Delighted at this discovery , she hastened to the spot , and was carrying the rice back to her hole when a monkey , who lived in some trees near by , came down to see what the crab was doing . His eyes shone at the sight of the rice , for it was his favourite food , and like the sly fellow he was , he proposed a bargain to the crab . She was to give him half the rice in exchange for the kernel of a sweet red kaki fruit which he had just eaten . He half expected that the crab would laugh in his face at this impudent proposal , but instead of doing so she only looked at him for a moment with her head on one side and then said that she would agree to the exchange . So the monkey went off with his rice , and the crab returned to her hole with the kernel . For some time the crab saw no more of the monkey , who had gone to pay a visit on the sunny side of the mountain ; but one morning he happened to pass by her hole , and found her sitting under the shadow of a beautiful kaki tree . ` Good day , ' he said politely , ` you have some very fine fruit there ! I am very hungry , could you spare me one or two ? ' ` Oh , certainly , ' replied the crab , ` but you must forgive me if I can not get them for you myself . I am no tree-climber . ' ` Pray do not apologise , ' answered the monkey . ` Now that I have your permission I can get them myself quite easily . ' And the crab consented to let him go up , merely saying that he must throw her down half the fruit . In another moment he was swinging himself from branch to branch , eating all the ripest kakis and filling his pockets with the rest , and the poor crab saw to her disgust that the few he threw down to her were either not ripe at all or else quite rotten . ` You are a shocking rogue , ' she called in a rage ; but the monkey took no notice , and went on eating as fast as he could . The crab understood that it was no use her scolding , so she resolved to try what cunning would do . ` Sir Monkey , ' she said , ` you are certainly a very good climber , but now that you have eaten so much , I am quite sure you would never be able to turn one of your somersaults . ' The monkey prided himself on turning better somersaults than any of his family , so he instantly went head over heels three times on the bough on which he was sitting , and all the beautiful kakis that he had in his pockets rolled to the ground . Quick as lightning the crab picked them up and carried a quantity of them into her house , but when she came up for another the monkey sprang on her , and treated her so badly that he left her for dead . When he had beaten her till his arm ached he went his way .
It was a lucky thing for the poor XXXXX that she had some friends to come to her help or she certainly would have died then and there .
climber crab kaki kakis left lightning morning sight somersaults tree-climber