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Jupiter and The Monkey

Jupiter promised a royal reward to the beast whose offspring was judged best looking. The Monkey joined the rest and presented, with all tenderness, a flat-nosed, hairless young Monkey as her candidate. The other beasts laughed, but she replied: "I do not know if Jupiter will award the prize to my baby, but in my eyes I know him to be the most beautiful of all."

Townsend version

Jupiter issued a proclamation to all the beasts of the forest and promised a royal reward to the one whose offspring should be deemed the handsomest. The Monkey came with the rest and presented, with all a mother's tenderness, a flat-nosed, hairless, ill-featured young Monkey as a candidate for the promised reward. A general laugh saluted her on the presentation of her son. She resolutely said, "I know not whether Jupiter will allot the prize to my son, but this I do know, that he is at least in the eyes of me his mother, the dearest, handsomest, and most beautiful of all."

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