Скачать или смотреть Tale of a Tortoise and of a Mischievous Monkey by Andrew Lang

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Andrew Lang's "Tale of a Tortoise and of a Mischievous Monkey" is a compact, cunningly told folktale that blends humor, moral instruction, and animal whimsy. The narrative follows a tortoise whose slow steadiness and appetite for comfort collide with a quick‑witted monkey whose pranks and appetite for mischief unsettle the social order. Lang's retelling preserves the earthy simplicity of oral tradition while shaping it for a Victorian audience: language is direct, charmingly old‑fashioned, and attentive to rhythm and repetition, making the story ideal for reading aloud.

The plot is brisk: the monkey's antics escalate from playful teasing to deliberate trickery, exploiting the tortoise's good nature and the community's expectations. When consequence arrives, it is neither cruel nor simplistic. Lang balances retribution with compassion, allowing characters to learn and readers to reflect. The tortoise's resilience and the monkey's vanity both function as mirrors for human foibles, and the tale cleverly suggests that cleverness without conscience is brittle, while patience without vigilance invites misfortune.

What makes this retelling enjoyable is Lang's ear for detail and moral nuance. He neither moralizes aggressively nor abandons the instructive core of the folktale. The pacing is satisfying, and the episodic structure ensures there are memorable beats — a prank, a crisis, a countermove — that build to a modest but resonant resolution. Illustrative passages are vivid enough to conjure a village green or a riverside clearing, and recurring refrains echo the oral roots of the story.

As a review: the tale succeeds as a primer in folk wisdom and as a short moral fable. It may feel quaint to modern readers, and some may wish for greater psychological depth, but its economy of language and steady moral compass give it enduring appeal. For listeners or readers seeking a brisk, characterful fable that blends laughter with lesson, Lang’s retelling remains a small delight.