1 86 Fish Stories 



nobody but monkeys, monkeys, monkeys everywhere, just 

 like a great menagerie. So the Jellyfish said, " What ho, O 

 Monkey ! come out on the water for a sail with me. Come 

 to the land of the Weirds with me, and I will show you 

 the King and the throne and the Castle and the little Prince 

 of the Weirds, and the Crow that says ' Caw ' on the turret." 



" All right," said the Monkey. So he climbed down the 

 tree in two jumps, and took the Jellyfish by the hand, for 

 Jellyfishes had arms and hands in those days, as well as legs 

 and fins and bones and everything that you or I have, or 

 any other king's son. 



And the Jellyfish told the Monkey to get on his back. 

 Then he spread his fins and leaped into the sea. Away they 

 went, over the waves till they came to the shore by the King's 

 castle. And all the Weirds stood up and looked at them, 

 and the Crow said, '' Caw, caw ! Beware, O Monkey, with 

 your liver in." So the Jellyfish shook off the salt water, 

 and dusted the sand from his feet, and folded his wet fins. 

 Then he took the Monkey by the arm, and arm in arm they 

 went up the marble stairs to the throne of the King of the 

 Weirds. " What ho ! " said the King, *' and have you 

 brought me the Monkey with his liver in ? " 



Then he called " What ho ! " to the Chief Cook to come 

 in and carve the Monkey. So the Cook came in and sharp- 

 ened his knife on a stone. 



But the Monkey was scared, and he ran up the wall and 

 sat on the top of the throne, chattering away to himself and 

 shivering as if he were cold. 



And the King could not understand him, and said, " What 

 ho, O Monkey ! what is this you say ? " 



And the Monkey got his voice again, for in those days 

 all the animals could talk. That was before there were so 

 many little children to do the talking for all, till the animals 

 cannot get a word in edgewise. And the Monkey said, 

 " Woe is me ! I am so sorry, O great King ! My liver is 

 so heavy that I always leave it at home when I go visiting. 



