oison on them, and he did
not doubt that the roots of the balingay and alibutbut trees would
prove to be the antidotes to the poison. So he gathered the roots
and cooked them and advertised himself as a doctor.

In fact he cured many people and earned so much money that he soon
became rich.

CHAPTER 19

Masoy and the Ape. [6]

Masoy was a poor man who lived on a farm some miles from the town. His
clothing was very poor, and his little garden furnished him scarcely
enough to live on. Every week day he went to town to sell his fruits
and vegetables and to buy rice. Upon his return he noticed each day
that some one had entered the garden in his absence and stolen some
of the fruit. He tried to protect the garden by making the fence
very strong and locking the gate; but, in spite of all he could do,
he continued to miss his fruit.

At length Masoy conceived the happy idea of taking some pitch and
moulding it into the shape of a man. He put a bamboo hat on it and
stood it up in one comer of the garden. Then he went away.

As soon as he was gone, the robber, who was none other than a huge ape,
climbed the fence and got in.

"Oh!" he said to himself, "I made a mistake! There is Masoy
watching. He did not go away as I thought. He is here with a big bamboo
hat, but he could not catch me if he tried. I am going to greet him,
for fear he may consider me impolite."

"Good morning, Masoy," he said. "Why do you not answer me? What
is the matter with you? Oh! you are joking, are you, by keeping
so silent? But you will not do it again." On saying this, the ape
slapped the man of pitch with his right hand, and of course it stuck,
and he could not get it loose.

"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! No