` Oh , I am quite willing , ' answered the rabbit , proud of being spoken to by such a large creature . ` But the question is , what shall we hunt ? ' ` There is no credit in going after an elephant or a tiger , ' replied the monkey stroking his chin , ` they are so big they could not possibly get out of your way . It shows much more skill to be able to catch a small thing that can hide itself in a moment behind a leaf . I 'll tell you what ! Suppose I hunt butterflies , and you , serpents . ' The rabbit , who was young and without experience , was delighted with this idea , and they both set out on their various ways . The monkey quietly climbed up the nearest tree , and ate fruit most of the day , but the rabbit tired himself to death poking his nose into every heap of dried leaves he saw , hoping to find a serpent among them . Luckily for himself the serpents were all away for the afternoon , at a meeting of their own , for there is nothing a serpent likes so well for dinner as a nice plump rabbit . But , as it was , the dried leaves were all empty , and the rabbit at last fell asleep where he was . Then the monkey , who had been watching him , fell down and pulled his ears , to the rage of the rabbit , who vowed vengeance . It was not easy to catch the monkey off his guard , and the rabbit waited long before an opportunity arrived . But one day Jack-in-the-Green was sitting on a stone , wondering what he should do next , when the rabbit crept softly behind him , and gave his tail a sharp pull . The monkey gave a shriek of pain , and darted up into a tree , but when he saw that it was only the rabbit who had dared to insult him so , he chattered so fast in his anger , and looked so fierce , that the rabbit fled into the nearest hole , and stayed there for several days , trembling with fright . Soon after this adventure the monkey went away into another part of the country , right on the outskirts of the forest , where there was a beautiful garden full of oranges hanging ripe from the trees . This garden was a favourite place for birds of all kinds , each hoping to secure an orange for dinner , and in order to frighten the birds away and keep a little fruit for himself , the master had fastened a waxen figure on one of the boughs . Now the monkey was as fond of oranges as any of the birds , and when he saw a man standing in the tree where the largest and sweetest oranges grew , he spoke to him at once . ` You man , ' he said rudely , ` throw me down that big orange up there , or I will throw a stone at you . ' The wax figure took no notice of this request , so the monkey , who was easily made angry , picked up a stone , and flung it with all his force . But instead of falling to the ground again , the stone stuck to the soft wax .
At this moment a breeze shook the tree , and the orange on which the monkey had set his heart dropped XXXXX the bough .
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