narrated by francisco m. africa.

once upon a time there lived a poor man who had seven sons. these young men, all except the youngest, helped their aged father with the work; but the family became poorer and poorer. one day, when they had exhausted all their means of support, the father called his sons before him. to every son he assigned a certain kind of work, so that there might be cooperation, and hence efficiency, in the labors of the humble family. to the youngest son was assigned the task of gathering sticks in the forest for fuel.

not long afterwards a pestilence broke out in the little town where the old man lived, and all his sons but the youngest died. the father was left to starve on his bed, for his only living son was so ungrateful as not to give any help to his father in his last years. when the old man was about to breathe his last, he called his son to give him his final benediction; but the [413]ungrateful boy, instead of going to his dying father, ran away into the woods, and the old man passed away without anybody to care for him.

but god punished the unfilial son; he cursed him; and the boy lost his power of speech, and was condemned to live in the forests ever after as a monkey. thus, although monkeys cannot talk, they are wise because they are descended from a human being.