THE MONKEY AND THE JAGUAR 
in a canoe in which they had taken a good supply of 
Indian corn. While the monkey was paddling, the hare 
was eating up all the corn. When the corn had been 
entirely disposed of, in its irresistible desire to use its 
incisors, the hare began to gnaw the sides of the canoe. 
The monkey reprimanded the hare, and warned it that 
the canoe would sink, and as the hare was not a good 
swimmer it would probably get drowned, or be eaten by 
fish which swarmed in the stream. The hare would not 
listen to the advice, and continued in its work of destruc¬ 
tion. A hole was bored in the side of the canoe, which 
promptly sank. The hare, being a slow swimmer, accord¬ 
ing to Bororo notions, was immediately surrounded by 
swarms of doviado (gold fish) and speedily devoured. 
The monkey, an excellent swimmer, not only was able to 
save its life, but, seizing a big fish, dragged it on shore. 
44 A jaguar came along and, licking its paws, asked 
whether the monkey had killed the fish for its (the 
jaguar’s) dinner. 
“ 4 Yes,’ said the monkey. 
44 4 Where is the fire for cooking it? ’ replied the jaguar. 
44 The sun was just setting. The monkey suggested 
that the jaguar should go and collect some dried wood 
in order to make the fire. The sun was peeping through 
the branches and foliage of the forest. The jaguar went, 
and returned with nothing; but in the meantime the 
monkey, with two pieces of soft wood, had lighted a fire 
and eaten the fish, leaving a heap of bones. When the 
jaguar arrived, the monkey leapt in a few jumps to the 
top of a tree. 
44 4 Come down! ’ said the jaguar. 
44 4 Certainly not! ’ said the monkey. Upon which the 
jaguar requested its friend the Wind to shake the tree 
with all its fury. The Wind did, and the monkey dropped 
into the jaguar’s mouth, from which it immediately passed 
into the digestive organs. The monkey little by little 
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