A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

Apes and monkeys feast in a generous gardener’s plot. When he pretends to be dead, they decide to repay his hospitality with an honourable burial, carrying him to a cave of gold. Left alone, he takes gold home. A neighbour imitates the trick, but when the troop proposes a silver cave he calls out for gold, revealing that he is alive. The startled animals drop him and flee, leaving him injured and empty-handed.

The treasure exists in the caves rather than being created by the animals. Their shared plan and conversation make them fairy-tale actors, but the story supplies no personal names, supernatural bodily traits or power to raise the dead. They genuinely believe they are carrying corpses until the imitator speaks.

Speaking animal benefactors deceived by two gardeners’ feigned deathsSpecific historical telling
01

Origins & earliest records

Historical Laos country within Siam, as identified by the collection

02

Records & interpretation

Complete relevant narrative and Willis G. Craig’s introduction directly read.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India

    Katherine Neville Fleeson, collector/translator · 1899

    VI.2, A Covetous Neighbor, pp. 80–82

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Primary records and illustrations

Direct primary record

Katherine Neville Fleeson, Laos Folk-Lore of Farther India (Fleming H. Revell, 1899)

VI.2, A Covetous Neighbor. VI.2, A Covetous Neighbor, pp. 80–82

Complete tale read. Initial human labels and later object-like actions retained without invented metamorphosis; actual snake revival distinguished from feigned human death. Source plant unidentified and not presented as real medicine.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Historical folktale collectionFleeson1899, VI.2, A Covetous Neighbor, pp. 80–82Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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