come to her help or she certainly would have died then and there.
The wasp flew to her, and took her back to bed and looked after
her, and then he consulted with a rice-mortar and an egg which had
fallen out of a nest near by, and they agreed that when the monkey
returned, as he was sure to do, to steal the rest of the fruit, that
they would punish him severely for the manner in which he had
behaved to the crab. So the mortar climbed up to the beam over
the front door, and the egg lay quite still on the ground, while the
wasp set down the water-bucket in a corner. Then the crab dug
itself a deep hole in the ground, so that not even the tip of her claws
might be seen.

Soon after everything was ready the monkey jumped down from his
tree, and creeping to the door began a long hypocritical speech,
asking pardon for all he had done. He waited for an answer of
some sort, but none came. He listened, but all was still; then he
peeped, and saw no one; then he went in. He peered about for the
crab, but in vain; however, his eyes fell on the egg, which he
snatched up and set on the fire. But in a moment the egg had burst
into a thousand pieces, and its sharp shell struck him in the face and
scratched him horribly. Smarting with pain he ran to the bucket and
stooped down to throw some water over his head. As he stretched
out his hand up started the wasp and stung him on the nose. The
monkey shrieked and ran to the door, but as he passed through
down fell the mortar and struck him dead. 'After that the crab lived
happily for many years, and at length died in peace under her own
kaki tree.

[From Japanische Mahrchen.]