CH. XII SONGS AND BOMANCE IN OLD MINAHASSA 313 



but the monlsey said, ' Whoever heard of the moss speaking ? 

 You would eat rae up now if you could, but you won't have the 

 chance ' (41). 



An ape was stranded on an eyot in the river, and a crocodile 

 came and said he would eat him up. ' Very well,' said the ape, 

 ' but you are too small. Go and fetch some companions first, 

 and then you can feast on me.' The crocodile went away, and 

 soon came back again with a number of friends. ' Now,' said 

 the ape when they arrived, ' stand in a row side by side so that 

 I may count to see if you have brought enough.' The crocodiles 

 did this, and then the ape jumped on the back of the nearest one 

 and then on that of the next, counting as he went, ' one, two, 

 three,' &c., until he came to the last, when he jumped on to the 

 opposite shore and escaped. ' Ha ! ha ! ' he said, ' now I have 

 trapped you and made you my slaves ; you will never more be 

 able to do me any harm ' (41). 



It is a curious and interesting fact that a story similar 

 to the last of these is found in Japan. The hero of the 

 Japanese fable, however, is a hare, and he does not get off 

 scot free, for the last crocodile seizes him and tears his 

 skin off. 



The following is a m.odification of the same story as 

 it is told in the neighbouring kingdom of Bolang Mon- 

 gondu : — 



An ape, who had been searching in vain for food, met a white 

 heron who said to him, ' Why don't you go over to yonder island ? 

 There are mangga fruits there in abundance.' ' How can I get 

 there ? ' answered the ape. ' I cannot fly, nor can I swim so far.' 

 ' Never mind, my friend,' said the heron ; ' come and sit on my 

 back, and I will carry you there.' The ape willingly assented to 

 this friendly offer, but when they came to the island there were 

 no fruits to be found, for the heron had invented this fiction in 

 order to see the ape starve to death. The ape waxed very wroth 

 at the heron's deceit and refusal to take him back again, and, 

 seizing him unawares, he pulled all his feathers out. The heron, 

 no longer able to fly and unable to find any food, soon died of 

 fear, as the ape had expected ; but his own unfortunate position 



