Der Affe Und Der Sake.[1](#noteaffe1)
by Unknown · from Japanische Märchen
Adapted Version
Once there was a clever monkey named Miko. He lived in a big green forest. A hunter wanted to catch Miko. Miko was very smart. The hunter tried many times. He could not catch Miko. Miko always got away.
The hunter made a new plan. He took a big bowl. He filled it with sweet juice. The juice smelled very good. He put the bowl near the forest. Then he went away.
Miko was in a tree. He watched the hunter. Miko saw the sweet juice. "This is a trick," Miko thought. "Hunter wants to catch me." Miko did not drink it. He stayed in his tree.
The sweet juice smelled so good. The smell went to Miko. Miko came down from the tree. He walked to the bowl. The smell was very strong.
Miko thought, "Just a little bit. A small taste is okay. I will not get sleepy." Miko took a sip. The juice tasted very sweet. Miko liked it much.
"Yum!" Miko thought. He took a little more. The juice was so good. "I am still fine," Miko thought. "I am not sleepy." He took a drink. He felt very happy.
Miko went back to the bowl. He took another big drink. Most of the juice was gone. Miko drank the last drops. The bowl was now empty.
Miko felt very full. He felt very sleepy. His eyes felt heavy. Miko could not stand up well. He wanted to close his eyes. He felt so tired.
Miko used the empty juice bowl. He put it under his head. The bowl was his soft pillow. Miko fell fast asleep.
The hunter came back. He saw Miko sleeping. Miko was fast asleep. The hunter smiled. He tied Miko up. He took Miko to his home.
Miko woke up later. He was in a cage. Miko felt sad. He felt unwell too. He knew he made a bad choice. The sweet juice was a trick. Miko was not happy.
Miko was in the cage. He felt very sad. Listen to your smart thoughts. Do not take too much good. You might get into trouble. Just like Miko.
Original Story
Der Affe und der Sake.1
s wollte einmal ein Jäger einen Affen fangen. Da aber die Affen sehr schlaue Tiere sind, gelang es ihm lange Zeit nicht einen zu fangen.
Da fiel ihm plötzlich eine List ein. Er nahm eine große Schüssel, füllte sie bis obenan mit Sake und stellte sie etwas entfernt vom Rande des Waldes auf.
Der Affe hatte, hinter den Blättern eines Baumes versteckt, dem Jäger zugeschaut und als dieser sich entfernt hatte, sprang er vom Baume und wollte sehen, was in der Schüssel sei.
Er roch, daß es Sake sei.
„Aha!“ dachte er, „ich soll den Sake trinken und wenn ich betrunken bin, will mich der Jäger fangen. Aber ich bin klüger als er denkt und werde von dem Sake nichts trinken.“
Damit ging er zurück, blieb aber nach einem Weilchen stehen; denn der Sake roch doch zu lieblich und verführerisch.
„Was kann es schaden“, setzte er sein Selbstgespräch fort, „wenn ich nur davon nippe und einige Tropfen genieße! Das macht noch lange nicht betrunken. Nur vorsichtig muß ich sein und darf nicht zu viel trinken!“
Zögernd ging er wieder zurück und näherte sich der Schüssel; dann schlürfte er einige Tropfen, die ihm recht gut schmeckten.
„Ein wenig mehr kann nichts schaden!“ dachte er weiter und nahm wieder einige Tropfen zu sich.
„Ah, wie das wohl tut!“ sprach er mit dem Sake liebäugelnd, „nur noch einen kräftigen Schluck, dann aber sei es genug und fort von hier“.
Er nahm nun einen recht großen Schluck und lief dann zum Walde zurück, aber am Rande blieb er stehen.
„Noch bin ich nicht betrunken,“ meinte er, „und ich merke nichts weiter als ein angenehmes Wohlgefühl. Zu stark scheint mir also der Sake nicht zu sein oder ich kann mehr vertragen, als ich dachte.
Übrigens habe ich ja auch fast gar nichts getrunken; die Schüssel ist noch nahezu voll. Also schnell nochmals hin und einen guten Zug getan.“
Auch dies geschah; aber der Zug war so kräftig, daß nur noch ein kleiner Rest in der Schüssel blieb, den der Affe überlegend betrachtete und schließlich auch noch leerte; „denn dieser kleine Rest,“ so philosophierte er, „macht jetzt auch nichts mehr aus.“
So war die Schüssel leer geworden, aber Kopf und Wangen des Affen waren voll; er konnte den Wald nicht mehr erkennen und wurde sehr müde.
