` Here is something to make cakes for the children , ' he said , putting down his barrel , which by this time he found rather heavy . The children were delighted , and ran directly to find some flat stones to bake their cakes on , and when they had made and eaten them , they thought they had never tasted anything so nice . Indeed , when they saw the monkey approaching not long after , they rushed to meet him , hoping that he was bringing them some more presents . But he took no notice of their questions , he only said to their mother : ` I 've called for my barrel of meal . ' ` Why , you gave it to me to make cakes of ! ' cried the mother . ` If I ca n't get my barrel of meal , I shall take one of your children , ' answered the monkey . ' I am in want of somebody who can bake my bread when I am tired of fruit , and who knows how to make cocoanut cakes . ' ` Oh , leave me my child , and I will find you another barrel of meal , ' wept the mother . ' I do n't WANT another barrel , I want THAT one , ' answered the monkey sternly . And as the woman stood wringing her hands , he caught up the little girl that he thought the prettiest and took her to his home in the palm tree . She never went back to the hut , but on the whole she was not much to be pitied , for monkeys are nearly as good as children to play with , and they taught her how to swing , and to climb , and to fly from tree to tree , and everything else they knew , which was a great deal . Now the monkey 's tiresome tricks had made him many enemies in the forest , but no one hated him so much as the puma . The cause of their quarrel was known only to themselves , but everybody was aware of the fact , and took care to be out of the way when there was any chance of these two meeting . Often and often the puma had laid traps for the monkey , which he felt sure his foe could not escape ; and the monkey would pretend that he saw nothing , and rejoice the hidden puma 's heart by seeming to walk straight into the snare , when , lo ! a loud laugh would be heard , and the monkey 's grinning face would peer out of a mass of creepers and disappear before his foe could reach him . This state of things had gone on for quite a long while , when at last there came a season such as the oldest parrot in the forest could never remember . Instead of two or three hundred inches of rain falling , which they were all accustomed to , month after month passed without a cloud , and the rivers and springs dried up , till there was only one small pool left for everyone to drink from . There was not an animal for miles round that did not grieve over this shocking condition of affairs , not one at least except the puma . His only thought for years had been how to get the monkey into his power , and this time he imagined his chance had really arrived .
He would hide himself XXXXX a thicket , and when the monkey came down to drink -- and come he must -- the puma would spring out and seize him .
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