M0NKEY
BUSINESS
making friends with him. What Bojog did not know was that the goat
was a smooth operator from way back.
"A friend, is a friend, is a friend," sang the monkey
softly to himself, as he started telling the goat of his frustrated
ambitions.
"Yes, indeed," agreed the wily goat. "Things have
come to a pretty pass Just look at the type of tourist we get these
days. Cameras dangling everywhere, so help me And not a tasty morsel
amongst the lot. Think I don't know I've tried 'em The cameras I
mean. Time was when there was only a handful of tourists, but every
one stopped to feed me with goodies. Now what do I get A bag filled
with old lunch wrappings, hurled at me from the
window of a passing bus."
The goat paused and let loose a plaintive bleat, as though the memory
pained him.
"What the world needs," sighed the monkey, "is more
human fellowship."
This was the opening that the crafty goat was hoping for.
"My dear chap, I couldn't agree more," he enthused. "Let
us - just you and I - form our own self-help co-operative. Let's
start with, say, a banana plantation."
"Mercy me" exclaimed the monkey, taken aback. "Suppose
we plant just one tree for a start"
"Have it your way," said the goat a trifle huffily, "So
long as we both benefit equally."
"Splendid," agreed the monkey. "But who will pick
the fruit, and carry it to the market, and who will sell it for
the best price"
"Let's not get all up-tight and technical about this,"
urged the goat silkily. "Let's just keep it on a self-help
basis and divide the tree equally. I will take only the leaves -
you shall have all the fruit.
That
night in a secret place, known only to themselves, the pair planted
their tree. Some days later, when the first leaf unfurled, the monkey
called the goat to admire it.
The goat admired it - and ate it.
Leaf after leaf appeared, to be promptly eaten by the goat.
|