The Fable of Ape

A long time ago, there lived an Ape in a very calm spot of a jungle. He usually slept on his favorite tree, which had thick, strong branches and lots of big round leaves. No other apes lived near him, but he had lots of friends, and he was known a kind host. He didn’t like rushing and he always said peace was his way of life. When he was hungry, he jumped to the nearest fruit tree and grabbed a banana or a mango. When he felt sleepy, he snuggled on comfortable bark. When it rained, he took shelter in a nearby cave. He had no restrictions and no worries. And so he lived for years and years. He got along with all his neighbors: birds, ants, mice, squirrels, tapirs, and many more. No one ever had a bad word to say about Ape, and in fact, he always liked to help any way he could. If a tiny hornbill fell off the nest, or if an ant had trouble carrying a heavy beetle leg, or if a young squirrel couldn’t remember where he had buried his nut – there was Ape for them.

One mild, sunny day, along came a smaller ape.

“Hey there!” – heard Ape from up his tree.

“Hey” – he replied, with his eyes still closed.

“Are you busy, brother?”

“Nah. Not really.”

“How ‘bout you come down here and see what I got?”

When Ape climbed down the tree, he saw a big pile of figs, and mangoes, and apples, and bananas.

“Woah!” – said Ape – “You sure are a lucky ape!”

“Wanna try a fig, brother? They’re really sweet!”

And so they started eating and chatting, and before they realized, it was getting dark. The smaller ape seemed a good fellow. He told Ape of his latest trips to the other end of the jungle and his terrible encounter with a jaguar. He also said he couldn’t stay with Ape that night because he had already told a green parrot friend of his he would have dinner with her and her family.

“I’d invite you to join us, but I’m afraid the children might be scared of a big Ape like yourself. They haven’t seen many of us yet. As a matter of fact, I’m the only ape they know!”

“Oh, that’s alright” – said Ape – “I’m a bit sleepy anyway. But be sure to say hi any time you’re around. And thanks for the fruit, mate.”

“No worries, no worries... You know, before I go, I was just wondering if you could help me out, brother. I have a little thing I should have finished today, but time flies when you’re having a good time.”

“What is it? If there’s anything I can do, I’d be glad to help you.”

The smaller Ape told him there was a very old wild boar in his area of the jungle who loved counting little pebbles, but, as he was a bit dim-sighted, smaller ape had offered to take some of his pebbles and count them for him during the day, so that, when he returned home in the evening, he would tell him how many there were.

“But, you see, I didn’t know I’d find you and we’d get to talking and everything... And it’s already time for dinner at my friend the parrot’s. So I’m afraid I won’t have time to count them like I promised the boar.”

“Oh, mate, don’t you worry. I’ll count them for you before I go to bed and, on your way back from the parrot’s, just come this way through the trees and I’ll tell you how many there are. This way you won’t get home too late.”

The smaller ape thanked him wholeheartedly and made his way past the mice burrow to the parrot’s place. Ape started counting the pebbles, trying not to fall asleep on them. He finished well into the night, but he was satisfied to return the nice deed the smaller ape had done to him sharing all those fruits. Mmm... he could still taste the mangoes and the figs and the apples... Ape fell into a deep sleep.

 

And then a voice cried: “Brother!”

Poor Ape got a good fright. It was very dark, and he didn’t recognize the smaller ape’s voice at first.

“Pst! Brother!”

“Oh, yeah... Coming.” Ape rolled down the tree.

“I counted 112 pebbles, mate. I lost count a couple of times, but I checked and I’m sure.”

“Oh, brother! You rock! Ha ha ha!”

“Right, good one. Well, if you know your way back home, and you’ll excuse me, I’ll go back to sleep.”

“Of course! Thanks again, brother, you saved me.” And off he went with all the pebbles. And up Ape climbed, back to his favorite branch.

 

For some days, Ape went back to his placid life. He took care of a caterpillar, decorated one of the walls of the cave with some iridescent leaves he found during one of his strolls through the wise old trees and even played with a fox cub before she found her way back to her mom. But then, just when Ape least expected him, on a Sunday afternoon, he heard the smaller ape at a distance:

“Brother!”

In all the years Ape had lived in the jungle, never had he seen berries like the ones in the pile under his tree. How sweet and juicy they were! And what an agreeable time both apes spent together before the smaller ape said he really had to go.

“I promised my friend the toucan I’d help him find the right twigs for his new nest.”

But, just as last time, the smaller ape managed to get Ape to count pebbles for him. It actually wasn’t hard – Ape was always ready to help, and what was counting a few peebles in comparison to sharing those delicious berries? It was the least he could do for his generous friend, he thought.

After that day, the smaller ape began visiting him with bigger and better fruit almost every week. And every time Ape was left with pebbles to count for the poor old wild boar.

When the rainy season started, the smaller ape knew to look for his loyal friend in the cave near his favorite tree.

“I thought: ‘who else would decorate these walls with such good taste but you, brother?’ Ha ha ha! By the way, have you ever had lychees as tasty as these before?”

 

What Ape didn’t realize, despite his good intentions, was that the size of the pebble stack grew bigger and bigger with each new visit, so that, after some weeks since their first gathering, it took him two days to finish counting them all. Soon his neighbors the squirrels were telling the mice family how long it had been since they last had seen Ape. Soon the ants in charge of the ground surrounding Ape’s favorite tree began wondering where he’d gone. The bats in the cave learned to sleep with the mild light from Ape’s fire, which he needed to count his pebbles through the dark hours. Ape, however, could only think of the fleshy strawberries and round cherries and smelly peaches the smaller ape had promised him in his now shorter and shorter visits.

As months went by, Ape began growing fatter and lazier. His old friends outside of the cave lived their lives peacefully and had learned to move on and take care of themselves and each other. It wasn’t strange to see an ant help a dung beetle or a tapir show a young brocket deer where the most tender grass grew.

One day, a while after the smaller ape had visited Ape, a lonely elephant passed by the cave. She saw Ape inside and put her head in to take a closer look.

“Hello” – she said.

“Mhm. Fourteen...” – replied Ape.

“What are you up to?”

Ape explained why he was counting all those pebbles, and why he couldn’t waste much time chatting.

“Oh, I see. May I just say, you’re the first ape I’ve ever seen who likes counting more than spending time outside.”

“What? I never told you I like counting pebbles. I just have to.”

“Ha ha ha!” – laughed the elephant. –“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you meant that.”

“Look, mate, I’m sorry, but I really should get back to this. Where was I...?”

“Okay, I hear you. But I have one more question for you.”

“Fine, shoot.”

“When was the last time you took a stroll to the the stream and splashed about?”

“I don’t remember.”

“And when was the last time you smelled one of those blue allamandas out there?”

Ape stopped counting, his eyes still set on the pile of pebbles.

“And when was the last time you climbed up a young tree trembling under your feet? And when was the last time you felt the warm sun on your face and the wet grass on your back? The last time you eavesdropped on a conversation between two screaming pihas?”

With each new question, more and more intense feelings unearthed in Ape’s chest. He found himself standing on his swollen feet, with his fists closed and tears burning in his eyes.

“Go out there, friend! You go and live before the sun stops shining!”

And so Ape saw his feet run, and climb, and jump. His hands grabbing, and letting go, and splashing. His tail surfing through the vines. His cry was heard from all corners of the jungle and beyond, and his soul reflected on a sunbeam that cut through the leaves like a lightning in a storm.