Once upon a time in the lush green mountains of Taiwan, there was a small village where a kind-hearted widow lived with her two daughters. They led a simple life, filled with laughter and the daily task of washing rice by the bubbling stream.
But let me tell you, kids, the mountains were also home to a sneaky goblin-monkey, a creature as sly as he was quick. He saw the sisters and, for some reason, decided he wanted the elder sister to be his wife. One bright morning, with the sun just peeking over the treetops, he sprang out and, quicker than a blink, carried the older sister off to his hidden cave high up where the clouds kissed the peaks.
The poor girl was now trapped, her only visitors being the occasional mountain birds. One day, as she was making her hair look nice, a clever magpie swooped in and nabbed her colorful ribbon. She asked the magpie, “Could you take this to my family? Let them know I’m still out here!” So flying towards the sunrise, the magpie flew off with the ribbon in its beak.
Meanwhile, the widow and the younger sister’s hearts ached for their missing loved one. Then, one morning, they heard the magpie’s chatter and saw it drop the elder sister’s ribbon onto their table. The mother knew what she had to do. “Lead the way, brave bird,” she said.
The magpie led her through twisty trails and foggy paths until they reached the cave. There, the mother and elder sister shared a tearful reunion. But there was no time to waste; the goblin-monkey would soon return.
The mother, with a spark of wit, spotted some stones in the cave. “Heat these in the fire until they’re sizzling,” she instructed her daughter. They had a plan!
As expected, the goblin-monkey came back, shivering and complaining about the cold. The elder sister, playing it cool, suggested, “Why don’t you warm up over here?” The monkey, unsuspecting and eager for warmth, sat right down on the hot stones.
Yowch! The second his bum touched the stones, he leapt up with a yelp that echoed through the mountains! The scalding stones had turned his backside a bright, fiery red. And while he was busy with his hot predicament, the mother and daughter made a run for it.
By the time the goblin-monkey got those stones off, his tail had shrunk to a tiny stub, and his bum was as red as a sunset. The daughter and her mother, clever and quick, were long gone, safely back home with their tale of bravery and smarts.
And so, kids, whenever you see a monkey in Taiwan with a red bum and a short tail, remember the tale of the crafty widow, her brave daughters, and the magpie that helped outsmart the goblin-monkey.
