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The Greedy Monkey

Writer's picture: FolkloristanFolkloristan

Monkeys

Once upon a time, there was a farmer who lived in a village. Near his house, a group of monkeys lived in the trees. These monkeys were always looking for an opportunity to sneak into the farmer’s house and grab something to eat. But the farmer was careful — whenever he left for work in the fields, he made sure to lock all the doors and windows tightly.


One morning, the farmer went out as usual, but he accidentally left a window slightly open. A clever monkey noticed this and slipped inside the house.


As soon as the monkey entered, he saw a large jar filled with peanuts. The jar’s opening was wide enough for him to put his hand inside, so he eagerly reached in and grabbed a fistful of peanuts.


But when he tried to pull his hand out, he realized his tightly clenched fist was too big to fit through the narrow neck of the jar. The monkey tried pulling his hand out with all his strength, but no matter how hard he tugged, he couldn’t free it.


Just then, the farmer returned home. Seeing the monkey struggling with the jar, he became very angry. But then he noticed what the monkey was trying to do and couldn’t help but laugh at the poor creature’s foolishness.


The farmer decided to give the monkey some advice. He said, “Look, if you just let go of some of the peanuts, your hand will come out easily. You can even take a few peanuts with you, and I won’t stop you.”


But the greedy monkey refused to listen. He held on tightly and kept struggling, trying to pull his hand out without letting go of the peanuts.


The farmer’s patience ran out. He gave the monkey a light slap on the wrist. Surprised, the monkey loosened his grip, and his hand slipped out of the jar easily.


The farmer picked the monkey up and carried him outside. As soon as he put him down, the monkey began to cry. He said to himself, “How foolish I’ve been! If only I hadn’t been so greedy, I could have taken half of those peanuts with me and enjoyed them while sitting in the sunshine.”


Moral of the story: Greed always leads to loss.


 

Source:

Narrated by Myra Aftab's fatherr. Recorded in Karachi, as a part of Clicks and Culture, our collaboration with Beaconhouse School System.


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