The Sailor and the Monkeys

Once a sailor went ashore on the coast of South America. He had a number of woolen blue hats with him which he wanted to sell. On his way to the town at some distance from the coast, he had to pass through a forest, in which there were great numbers of monkeys.

At noon, as the sun was right overhead, the sailor decided to have a rest as it was very hot. He lay down under the shade of a large tree, took one of the caps out of his bundle, put it on his head, and fell asleep.

When he awoke, he found, to his surprise, that the caps were all gone!

Soon he heard a loud noise among the thick branches above him, and he looked up.

He saw the trees alive with monkeys, and on the head of each monkey was a blue woolen cap!

The monkeys had watched his actions, had stolen his caps, while he slept and had put them on, and now they did not pay any attention to his shouts.

When the sailor saw that he could not get his caps back, he pulled off the one which he had on his bead, and threw it on the ground, crying out, "If you want to keep the rest, you may take this one too!"

To his great surprise the little animals did the same. Each took the caps off its head and threw it on the ground. The sailor got his caps back and went away in triumph.