A long time ago, there was a Bo Luo Nai City in the State of Jia Shi.

很久以前，在伽尸国有一座波罗奈城。

Outside the city was a large forest, where 500 macaques lived.

城外有一片大森林，森林里生活着五百只称猴。

One night the 500 macaques wandered around and came to a ni ju lu (bodhi) tree.

有一天晚上，五百只称猴到处游逛，来到了一棵尼俱律树畔。

Under the tree was a deep ancient well.

树下，有一口很深的古井。

The water in the well was very clean and reflected the full moon in the sky.

井水清悠悠的，映出了天上的一轮圆月。

The leading macaque bent¹ over the well and watched carefully for a while.

领头的称猴俯在井边仔细看了一阵。

Then it jumped onto the edge of the well and said to the others: "Alas!Today the moon has died and fallen into this well.

然后跳到井台上对大家说: “不好了，今天月亮死了，就落在这口井中。

Let us scoop² it up together; otherwise the nights will be dark forever."

让我们一起把它捞出来，不然的话，夜晚就永远黑暗了。”

All the macaques tweaked their ears and scratched their cheeks, saying:"The well is so deep. How can we scoop up the moon?"

众猴听了，个个抓耳挠腮，说:“井这么深，怎样才能把月亮捞起来呢?”

The leading macaque had a sudden brainwave and said: "I have it!

领头的称猴灵机一动，说: “办法有了!

I will climb up the tree and grasp a branch, then another one grasps my tail.

我爬上树，抓住树枝，然后另一个抓住我的尾巴。

In this way, one following another in succession³, can't we hang down into the well?"

这样一个一个接下去，不就可以垂到井里去了吗?”

When the other macaques heard this, they jumped with joy.

大家一听，都高兴得欢蹦乱跳。

So they linked their heads and tails together, extending⁴ longer and longer until they almost touched the surface of the well water.

于是，猴们头尾相连，越接越长，眼看就要碰到水面了。

At this moment, the branch broke with a big crack and all 500 macaques fell into the ancient well.

这时候，只听见咔嚓一声巨响，树枝断了，五百只称猴统统掉进了古井。