nd out what had happened. The two
gods came back and reported: "The rays shine from the eyes of the
stone ape who was hatched out of the egg which came from the magic
rock. There is no reason for uneasiness."

Little by little the ape grew up, ran and leaped about, drank from the
springs in the valleys, ate the flowers and fruits, and time went by
in unconstrained play.

One day, during the summer, when he was seeking coolness, together
with the other apes on the island, they went to the valley to bathe.
There they saw a waterfall which plunged down a high cliff. Said the
apes to each other: "Whoever can force his way through the waterfall,
without suffering injury, shall be our king." The stone ape at once
leaped into the air with joy and cried: "I will pass through!" Then he
closed his eyes, bent down low and leaped through the roar and foam of
the waters. When he opened his eyes once more he saw an iron bridge,
which was shut off from the outer world by the waterfall as though by
a curtain.

At its entrance stood a tablet of stone on which were graven the
words: "This is the heavenly cave behind the water-curtain on the
Blessed Island of Flowers and Fruits." Filled with joy, the stone ape
leaped out again through the waterfall and told the other apes what he
had found. They received the news with great content, and begged the
stone ape to take them there. So the tribe of apes leaped through the
water on the iron bridge, and then crowded into the cave castle where
they found a hearth with a profusion of pots, cups and platters. But
all were made of stone. Then the apes paid homage to the stone ape as
their king, and he was given the name of Handsome King of the Apes. He
appointed long-tailed, ring-tailed and other monkeys to be his
officials and counselors, servants and retainers, and they led a
blissful life on the Mountain, sleeping by night in their cave castle,
keeping away from birds and beasts, and their king enjoyed untroubled
happiness. In this way some three hundred years went by.

One day, when the King of the Apes sat with his subjects at a merry
meal, he suddenly began to weep. Frightened, the apes asked him why he
so suddenly grew sad amid all his bliss. Said the King: "It is true
that we are not subject to the law and rule of man, that birds and
beasts do not dare attack us, yet little by little we grow old and
weak, and some day the hour will strike when Death, the Ancient, will
drag us off! Then w