The Great Green Banana Tree

 Once upon a time, the monkeys were amazed at the great green banana tree. It went up and up. How tall? The monkey was looking up. 

The bottom of the tree was far. The monkey sat in the monkey tree and looked at the tall green banana tree that was higher than any other tree in the jungle and higher than the monkey tree. The monkey wondered what was so difficult about the tall tree. Why did the monkey think it was so difficult? None of the monkeys went climbing the tall banana tree. When had they said it was too difficult to climb? The little monkey knew it was far far way to the bottom of the tree. 

A river waited, You will see me when you coming looking for the big tall banana tree it whispered around a bend.

A big bear scratched its back on the rough bark of a tree. You will see me when you coming looking for the big tall banana tree, it growled happily.

A crowd of bees buzzed around their nest when the bear dug inside. You will see us when you coming looking for the big tall banana tree, they buzzed very much.

Do you know what the monkey will find on his journey?

A hippo in a river who waited in the mud. 

A little baby bear cub who munched on berries.

A jaguar who climbed the big tall green and very very wide bottom of the banana tree.

Do you know why so few monkeys ever go to the banana tree? 

One time a monkey went to the tree and the monkey couldn't cross the river!

One time a monkey went to the tree and a big bear chased the monkey away!

One time a monkey went to the tree and a storm rained and the monkey tried to shelter in the hole of a tree and the crowd of bees said, No! No! No! Go! Go! Go! Buzz Buzz Buzz off!!

Well, the little monkey went anyway. The little monkey went to the river and looked around. The little monkey had built a boat but that is another story and the river was whispering it was quiet and fast and the little monkey needed something else. Then in the mud a hippo raised out its head and looked up. The little monkey said, ooh ooh ah ah, ahlo! hello hippo! I will give you a banana if you take me across the river!

Across the river the hippo swam and said, please come back soon, I'm very tired and hungry from swim swim swim across the big wide fast river.

The little monkey went into the jungle on the other side and a bear looked, and the bear looked, and the big bear went yeahowwrahrahrahrooha. Where was the little baby bear? Where was the little bear cub eating and munching berries? The big bear asked the monkey, have you seen a little bear cub munching yummy berries?

The monkey said, oh no, I haven't and I've only just come from the river and I would like to help you but I am just here to look for the bottom of the banana tree.

Oh, I know where it is. I will help you if you look for my baby. Won't you with your little arms go up that tree and look for me. I used to climb high but now I'm so old, my hips don't work like they used to. 

You will help me and I will help you. The monkey said ooh hoo aha ha. Then the monkey in the quick jump and climb scamp scampered up the tree. It was only three branches the little monkey swung when there, there, yes, there was the little baby bear.

I will help you the mama bear said, when monkey came and showed her baby bear. But first I must eat. I am so so hungry. Will you please bring me some honey little monkey, then I will help you. I know where the big big bottom of the banana tree is.

You will help me and I will help you. The monkey said ooh hoo aha ha hmm. Then the monkey, already hopping up the tree, stopped. What was a monkey to do for honey? Where was honey? 

The honey is in the tree the little bear cub said. I will show you the tree because you helped my mama find me.

To the honey tree the monkey and the bear cub went, and up the honey tree the little bear cub went. But do you know buzz buzz what happened next?

Ah AH went little monkey. Ah AH went little monkey! 

Back to the mama bear the little monkey went, its tail dipped in honey! Ouch Ouch went the monkey, two little honey bees ouch ouch!

Ah, thank you said the mama bear. Now I will take you to the banana tree. Ride on my broad shoulders. Bump thump thump we'll go.

Monkey and bear went and little bear cub too. To the banana tree deep in the jungle. There there is your big banana tree! Said the bear.

It was big. So big a house. So big a wide house. The house of a jaguar was there! It lay in one of the grooves and yawned. Yawn Yawwwn. What do you want in my house? growled the sleepy jaguar who only hunted monkey in the night.

I'm here to see the bottom of the banana tree. Now that I've seen it, how I must climb it to bring Mr. Hippo a banana!

What will you give me? said the jaguar.

Monkey looked. Monkey thought. I have a little dance I can give you. And the monkey danced hohaaho he hee ha hoo hoo, it called.

That is a very very nice dance, said the Jaguar, feeling a bit hungry. But now I am feeling awake and I feel a little hungry. What will you give me so I can help you?

The monkey looked. Monkey thought.

I have an idea said the bear. You may have forgotten my brother you ate, but I have not. You ate my brother when we were baby bear cubs lost from our mama. You ate my brother and I will never forget! And the mama bear charged to the jaguar. 

The jaguar whined. The jaguar meowed. The jaguar swatted with its big claw. The jaguar jumped on the bear's back. The jaguar went bump on its back and the bear jumped on the jaguar. The bear swatted with its big claw. The bear rahred a big rahr.

Now monkey. Go. I will hold the jaguar. Go up the tree so you can have a banana to bring Mr. Hippo.

Up as fast as it could, the monkey climbed. Up. Up. Up. 

The tree of a banana kind is not so high. The tree of a great big oak is not so high. The tree of a jack the bean stock is much more like it. This great big banana tree was so high the monkey could see far away a tiny tree where it came from. It was very far away. It was in the jungle on the other side of the river, like a blue line in the middle of a green yard.

The banana was at last in reach. 

How would you carry home such a banana? 

Would you? Could you carry home such a banana?

Would you jump from a leaf and knock it down? Would you jump and knock it down? That is what the monkey tried. That is what the monkey tried. 

The banana did not budge. The banana shook. The leaf trembled. But the banana should fall. The banana should fall. It would fall long and hard and go squish. It would fall and the banana would go splat. 

The bear and the jaguar would go splat. The bear and the jaguar would go squish. The banana would fall on the jaguar and the bear and the monkey stopped jumping. The monkey stopped and thought.

Who will. believe me this is such a big banana?

Who will eat so much banana?

I will go down. Yes I will find another banana tree and feed my friend Mr. Hippo.

Just then the banana tree leaf shook beneath the monkey. The tree leaf shook and the monkey fell back. The tree leaf went loose. The tree leaf went flying and floating and the air, the air! The monkey grabbed the leaf. The monkey was falling. It's okay. The monkey is only floating on the leaf, right-side up like a great big boat in the sky. It floated and came to the big bottom where a grove of baby banana trees grew. The monkey jumped jumped.

A bunch of banana in the monkey's mouth.

The monkey ran to the river and fed the hippo. The hippo happy ate banana. The hippo swam with the monkey across the river. The hippo stopped.

I will take you all the way across, but give me another banana!

Oh no.

The hippo ate one more banana. Only four left.

The other side was not so far.

The monkey ran, the monkey ran. The monkey ran when it got to the other side. 

It showed all the other monkeys the four bananas. 

That's a long story for a four banana finish. But that's that. The monkey was happy and told all the monkeys about his little adventure.

The End.

A story by C.R. Spicer.

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