How the Monkey became a trickster, dedicated to John Curtis, Maximilian and Leonardo.

Hello, this is Jana, and I'm here with a folk tale from Brazil.

It's about a monkey, a guitar and a fruit tree.

We think you'll find this tuneful story loads of fun.

Once upon a time there was a beautiful garden in which grew all sorts of fruits.

Many beasts lived in the garden and they were allowed to eat the fruits whenever they wished.

But they were asked to follow just one rule.

They must make a low polite bow to the fruit tree, call it by its name and say,

Please give me a taste of your fruit.

They had to be careful to remember the tree's correct name and not to forget to say please.

It was also important that they should not be greedy.

They must always leave plenty of fruit for the other beasts,

and plenty to decorate the tree, and to scatter seeds so that the other trees might grow.

If they wish to eat figs, they had to say,

Oh fig tree, oh fig tree, please give me a taste of your fruit.

Or if they wish to eat oranges, they had to say.

Oh, orange tree, please give me a taste of your fruit.

In one corner of the garden grew the most splendid tree of all,

and the rosy-cheeked fruit upon its widespread branches

looked tantalizingly tempting. No beast had ever tasted of that fruit,

for no beast could ever remember its name. In a tiny house near the edge of the garden

lived a little old woman who knew the names of all the fruit trees.

...