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"I have often heard of it, but I have never seen it!" answered
the monkey.
"Then you ought most surely to come. It is a great pity for
you to go through life without seeing it. The beauty of the
Palace is beyond all description it is certainly to my mind the
most lovely place in the world," said the jelly fish.
"Is it so beautiful as all that?" asked the monkey in
astonishment.
Then the jelly fish saw his chance, and went on describing to
the best of his ability the beauty and grandeur of the Sea
King's Palace, and the wonders of the garden with its curious
trees of white, pink and red coral, and the still more curious
fruits like great jewels hanging on the branches. The monkey
grew more and more interested, and as he listened he came
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down the tree step by step so as not to lose a word of the won-
derful story.
"I have got him at last!" thought the jelly fish, but aloud he
said:
"Mr. Monkey. I must now go back. As you have never seen
the Palace of the Dragon King, won't you avail yourself of this
splendid opportunity by coming with me? I shall then be able
to act as guide and show you all the sights of the sea, which
will be even more wonderful to you a land-lubber."
"I should love to go," said the monkey, "but how am I to cross
the water! I can't swim, as you surely know!"
"There is no difficulty about that. I can carry you on my
back."
"That will be troubling you too much," said the monkey.
"I can do it quite easily. I am stronger than I look, so you
needn't hesitate," said the jelly fish, and taking the monkey on
his back he stepped into the sea.
"Keep very still, Mr. monkey," said the jelly fish. "You mustn't
fall into the sea; I am responsible for your safe arrival at the
King's Palace."
"Please don't go so fast, or I am sure I shall fall off," said the
monkey.
Thus they went along, the jelly fish skimming through the
waves with the monkey sitting on his back. When they were
about half-way, the jelly fish, who knew very little of anatomy,
began to wonder if the monkey had his liver with him or not!
"Mr. Monkey, tell me, have you such a thing as a liver with
you?"
The monkey was very much surprised at this queer question,
and asked what the jelly fish wanted with a liver.
"That is the most important thing of all," said the stupid jelly
fish, "so as soon as I recollected it, I asked you if you had yours
with you?"
"Why is my liver so important to you?" asked the monkey.
"Oh! you will learn the reason later," said the jelly fish.
The monkey grew more and more curious and suspicious,
and urged the jelly fish to tell him for what his liver was
wanted, and ended up by appealing to his hearer's feelings by
saying that he was very troubled at what he had been told.
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Then the jelly fish, seeing how anxious the monkey looked,
was sorry for him, and told him everything. How the Dragon
Queen had fallen ill, and how the doctor had said that only the
liver of a live monkey would cure her, and how the Dragon
King had sent him to find one.
"Now I have done as I was told, and as soon as we arrive at
the Palace the doctor will want your liver, so I feel sorry for
you!" said the silly jelly fish.
The poor monkey was horrified when he learnt all this, and
very angry at the trick played upon him. He trembled with fear
at the thought of what was in store for him.
But the monkey was a clever animal, and he thought it the
wisest plan not to show any sign of the fear he felt, so he tried
to calm himself and to think of some way by which he might
escape.
"The doctor means to cut me open and then take my liver
out! Why I shall die!" thought the monkey. At last a bright
thought struck him, so he said quite cheerfully to the jelly fish:
"What a pity it was, Mr. Jelly Fish, that you did not speak of
this before we left the island!"
"If I had told why I wanted you to accompany me you would
certainly have refused to come," answered the jelly fish.
"You are quite mistaken," said the monkey. "Monkeys can
very well spare a liver or two, especially when it is wanted for
the Dragon Queen of the Sea. If I had only guessed of what you
were in need. I should have presented you with one without
waiting to be asked. I have several livers. But the greatest pity
is, that as you did not speak in time, I have left all my livers
hanging on the pine-tree."
"Have you left your liver behind you?" asked the jelly fish.
"Yes," said the cunning monkey, "during the daytime I usu-
ally leave my liver hanging up on the branch of a tree, as it is
very much in the way when I am climbing about from tree to
tree. To-day, listening to your interesting conversation, I quite
forgot it, and left it behind when I came off with you. If only
you had spoken in time I should have remembered it, and
should have brought it along with me!"
The jelly fish was very disappointed when he heard this, for
he believed every word the monkey said. The monkey was of no
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good without a liver. Finally the jelly fish stopped and told the
monkey so.
"Well," said the monkey, "that is soon remedied. I am really
sorry to think of all your trouble; but if you will only take me
back to the place where you found me, I shall soon be able to
get my liver."
The jelly fish did not at all like the idea of going all the way
back to the island again; but the monkey assured him that if he
would be so kind as to take him back he would get his very
best liver, and bring it with him the next time. Thus persuaded,
the jelly fish turned his course towards the Monkey Island once
more.
No sooner had the jelly fish reached the shore than the sly
monkey landed, and getting up into the pine-tree where the
jelly fish had first seen him, he cut several capers amongst the
branches with joy at being safe home again, and then looking
down at the jelly fish said:
"So many thanks for all the trouble you have taken! Please
present my compliments to the Dragon King on your return!"
The jelly fish wondered at this speech and the mocking tone
in which it was uttered. Then he asked the monkey if it wasn't
his intention to come with him at once after getting his liver.
The monkey replied laughingly that he couldn't afford to lose
his liver: it was too precious.
"But remember your promise!" pleaded the jelly fish, now
very discouraged.
"That promise was false, and anyhow it is now broken!"
answered the monkey. Then he began to jeer at the jelly fish
and told him that he had been deceiving him the whole time;
that he had no wish to lose his life, which he certainly would
have done had he gone on to the Sea King's Palace to the old
doctor waiting for him, instead of persuading the jelly fish to
return under false pretenses.
"Of course, I won't GIVE you my liver, but come and get it if
you can!" added the monkey mockingly from the tree.
There was nothing for the jelly fish to do now but to repent of
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