey climbed to the top of the tree
and spreaded sharp gravels
under the tree.
The monkey, who didn't know what was happening
ate many bananas with joy.
After filling up his belly with bananas,
the monkey, jumped off the tree and
got pricked by sharp gravels,
screaming
and jumping around.
"Ouch Ouch!
Ouch! How it hurts!
Ouch!"
The monkey
rolled on the ground because he was hurt, and
he realized that
it was the turtle who spreaded the sharp gravels.
"Turtle!
I'll get you."
The monkey lost his temper
and looked around the woods
to find the turtle.
Finally, the monkey found
the turtle
who was crawling to get away.
"Hey, you!
You made me hurt!
Shall I put your shell in the mortar and pestle
to make it into a powder
or throw you into the sea?"
The turtle was caught by the monkey and begged for his life.
"Monkey,
please grind me into powder.
I can't really stand
being in salty water.
I really dislike the sea."
"Aha!
You really dislike salty water, huh?
Then, I will throw you into the sea right now."
The monkey took the turtle to the sea
and threw him with all his strength.
The turtle flew away
into the distant sea.
The monkey was so happy
because he thought that it was the worst revenge for the turtle.
But, guess what happened?
The turtle's laughter was coming from the sea.
The monkey was so surprised
that he looked toward the sound,
where the turtle laughed excitedly.
"Hahaha!
You're such a fool!
The sea is a house for turtles…..
This is my house….
Hahaha!"
After hearing the turtle,
the monkey was so angry that he ran toward the seashore.
But there was nothing the monkey could do.
The monkey couldn't do anything
at all in the sea.
The turtle disappeared into the sea,
teasing the monkey.