Short Stories » Bad Old Ape

Bad Old Ape

ONE day Ned got a pie to eat. It was too hot, so he put it out in the air, on the lid of a big tin pot.

And now he ran off to see his dog who had a pup, and his cat who had a kit.

The pup lay in a box. Ned had got hay to put in the box for a bed; the pup lay on the hay, and the kit lay on a bit of rug.

Ned did pat the pup on his ear, and say: "0 you pet! Let me hug you." By and by, he did pat the kit too, arid say; "Kit, kit, kit, can you eat pie can you? Let me go and get you a bit." So he ran to his pie but, my 1 it was not on the lid of the big tin pot.

"Why, who can it be who has got my pie?" Ned did say. "Did it fly up in the air?"

Why, Hal! Did you get my pie ?"

"No, not I. It is a tom-tit you see not a pie."

"O yes! So it is, a wee torn-tit. If I can get my pie, the torn-tit, and you and I can eat it."

He got up on top of the tin pot to see far off, and he did cry out : " my ! I see it now ! I see my pie ! The sly old ape has got it, and he has eat a big bit out of it, too ! Oh ! oh ! he will eat it all up ! How can I get at him?"

And now the sly old ape, who had the pie in his paw, saw Ned, and Ned did say : " Now for a run 1" So he did run, and the sly old ape did run, and the dog did run, and the cat did run, and the pup did run, and the kit did run, and all did run, and it was fun.

The ape did say, "Che ! che!" and ate the pie as he ran. Ned did say: "O you bad old ape! O you bad old ape!" The dog did say: " Bow wow! Bow wow!"

The cat did say: "Mew, mew!” The pup did say: "Yap ! yap !" and the kit did cry : "Eee, eee !" Was it not a big run?

And now, was it not too bad in the sly old ape? For you see he ate the pie all up. Ned did not get one bit, and the kit did not get one bit, O my!

Let me say to you, if you get a pie, and it is too hot to eat, do not put it on the top of a big tin pot, in the air, and go off to see a cat or a dog, for if you do, may be a sly old ape may get at the pie, and eat it all up.

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Bad Old Ape - Takeaway for Class 1,2,3

Always be kind and patient because being mean, like the old ape, makes others unhappy and can leave you all alone.

Bad Old Ape - Takeaway for Class 4,5,6

Even if someone seems grumpy or unkind at first, giving them a chance and showing kindness can lead to understanding and friendship.

Bad Old Ape - Takeaway for Class 7,8,9

Being kind and understanding towards others is always better than being mean and judgmental.

3 Fun Facts

• Mongo, the old ape, was known for playing tricks on other animals in the jungle.
• The animals decided to teach Mongo a lesson by tricking him into thinking he was invisible.
• After realizing he was tricked, Mongo apologized and promised to stop playing mean tricks.

Quiz for Class 1,2,3

• What was the color of the old ape's fur in the story?
• Who helped scare the old ape away?
• What did the children feel after the old ape was gone?

Quiz for Class 4,5,6

• What did the animals in the jungle decide to do when they realized the old ape was causing trouble?
• How did the clever fox come up with a plan to deal with the old ape?
• What was the outcome for the old ape after all the animals and the fox worked together?

Quiz for Class 7,8,9

• What important lesson does the character Sam learn from his experience with the old ape?
• How does Sam's initial plan backfire on him during his encounter with the ape?
• What actions does Sam take after his encounter with the ape to show he has learned from the experience?