Black Horse

The Crab and the Monkey

In short: A crab trades a rice dumpling for a seed. Years later, the ability to climb the tree brings the bargain back into question.

The Crab and the Monkey · The crab and monkey quarrel FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 44 The Crab and the Monkey A crab trades a rice dumpling for a seed. Origin Tokyo, Japan Atlas record 1885 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF The crab and monkey quarrel Reach¹ 3/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 3 records · 3 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

Tokyo, Japan

In Ozaki’s telling, the monkey eats the dumpling at once. The crab plants the persimmon seed and waits for the tree to bear fruit. The crab cannot reach the branches, so the monkey climbs up to pick the fruit and breaks his promise to share it. The two agreements show how trust breaks down. The Edo-Tokyo Museum holds an earlier printed record of the tale in a crepe-paper booklet dated 1885.

Dated records and sources

  1. 1885 · Tokyo, Japan
    Edo-Tokyo Museum · Japanese Fairy Tale Series no. 3 · crepe-paper booklet · Published collection
  2. 1903 · Westminster, England
    Yei Theodora Ozaki · The Japanese Fairy Book · National Diet Library catalogue · Published collection
  3. 1908 · New York, United States
    Yei Theodora Ozaki · The Quarrel of the Monkey and the Crab · Dutton reprint, p. 203 · Published collection

Country pages

Fairy Tale Glossary

Origin
Black Horse. The Crab and the Monkey. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-crab-monkey/