久し振りにインドの友人からジョークが届いた。題して「モンキー・ビジネス」。
There were many monkeys in a village. One day a merchant came to the village to buy these monkeys. He announced that he would buy the monkeys @ 100 rupees each. The villagers thought that this man is mad. They thought, how can somebody buy stray monkeys. Would anybody give 100 rupees for each of these useless monkeys? Nevertheless some people caught a few monkeys and gave them to this merchant and he gave them 100 rupees for each monkey. This news spread like wild fire and people caught monkeys and sold it to the monkey merchant.
ある村に沢山の猿が住み着いていた。ある日、村に商人がやってきて、その猿を買うという。彼は一匹の猿に100ルピー支払うと言い、それを聞いた村人たちは彼は気が狂っているに違いないと考えた。野生猿を買う人がいるだろうか。 一体誰が何の役にも立たない猿に100ルピーも支払うのか。しかし、何人かの村人が猿を捕らえて連れて行くと、商人はちゃんと一匹に100ルピーを支払うではないか。この噂は野火のように広がり、人々は猿を捕らえては商人に売り付けた。
After some days he announced that he would buy monkeys @ 200 rupees each. The villagers ran around to catch the remaining monkeys. They sold the remaining monkeys @200 rupees each. Then the merchant announced that he would buy monkeys @500 rupees each. The villagers did not lose any sleep. They caught the remaining six or seven monkeys, which were left and got 500 rupees each. The villagers were waiting anxiously for the next announcement. Then the merchant announced that he was going home for one week And when he returned. he would buy monkeys @ 1000 rupees each. He asked his employee to take care of the monkeys. The merchant went home.
数日後、商人は猿を200ルピーで買うと予告した。村人は残った猿を求めて駆けずり回り、商人に200ルピーで売った。次に商人は猿を500ルピーで買うと予告し、村人たちは迷うことなく残った6～7匹の猿を捕らえ、500ルピーを手にした。やがて村人たちは次の予告を心待ちにするようになり、商人は次の予告を行う。それは、一週間ほど彼は故郷に帰るが、村に戻ってきたときには猿を1000ルピーで買うというものだった。彼は部下の一人に猿の世話を命じ、故郷へと帰って行った。
（続く）
There were many monkeys in a village. One day a merchant came to the village to buy these monkeys. He announced that he would buy the monkeys @ 100 rupees each. The villagers thought that this man is mad. They thought, how can somebody buy stray monkeys. Would anybody give 100 rupees for each of these useless monkeys? Nevertheless some people caught a few monkeys and gave them to this merchant and he gave them 100 rupees for each monkey. This news spread like wild fire and people caught monkeys and sold it to the monkey merchant.
ある村に沢山の猿が住み着いていた。ある日、村に商人がやってきて、その猿を買うという。彼は一匹の猿に100ルピー支払うと言い、それを聞いた村人たちは彼は気が狂っているに違いないと考えた。野生猿を買う人がいるだろうか。 一体誰が何の役にも立たない猿に100ルピーも支払うのか。しかし、何人かの村人が猿を捕らえて連れて行くと、商人はちゃんと一匹に100ルピーを支払うではないか。この噂は野火のように広がり、人々は猿を捕らえては商人に売り付けた。
After some days he announced that he would buy monkeys @ 200 rupees each. The villagers ran around to catch the remaining monkeys. They sold the remaining monkeys @200 rupees each. Then the merchant announced that he would buy monkeys @500 rupees each. The villagers did not lose any sleep. They caught the remaining six or seven monkeys, which were left and got 500 rupees each. The villagers were waiting anxiously for the next announcement. Then the merchant announced that he was going home for one week And when he returned. he would buy monkeys @ 1000 rupees each. He asked his employee to take care of the monkeys. The merchant went home.
数日後、商人は猿を200ルピーで買うと予告した。村人は残った猿を求めて駆けずり回り、商人に200ルピーで売った。次に商人は猿を500ルピーで買うと予告し、村人たちは迷うことなく残った6～7匹の猿を捕らえ、500ルピーを手にした。やがて村人たちは次の予告を心待ちにするようになり、商人は次の予告を行う。それは、一週間ほど彼は故郷に帰るが、村に戻ってきたときには猿を1000ルピーで買うというものだった。彼は部下の一人に猿の世話を命じ、故郷へと帰って行った。
（続く）