Classic story

The Monkey and the Crab

A Japanese tale
5 chapters
about 15 min

Listen freeOur AI voices · free account Listen freeOpen it in your library In your voiceWith a paid plan →In your voiceWith a paid plan →

Read an excerpt

A greedy monkey tricks a simple yellow crab into exchanging a rice dumpling for a worthless persimmon seed. The kind-hearted crab plants the seed, and over several years, it grows into a tree laden with delicious fruit. When the fruit ripens, the crab seeks the monkey's help to climb the tree, only to be betrayed by his former friend. The monkey climbs up, eats all the ripe persimmons himself, and then hurls hard, unripe ones at the defenseless crab below. These heavy projectiles kill the poor crab, leaving him dead beneath the tree. His young son discovers the tragic scene and vows to avenge his father's murder. Realizing he cannot defeat the cunning monkey alone, the young crab seeks help from the mortar, the bee, and the chestnut. The clever friends devise a plan to lure the unsuspecting monkey to a feast under the guise of friendship. The greedy monkey accepts the invitation, believing his crime has gone unnoticed by everyone. At the gathering, he is tricked into a tea ceremony where his enemies ambush him one by one. First, the hidden chestnut burns his neck, and then the bee stings his face as he tries to flee. Finally, the mortar falls from above, crushing the monkey beneath its weight. Trapped and helpless, the young crab confronts the punished monkey for his wickedness. The story concludes with the execution of justice, avenging the innocent life lost to greed.

How it begins

Long, long ago, one bright autumn day in Japan, it happened, that a pink-faced monkey and a yellow crab were playing together along the bank of a river. As they were running about, the crab found a rice-dumpling and the monkey a persimmon-seed. The crab picked up the rice-dumpling and showed it to the monkey, saying: "Look what a nice thing I have found!" Then the monkey held up his persimmon-seed and said: "I also have found something good! Look!" Now though the monkey is always very fond of persimmon fruit, he had no use for the seed he had just found. The persimmon-seed is as hard and uneatable as a stone. He, therefore, in his greedy nature, felt very…

Every story, fully told

No recording needed: every story comes with all of this, on every plan — the free preview included.

A voice for every character
The narrator tells the story, and each character speaks in an AI voice of their own, so you always know who is talking.
The mood of every line
The reading follows the mood of each line: quicker when something exciting happens, slower when it's sad or sleepy, with pauses that let the big moments land.
Pictures of every place
Each chapter is illustrated with the places where it happens — a forest, a castle, a little cottage — and the pictures change as the story moves on.
Read along
The words light up as they are spoken, each speaker appears beside their lines, and music plays in the background.

Paid plan

Your AI voice, for any character

Record one short passage, then choose who reads in your AI voice: just the narrator, a few characters or the whole cast. The others keep their own AI voices, and only the parts in your voice use your plan's monthly rendering time.

Listen free Listen free

The Monkey and the Crab

How it begins

Every story, fully told

A voice for every character

The mood of every line

Pictures of every place

Read along

Your AI voice, for any character

More stories like this