DER TISCHLER UND DER AFFE
by Friedrich Giese · from Türkische Märchen
Adapted Version
Once there was a carpenter. He worked with wood. The Carpenter sawed a big log. He put a wedge in the wood. This wedge made a space. He put a second wedge in. He took the first wedge out. He worked very well.
An eager Monkey watched The Carpenter. The Monkey sat in a tree. It watched the big saw. It watched the small wedges. The Monkey saw The Carpenter's hands. It saw how he worked. The Monkey wanted to try.
The Carpenter stood up. He walked away from the log. He left his tools. The Carpenter was gone now. The log was all alone. He did not see The Monkey.
The Monkey saw The Carpenter leave. It was very happy. Now it could try. The Monkey jumped from the tree. It ran to the big log. It climbed onto the wood. The Monkey sat where The Carpenter sat. It wanted to work too. It looked at the wedges.
The Monkey moved on the log. Its tail hung down low. The wood had a big crack. The Monkey's tail went into the crack. Oh no! Its tail was stuck now. It could not move its tail. The Monkey felt a little scared. It tried to pull its tail out. But the tail stayed stuck. It was a bad place.
The Monkey saw a wedge. It thought, "Wedge is bad." It pulled it out. The wood snapped shut fast. The crack closed on its tail. Now its tail was very stuck. It hurt the Monkey. The Monkey felt very sad. It made a small sound.
The Monkey cried, "Ouch! Ouch!" Its tail hurt much. The Monkey felt very bad. It thought, "Not my work." I pick fruit. It felt very sorry now. It made a sad sound. It did not know about wood. It did not know about wedges. It was a big mistake. It wanted to be safe. It wanted to be in its tree.
The Carpenter came back. He saw The Monkey. He saw its tail stuck. The Carpenter felt sorry. He put a wedge back in. The wood opened slowly. The Monkey pulled its tail out. "Be safe," The Carpenter said. Do what you know. Ask for help. Monkey knew. It ran back to its tree. It was good to be safe.
Original Story
42. DER TISCHLER UND DER AFFE
Ein Tischler saß auf einem Stück Holz und zersägte es. Er hatte zwei Keile. Den einen klemmte er in die Spalte, damit der Weg für die Säge leichter sein sollte, und wenn eine bestimmte Grenze überschritten war, schlug er den zweiten Keil ein und nahm den ersten heraus. In dieser Weise arbeitete er. Ein Affe sah der Arbeit des Tischlers und der Bewegung der Säge zu. Plötzlich mußte der Tischler während der Arbeit etwas anderes tun und ging weg. Als der Affe den Platz des Tischlers leer sah, kam er sogleich herbei, stieg auf das Holz und setzte sich darauf. Irgendwie kamen seine Hoden auf der Seite, wo gesägt war, in den Spalt, und er zog den Keil, ohne vorher einen andern einzuschlagen, heraus. Als der Keil herausgezogen war, schlugen die beiden Seiten zusammen und die Hoden des armen Affen wurden in dem Holze eingeklemmt. Der Affe schrie laut vor Schmerz und sagte: „Es ist gut, daß jeder in der Welt nur seine Arbeit macht, und der, der seine Arbeit nicht tut, der macht Gutes schlecht. Meine Arbeit ist es, Früchte zu pflücken. Was ging mich das Sägen an? Während es mein Beruf ist, mich im Walde umzuschauen, wozu mußte ich mich mit Säge und Beil abgeben? Wer sich so benimmt, dem passiert das.“
Als der Affe sich selbst so tadelte, kam der Tischler. Als er ihn in dieser Lage sah, sagte er: „So geht es dem, der tut, was er nicht gelernt hat“ und ließ es nicht an reichlicher Strafe fehlen.
Story DNA
Moral
Stick to your own work and do not meddle in affairs you do not understand, or you will suffer the consequences.
Plot Summary
A carpenter is sawing wood, using wedges to keep the split open, while an ape watches him. When the carpenter steps away, the curious ape attempts to imitate his work. The ape's testicles accidentally fall into the split wood, and when it pulls out a wedge without replacing it, its testicles become painfully trapped. The ape cries out, lamenting its foolishness for meddling in work that wasn't its own, and is further punished by the returning carpenter.
Themes
Emotional Arc
curiosity to suffering
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Fables like this were common in European tradition to teach moral lessons, often featuring animals with human-like reasoning and flaws.
Plot Beats (8)
- A carpenter is sawing wood, using two wedges to keep the split open.
- An ape watches the carpenter's work intently.
- The carpenter temporarily leaves his workstation.
- The ape seizes the opportunity to imitate the carpenter, climbing onto the wood.
- The ape's testicles accidentally fall into the sawed split.
- The ape pulls out the wedge, causing the wood to close and trap its testicles.
- The ape cries out in pain and reflects on its mistake, realizing it should have stuck to its own work.
- The carpenter returns, sees the ape's predicament, and punishes it further.
Characters
The Carpenter
A man of average height and sturdy build, with calloused hands from years of woodworking. His forearms are likely strong and muscular from sawing and hammering. He moves with a practical, efficient manner.
Attire: Practical, durable work clothes typical of a 19th-century German craftsman: a sturdy linen or wool tunic, possibly a leather apron over it, and simple trousers. His clothes would be functional, likely stained with wood dust and grime, in muted earth tones like brown, grey, or dark green.
Wants: To complete his work efficiently and correctly; to maintain order and teach lessons about responsibility.
Flaw: Perhaps a momentary lapse in vigilance, leaving his tools unattended.
He serves as a moral authority, reinforcing the story's lesson through his actions and words.
Diligent, methodical, practical, observant, disciplinary.
The Monkey
A medium-sized monkey, agile and curious, with strong limbs suited for climbing. Its body is covered in fur, and it has a prehensile tail.
Attire: None, as it is a wild animal.
Wants: To satisfy its curiosity by mimicking the carpenter's actions.
Flaw: Its impulsive nature and lack of understanding of the tools and their dangers.
Starts as an impulsive, curious creature and ends up learning a painful lesson about sticking to one's own trade.
Curious, imitative, impulsive, reckless, regretful.
Locations
Carpenter's Workshop Clearing
A rustic, open-air workspace likely situated at the edge of a German forest, with a large, freshly felled log being sawn. The ground is probably dirt or packed earth, possibly with wood shavings scattered around.
Mood: Initially industrious and peaceful, later becoming chaotic and painful.
The carpenter is sawing the log, and the monkey observes him. Later, the monkey imitates the carpenter and gets injured.