“For heaven’s sake,” cried the ape, “let me go.  If you do not, I will slap you with my other hand.”  Then he struck him with the other hand, which, of course, stuck fast also.

“Well, Masoy,” cried the ape, “you have entirely exhausted my patience!  If you don’t let go of me at once, I shall kick you.”  No sooner said than done, with a result which may easily be imagined.

“Masoy,” cried the now enraged ape, “if you have any regard for your own welfare, let me go, for if you don’t, I still have one leg left to kill you with.”  So saying, he kicked him with the remaining foot, getting so tangled up that he and the tar man fell to the ground, rolling over and over.

Then Masoy came, and, when he saw the ape, he said:  “So you are the robber who has stolen my fruit!  Now you will pay for it with your life.”

But the ape cried, “Oh, spare my life, and I will be your slave forever!”

“Do you promise not to steal my fruit again?”

“I do, and I will serve you faithfully all my life.”

Masoy agreed to spare him.

From that time on the ape worked very hard for his master.  He sold the fruit and bought the rice and was honest and industrious.  One day, on his way to market, he happened to find a small piece of gold and another of silver.  At that time this country was not ruled by any foreign power, but each tribe was governed by its own datto or chief.  The chief was naturally the bravest and richest of the tribe.

The chief of Masoy’s tribe had a very beautiful daughter.  The ape schemed to have her marry his master.  Now he hit upon a plan.  He went to the chief’s house and asked for a ganta, which is a measure holding about three quarts and used for measuring rice.

“My master,” he said, “begs you to lend him a ganta to measure his gold with.”

The chief was astonished at such an extraordinary request, and asked:  “Who is your master?”

“Masoy, who owns many gantas of gold and silver, acres upon acres of land; and uncountable heads of cattle,” was the reply.

The ape carried the ganta home, and there he stuck the piece of gold he had found on the inside of the bottom of the measure, and then returned it to the chief.

“Oh, ape!” said the datto, “your master has forgotten to take out one piece of gold.  Take it and give it back to him.”

“Never mind, sir,” answered the ape, “he has so much gold that that small piece is nothing to him.  You may keep it.”

Some weeks afterward, the ape went again to borrow the chief’s ganta.

“What do you want it for now?” asked the chief.

“To measure my master’s silver with,” was the answer.  So he carried it home, stuck inside the piece of silver he had found, and returned it.  The chief found the piece of silver and offered to return it, but was answered as before, that it did not matter.

The chief believed all that the ape said, but was puzzled to know how such a rich man could be living in his territory without his having heard of him.