The Battle of the Monkey and the Crab: A Japanese Folktale

Characters:
Narrator
Monkey
Crab
Young Crab
Mortar
Bee
Chestnut
Messenger

Act 1: The Trade

Scene: Along the bank of a river on a bright autumn day.
Narrator: (Voice-over) Long, long ago, one bright autumn day in Japan, a pink-faced monkey and a yellow
crab were playing together along the bank of a river. As they were running about, the crab found a rice-
dumpling and the monkey a persimmon-seed.
Crab: (Holds up the rice-dumpling) Look what a nice thing I have found!
Monkey: (Holds up the persimmon-seed) I also have found something good! Look!
Narrator: Though the monkey is always very fond of persimmon fruit, he had no use for the seed he had
just found. The persimmon-seed is as hard and uneatable as a stone. The monkey, in his greedy nature,
felt very envious of the crab’s nicer dumpling and proposed an exchange.
Monkey: (Persuasive) How unwise you are not to think of the future! Your rice-dumpling can be eaten
now, but if you sow this seed in the ground, it will soon grow into a great tree bearing an abundance of
fine ripe persimmons year after year. If only I could show it to you then, with the yellow fruit hanging on
its branches!
Narrator: The simple-minded crab could not resist the monkey’s clever persuasion. He at last gave in and
consented to the monkey’s proposal. The greedy monkey soon gobbled up the dumpling and gave up the
persimmon-seed to the crab. They then separated, the monkey going home to his forest trees and the
crab to his stones along the river-side.

Act 2: The Deception

Scene: The crab's home by the river, then the forest.
Narrator: As soon as the crab reached home, he planted the persimmon-seed. In the following spring, he
was delighted to see the shoot of a young tree push its way up through the ground. Each year it grew
bigger, till it blossomed and bore fine large persimmons. The little crab watched the persimmons
ripening to perfection.
Crab: (Excited) How delicious they will be to eat!
Narrator: One day, the crab knew the persimmons must be quite ripe. He wanted to taste one but
couldn’t climb the tree. He thought of his old playmate the monkey and set out to find him.
Scene: The forest.
Narrator: Running crab-fashion up the stony river bank, the crab found the monkey taking an afternoon
nap in his favorite pine-tree.
Crab: (Calling out) Monkey, wake up! The persimmon tree has grown and is now bearing good fruit. Will
you help me pick the persimmons?
Monkey: (Cunningly) Of course, dear crab. Let’s go at once.
Scene: The persimmon tree.
Narrator: When they reached the spot, the monkey quickly climbed the tree and began to pluck and eat
the ripest persimmons, not giving any to the crab below.
Crab: (Calling out) Remember your promise, Monkey!
Narrator: The monkey ignored the crab’s complaints. Finally, he picked the hardest, greenest persimmon
and threw it at the crab.
Monkey: (Laughing) Here, have this one!
Narrator: The hard persimmon struck the crab, and the monkey continued until the crab lay dead.

Act 3: A Plot for Revenge

Scene: The crab's home. The young crab finds his father dead.
Narrator: The crab had a son who found his father dead, surrounded by unripe persimmons. The young
crab vowed to avenge his father’s death. He set out to call on his father’s old friends, starting with the
mortar.
Young Crab: (Weeping) Mortar, my father has been murdered by the monkey! Will you help me avenge
his death?
Mortar: (Solemnly) I will help you, but we must be careful. The monkey is cunning. Let’s also seek help
from the bee and the chestnut.
Scene: The young crab, the mortar, the bee, and the chestnut devise a plan.
Narrator: The bee and the chestnut gladly consented to help. They devised a plan to punish the monkey.

Act 4: The Reformation

Scene: The monkey's home. A messenger arrives.
Messenger: (Bowing) Monkey, my master invites you to a festival in honor of his father, who died falling
from a persimmon tree. You were his best friend.
Monkey: (Feigning sadness) I am deeply grieved to hear this. I will certainly attend the festival.
Scene: The young crab's home. A feast is prepared.
Narrator: The monkey attended the feast, feeling triumphant. After the feast, he was invited to the tea-
ceremony room.
Monkey: (Impatiently) This tea ceremony is taking too long. I am thirsty!
Narrator: The monkey poured hot water from the kettle when suddenly a chestnut popped from the
ashes, hitting him in the neck.
Monkey: (Screaming) What is this?
Narrator: The bee flew out and stung him on the cheek. As the monkey ran outside, the mortar and
stones fell on his head, crushing him.
Young Crab: (Holding his claws over the monkey) Do you now remember that you murdered my father?
Monkey: (Gasping) It was your father’s fault, not mine!
Young Crab: (Angrily) Can you still lie? I will end your breath!
Narrator: The young crab cut off the monkey’s head, avenging his father’s death. Thus, the wicked
monkey met his well-deserved punishment.
Narrator: (Voice-over) And so ends the story of the monkey, the crab, and the persimmon-seed.

Curtain closes.