The monkey surprised them when it suddenly moved back a few branches. As it settled into its new location, it once again held the ring out in its opened palm. As before, the rest of the creatures in the tree fell silent. They watched their leader as it held the ring, still mesmerized by the small piece of jewelry.

The monkey with the ring looked at the girls below with a gleam in its beady eyes.

“You want this ring back?” it asked teasingly.

“Yes!” Diam answered from where she stood once again next to Tonia. The coins she had retrieved were now safe in her pocket.

“Please give the ring back to us!” she said in a frustrated voice.

The monkey protectively closed its hand over the ring. After a few seconds, it brought the closed hand that held the ring up to its chest in a possessive gesture.

“What will you give me for it?” it asked them. The rest of the creatures in the tree remained silent yet fidgety, as though they could sense something in the air.

The girls looked at each other as they tried to think of any item in their possession they could use to barter with the monkey.

They had no food, except for some bruised, old chickleberries… the gold coins they had retrieved from the dirt beneath the tree were obviously worthless to the creature… and relinquishing their weapons was absolutely not an option.

“We have nothing to trade, except for this,” Diam said.

She pulled her bag off her back, set it on the ground and began going through it. In a few seconds she withdrew a pia bottle which was half filled with water. She held this out to the monkey.

“Bah!” the monkey shouted, obviously unimpressed with her offering. “I have no use for that!

“You should go and continue on your way now,” it said disgustedly.

With that, the monkey turned slightly to his right. His left side now faced the girls as he looked with pretend interest at an apple that was hanging near his right arm.

At the same time, the other monkeys in the tree began to screech and jump wildly on the branches. They carried on this way for several seconds before they finally settled down once again.

“What?” Tonia asked, not understanding. “We need the ring. Just give it back to us and we’ll be on our way.”

“Ahh, young stranger, but you have nothing which to trade for it,” the monkey gloated before continuing. “I will, however, make you an offer.”

The girls listened silently, unable to entertain the idea that they might not get the ring back.

“Because you have so generously given me this small item, I will reward you by allowing you to take some of the fruits of my home,” it continued. “You may take whatever apples have fallen to the ground. Once that is done, you may leave without any more trouble from me or my clan.”

“We’re not leaving without the ring!” Diam shouted up at the monkey.

She gestured towards the creature in a stabbing motion with her sword as she fervently wished one of the boys had given them a bow with some arrows. If they had, Diam knew without a doubt she could take this crazy creature out with one shot! As it was, however, they only had their swords, not to mention the fact that they were very outnumbered.