The Crab and the Monkey

is a Japanese fairy tale collected in "Japanische Mahrchen". Yei Theodora Ozaki included it in "Japanese Fairy Tales", [Yei Theodora Ozaki, "Japanese Fairy Tales", " [http://www.rickwalton.com/folktale/japan16.htm The Quarrel of Tee Monkey and the Crab] "] and Andrew Lang, somewhat euphemized, in "The Crimson Fairy Book". [Andrew Lang, "The Crimson Fairy Book", " [http://www.mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/228.htm The Crab and the Monkey] "]

ynopsis

A crab finds a rice ball. A monkey persuades the crab to trade it for a seed. The crab plants and tends the seed, but though it grows into a tree and bears fruit, the crab cannot climb to pick the fruit. The monkey agrees to climb the tree for the crab, promising to throw half the fruit down to her, but instead gorges himself, picking rotten and unripe fruit for the crab. When the crab protests, he hurls the fruit at her until she dies (or in Lang's version, she gathers the fruit and the monkey climbs down and attacks, leaving her for dead).

With the help of some friends, always including a mortar and sometimes a bee, an egg, or a chestnut as well, the crab's child avenges the attack.

References