The buffalo and the monkey

A monkey wanted to cross a river to eat some bananas on the other side. Unfortunately, he did not know how to swim. He asked a buffalo to carry him across on his back.

“All right,” said the buffalo. “Jump on. I’ll swim across. There’s some very tasty grass on the other side which I would like to eat.”

So the monkey rode on the buffalo’s back across the river. When they reached the other side, the monkey jumped off. He ran to eat as many banana as he could. The buffalo was quite happy eating the long grass.

After some time, the monkey wanted to return home. He asked the buffalo to take him back. But the buffalo told him to wait a little longer as he had not yet finished eating.

The naughty monkey began to sing. He made such a loud noise that a farmer, who was working in a nearby field, came to see what was the matter. He shouted at the buffalo, “Thief! Thief! Why are you eating my grass?” he threw some stones at the buffalo.

When the farmer had gone, the monkey came out from where he had been hiding. The buffalo was holding his sore head. He had been hit by a stone.

“Oh, oh! Why did you make so much noise? If you had kept quite, the farmer wouldn’t have noticed me.”

The monkey did not know what to say.

The buffalo asked him to sit on his back to return across the river.

When they were half-way across, the buffalo said to the monkey, “I want to roll over and take a bath here.”

“Please don’t! the monkey begged. “I can’t swim.”

“That’s not my fault.” Replied the buffalo. “You like to sing and make a noise. I always like to roll over in the water. It’s so cool and pleasant and it will cure my headache.”

Without saying any more, he rolled over in the water.

Luckily, the monkey was holding on tightly otherwise he would have drowned.

When they reached the other side, the monkey jumped down from the buffalo’s back. He was very wet and frightened.

“I shall never give you trouble again.” He promised. The buffalo.