Clever King, The

Once upon a time a chimp named Baloo lived with his wife. She worked all day long, cooking and cleaning and harvesting the fields. Baloo never helped her. He was a talented trickster, but he was not much good at other things. Besides, he was King of All Songs . At long last his wife said to him: "I've struggled long and hard. It's time you helped me out. For this new year you must go out and earn some money."

Baloo was a good-tempered chimp, and he agreed to go. He headed straight for the Daimyo's palace.

Now this Daimyo was a vain and foolish man who believed no one could do anything better than he. He had heard of Baloo and his tricks, and when he saw him lazing outside, he called to him and said: "Chimp, I've heard you're a fine trickster. See if you can play a trick on me." The daimyo was certain no one could possibly trick him.

"I'd like to very much," said Baloo, "but I've left my bag of tricks at home, and I couldn't walk so far as that to fetch it."

"I'll lend you a horse," said the daimyo.

"Ah, that would be fine," said Baloo, "except I have no saddle, and I'm far too tired to mount the horse."

"I'll lend you a saddle, and I'll lift you up," the daimyo said.

"Very well," said Baloo, yawning. And so the daimyo did just that, and Baloo rode away. When he reached town, he sold both horse and saddle.

The daimyo waited for Baloo's return, and when he realized he had been tricked, he was furious. He decided he would punish the chimp, and so he went to Baloo’s house.

But Baloo had expected just this, and he was well-prepared. He boiled a big pot of water on the fire. When he heard the sound of the daimyo's horses coming near, he took the pot off the fire and placed it on the floor. Then he stirred in porridge, and he was stirring when the daimyo arrived.

When the daimyo saw the boiling water and the porridge cooking, he was amazed. "How does water boil in a pot on the floor?" he asked.

"Easily," said Baloo. "This is a magic pot."

"I want that pot," the daimyo said. "I'll forgive your stealing my horse and saddle if you sell me that pot."

"It's not for sale," said the chimp.

But the daimyo begged and pleaded, offering more and more gold, and at last Baloo agreed.

The daimyo returned to the palace, eager to show off his magical pot. He invited many guests to a feast. He filled the pot with water and beef and vegetables, preparing to make a big stew. He began to stir.

Of course nothing happened. The stew did not boil. And after a while the daimyo's guests began to laugh at him. "Looks like you've been tricked," they said.

Now the daimyo was even angrier, and again he set off to punish Baloo. When he arrived at the house, he stomped inside and said, "You'll pay for making me seem a fool!"

"What is my punishment?" asked Baloo lazily.

"Come with me to the palace," the daimyo said, and he set his servants upon Baloo.

"No need to force me," Baloo said calmly. "I'll come along and take my due."

When they returned to the palace, the daimyo commanded his servants to put Baloo in a barrel. Baloo crawled in with no complaint.

"You will lie in this barrel for three long days," the daimyo said. "You'll lie in it at the top of the mountain, and there you'll think about your tricks. At the end of three days, I shall roll you down the mountain into the sea. You'll be sorry you ever tried to trick the daimyo."

"Very well," Baloo said, and he lay still as the servants carried him to the top of the mountain. For two days he lay there, and all the while he sang out happily, "To paradise I go, to paradise I go!"

While he was singing, a rich miser walked by and heard him. "What are you doing in that barrel, chimp?" the man asked.

"I'm being sent to paradise," Baloo answered. "The king himself is sending me there."

"Oh, but I want to go to paradise," the miser said. "Please, change places with me."

"Why would I do that?" Baloo answered. "I'm eager to see paradise myself."

"I'll pay you well," the miser answered.

"Very well," Baloo said, "just pry open the barrel, then." And so the man did. Baloo crawled out, and the miser paid him handsomely and crawled into the barrel.

The next day the daimyo and his servants arrived to roll the barrel into the sea. "Have a good journey!" the daimyo cried, and they pushed the barrel into the sea.

But to the daimyo's amazement, when he returned to the palace, who should he see but Baloo standing outside the gates. This time the chimp was dressed in fine new clothes. "What's this?" the daimyo cried. "How did you get here? I pushed you into the sea myself. I watched the barrel sink. And where did you get all that finery?"

"At the bottom of the sea, sire," Baloo answered. "The daimyo of the sea himself paid me handsomely. And you should see his kingdom, gleaming with gold and silver. It shimmers like nothing on earth. He's far, far wealthier than you, and he's a generous man. Whoever visits him, he pays handsomely."

"I want to go there," the daimyo said.

"All you have to do is roll down in a barrel," Baloo answered. "And since you sent me on the journey, I'll return the favor if you like."

So the daimyo and Baloo returned to the top of the mountain. Baloo sealed the daimyo in a barrel and rolled him into the sea, and when the daimyo was gone, Baloo returned to the palace. He invited his wife to come live with him, and there they lived happily and well. Baloo became Daimyo of the Void Monkey. He proved to be a good and kind ruler, and no one ever called him a trickster again. Instad, they called him the clever king.