King Beaver and King Monkey got to talking one day about the state of their respective clans.“By the looks of the numbers of your dams, you beavers are neither very powerful nor prosperous” said King Monkey adding, “Have you done nothing to inspire or encourage your beaver kin?”
“My kin need no encouragement for they work hard toiling independently against the vicissitudes of nature and as for inspiration, there is only what I gain from the sight of their constant efforts” said King Beaver.
“My monkey kin for certain know a better life than your beavers for I have made for them a deal whereby every monkey is given a tree nest so long as the able-bodied pay tribute to our clan” replied the Monkey King.
“Tribute? ... In what form?” asked the Beaver King.
“Two bananas a day from the mighty, one pawfull of seeds from the typical and a few leaves or nothing at all from the weak for it’s the least we can do for those who, as nature would have it, have been dealt such unfortunate circumstances” replied the Monkey King.
“That sounds like quite a bargain” said the wise Beaver King adding, “are your able-bodied kin holding up their end?”
“They certainly are, and I should add…” replied the foolish Monkey King “that this deal comes none too soon as we are finding nature to be weakening our ranks with each passing day!”
