0197. The Moon in the Well

From Indian Fables and Folklore by Shovona Devi, online at: Hathi Trust.

Notes. You can find more stories about the "moon in the well" at Dan Ashliman's website: The Moon in the Well.

Summary: When the moon disappears behind the clouds, the monkeys decide to find and rescue her.

THE MOON IN THE WELL

(Pixabay)

Once upon a time a troop of monkeys had been raiding the fruit trees in an orchard by moonlight. All of a sudden the Moon disappeared behind a bank of clouds, and the monkeys began to search about them for her as if she had dropped down from her place in heaven.

Beside them was a well, and lo! in its water they beheld the reflection of the Moon as the clouds drifted away.

"The Moon has fallen down the well! Let us rescue her," cried the monkeys, setting to work to raise her by forming themselves into a sort of ladder, each hanging on to the tail of the other, and thus letting themselves down the well.

Suddenly the branch supporting them broke, and all the monkeys were hurled into the well.