Er nahm daher die Schüssel, stülpte sie um und legte sie unter seinen Kopf; dann schlief er ein, indem er noch dachte: „Was mag wohl aus dieser Geschichte jetzt werden?“
Kaum war er eingeschlafen, so kam der Jäger, band ihn und trug ihn nach Hause.
Als der Affe ausgeschlafen hatte, fand er sich in einem Käfig und hatte fürchterliche Schmerzen im Schädel.
So geht es, wenn man lüstern ist und sich nicht zu beherrschen weiß. Wer am Sake riecht, trinkt ihn dann auch.
1. Sake = Reiswein.
Story DNA
Moral
Greed and lack of self-control can lead to one's downfall, even when aware of the danger.
Plot Summary
A hunter, unable to catch a clever monkey, sets a trap by leaving a bowl of sake in the forest. The monkey, observing the hunter, suspects a trick and initially decides not to drink. However, lured by the enticing smell, he gradually succumbs to temptation, rationalizing each increasing sip until he empties the bowl and becomes completely drunk. Falling asleep using the bowl as a pillow, the monkey is easily captured by the hunter. He awakens in a cage with a terrible headache, learning a harsh lesson about the consequences of lacking self-control.
Themes
Emotional Arc
overconfidence to regret
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This story is a German fable, likely collected or adapted from various oral traditions. The specific mention of 'Sake' is unusual for a German fable and might indicate an exotic element or a translation choice.
Plot Beats (12)
- A hunter struggles to catch a clever monkey.
- The hunter devises a plan: he fills a large bowl with sake and leaves it near the forest.
- The monkey, hidden in a tree, watches the hunter and suspects a trap, deciding not to drink the sake.
- The monkey is drawn back by the alluring smell of the sake.
- He rationalizes that a small sip won't get him drunk and takes a few drops.
- Finding it delicious, he takes a bit more, then a 'strong gulp', convincing himself he's still sober.
- He returns for another large gulp, emptying most of the bowl, and then finishes the last drops.
- Completely drunk, the monkey's vision blurs, and he feels very tired.
- He uses the empty sake bowl as a pillow and falls asleep.
- The hunter returns, finds the sleeping monkey, ties him up, and takes him home.
- The monkey wakes up in a cage with a severe headache, realizing his folly.
- The story concludes with a moral about the dangers of lust and lack of self-control.
Characters
The Monkey
A medium-sized monkey, agile and quick-moving, with dark fur and expressive features typical of a Japanese macaque or similar species found in East Asia. His build is lean and muscular from climbing.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To outsmart the hunter and satisfy his curiosity and desire for pleasure (sake).
Flaw: Lust (for sake), lack of self-control, overconfidence in his own cleverness.
Starts as a clever, cautious animal, but succumbs to temptation and his own lack of self-control, leading to his capture. He learns the hard way about the consequences of indulgence.
Cunning, curious, self-deceptive, pleasure-seeking, philosophical (in a self-serving way).
The Hunter
A man of average height and build, with a practical, sturdy physique suitable for navigating the forest. His movements are deliberate and patient.
Attire: Simple, functional clothing suitable for a hunter in rural Japan, likely made of durable, earthy-toned fabrics like hemp or coarse cotton. Perhaps a dark blue or brown kimono-style jacket over trousers, with practical straw sandals or tabi boots.
Wants: To capture a monkey.
Flaw: None explicitly shown, but his reliance on trickery rather than direct confrontation could be seen as a subtle weakness.
He successfully achieves his goal through cunning, reinforcing his skill as a hunter.
Patient, cunning, resourceful, determined.
Locations
Forest Edge
The boundary where a dense forest meets a more open area, likely a clearing or the edge of human habitation. The ground is covered with natural foliage and possibly some exposed roots from the trees.
Mood: initially cautious and observant, later tempting and ultimately drowsy
The hunter places the sake bowl here, and the monkey repeatedly approaches and retreats, eventually consuming all the sake.
Inside the Forest
Deep within a Japanese forest, characterized by tall trees and dense foliage, providing ample cover and a sense of seclusion.
Mood: observant, strategic, later confused and disoriented
The monkey observes the hunter from here, and repeatedly retreats to this location to deliberate before returning to the sake.
Hunter's Home (Cage)
The interior of a hunter's dwelling, likely a simple, rustic Japanese house, where the monkey is confined in a cage.
Mood: confinement, regret, pain
The monkey wakes up here, realizing its capture and suffering from a hangover.