The Unforgiving Monkey: The Wise Monkey and the Greedy King
The Unforgiving Monkey
Long ago, in a beautiful kingdom filled with gardens, tall trees, and golden palaces, there lived a king named Mohan. King Mohan had two young sons who loved animals very much. One day, they decided to keep a large group of monkeys as their royal pets.
The monkeys lived inside the palace gardens. They were given the finest fruits, sweet foods, and fresh water every day. Servants cleaned their resting places and took care of them like princes. Because the monkeys did not have to work or search for food, they became lazy and very fat. They played all day and enjoyed a life of comfort.
Among these monkeys, there was one very special monkey. He was the Chief of the Monkeys. He was old, wise, and very intelligent. He had learned many things by watching humans and listening to scholars who visited the palace. He believed in wisdom, hard work, and careful thinking.
Every day, the chief monkey tried to teach the other monkeys important lessons.
“Friends,” he would say kindly, “too much comfort makes us weak. We must stay alert and wise. Danger can come at any time.”
But the other monkeys laughed and replied, “Why worry, Chief? We have plenty of food and no enemies here. Let us enjoy our happy life!”
The chief monkey felt sad, but he kept quiet.
At the same time, the king’s sons owned a royal carriage. The carriage was pulled by two strong rams, also called billy goats. These rams were powerful, but one of them had a big problem. He loved food too much.
Whenever the cooks were busy in the kitchen, the greedy ram would sneak inside and eat vegetables, bread, and sweets. The cooks became very angry.
“Go away, you foolish animal!” they shouted.
They hit the ram with sticks, pots, and pans. Sometimes they even threw hot things near him. The ram would cry and run away, but he never learned his lesson.
The wise monkey watched all this from a tree and became worried.
“This is dangerous,” he thought. “One day, someone may throw fire. A great accident can happen.”
He gathered the monkeys and warned them, “Friends, the cooks are very angry. One mistake can burn this whole place. We should leave the palace and return to the forest.”
But the monkeys laughed again.
“You are old and afraid,” they said. “Nothing will happen.”
The chief monkey sighed and replied, “You are foolish. I value my life more than free food.”
With heavy heart, he left the palace and went back to the jungle alone.
A few days later, the chief monkey’s fear came true.
The greedy ram entered the kitchen again and ate the king’s food. One cook, very angry, grabbed a half-burnt wooden log from the fire and threw it at the ram.
The ram’s wool caught fire instantly!
“Baaa! Help!” the ram cried and ran wildly into the stable.
The dry grass caught fire, and soon the whole stable was burning. Horses screamed in pain. The palace workers rushed to stop the fire, but many horses were badly injured.
King Mohan was heartbroken. “My beautiful horses!” he cried.
He called the royal doctors.
After reading old books, the doctors said, “O King, the horses will heal if their wounds are covered with monkey fat.”
The king nodded without thinking. “Do it at once,” he ordered.
All the palace monkeys were captured and killed. Their fat was used on the horses.
Far away in the jungle, the wise monkey heard the sad news. Tears filled his eyes.
“I warned them,” he whispered. “The king is cruel, and the monkeys were careless.”
He stopped eating and drinking for many days. Weak and thirsty, he wandered until he found a calm lake full of lotus flowers. The water looked clear and cool.
But the monkey noticed something strange.
“There are many footprints going into the lake,” he said to himself, “but none coming out. This is dangerous.”
Using his wisdom, he took a hollow lotus stem and drank water from far away.
Suddenly, a terrible monster rose from the lake. He wore a shining jewel necklace.
“I eat anyone who enters this lake,” the monster growled. “But you are wise! Ask for any wish.”
The monkey thought carefully and said, “Give me your necklace. I will bring many people to you.”
The monster laughed. “Take it! I can eat thousands!”
The monkey rushed to the palace wearing the necklace. Everyone was amazed.
“O King,” said the monkey cleverly, “I found a magical lake filled with treasure. Anyone who bathes there on Sunday will become rich!”
The greedy king smiled. “Take us there at once!”
On Sunday, the whole palace followed the monkey to the lake.
“Everyone enter together,” said the monkey. “Only then will the magic work.”
All the people jumped into the lake—and vanished.
Finally, the monkey said to the king, “Your greed destroyed my family. Now it has destroyed yours.”
“I spare you,” he added, “because you were once my master.”
The king returned alone, sad and ashamed.
THE END
Moral of the Story for Kids:
Wisdom saves lives, but greed and carelessness bring great loss. Always listen to wise advice and think before you act.
Questions and Answers
1. Who was King Mohan?
Answer: King Mohan was the ruler of a beautiful kingdom. He had two sons and lived in a big palace.
2. Why did the princes keep monkeys in the palace?
Answer: The princes loved animals, so they kept monkeys as royal pets in the palace garden.
3. How were the monkeys treated in the palace?
Answer: The monkeys were given the best food, clean water, and good care. They lived a very comfortable life.
4. Who was the Chief of the Monkeys?
Answer: The Chief of the Monkeys was a wise and intelligent monkey who cared about safety and wisdom.
5. Why did the monkeys become lazy?
Answer: They became lazy because they did not have to work or search for food.
6. What warning did the wise monkey give the other monkeys?
Answer: He warned them that danger could happen in the palace and that they should return to the forest.
7. Did the other monkeys listen to the wise monkey?
Answer: No, they did not listen. They enjoyed their comfortable life and ignored his advice.
8. Why was the ram beaten by the cooks?
Answer: The ram often entered the kitchen and ate food, which made the cooks angry.
9. What accident happened in the palace?
Answer: A burning stick was thrown at the ram, which caused a big fire in the stable.
10. What happened to the king’s horses?
Answer: The horses were badly burned in the fire.
11. Why did the king order the monkeys to be killed?
Answer: The doctors said that monkey fat would heal the horses’ wounds.
12. How did the wise monkey feel after hearing this news?
Answer: He felt very sad and upset because his people were killed.
13. What strange thing did the monkey notice near the lake?
Answer: He noticed many footprints going into the lake but none coming out.
14. How did the wise monkey drink water safely?
Answer: He used a hollow lotus stem to drink water from a distance.
15. Who lived in the lake?
Answer: A dangerous monster lived in the lake and ate anyone who entered it.
16. How did the monkey trick the greedy king?
Answer: He told the king about a fake treasure in the lake to bring him and his people there.
17. What happened to the king’s family and people?
Answer: They entered the lake and were eaten by the monster.
18. Why did the monkey spare the king’s life?
Answer: He spared the king because the king was once his master.
19. What lesson does this story teach us?
Answer: The story teaches us to listen to wise advice and not be greedy.
20. What would you do if someone wise warns you about danger?
Answer: I would listen carefully and try to stay safe.
Moral-Based Discussion Questions and Answers
21. Is greed good or bad? Why?
Answer: Greed is bad because it can lead to loss and unhappiness.
22. Why is wisdom important?
Answer: Wisdom helps us make safe and smart decisions.
23. What happens when we ignore good advice?
Answer: Ignoring good advice can cause danger and regret.
24. Who is your favorite character in the story and why?
Answer (Example): My favorite character is the wise monkey because he was smart and careful.
25. What should we learn from the monkeys’ mistake?
Answer: We should not be lazy or ignore warnings from elders.
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