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 bent 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 hasdied 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 scoop 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 sodeep. 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 succession, 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, extending longer and longer until they almosttouched 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 theancient 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。