The Ghost and the Monkey King
A group of
monkeys lived in a dense forest. The king of monkeys was very wise. His group
was called together by him one day.
My dear
monkeys, we are lucky to live in this beautiful forest, but beware! Trees and
plants may be green and lush, but they bear many poisonous fruits. Pools may be
clear, sparkling water, but one of them harbors a ghost. Therefore, do not eat
or drink anything without asking me first.
The next day
a monkey felt thirsty. He remembered the king's words and went to talk to him.
'Don't
worry, child!' said the king. 'I will investigate the pond to see if it is
safe'.
As he
approached the pond, he saw huge footsteps going in but not coming out. The
king came to the conclusion that the ghost was hidden here. The monkeys started
to weep, unsure of how they would get the water to drink. The king consoled
them and went to confront the ghost.
With a
giggle, the ghost said, "Monkey King, you are in serious trouble!" "My
food will be your monkeys if they fall into the pond." They will starve to
death if they don't! The king thought at that time, ''I must find a solution.''
He asked his
monkeys to collect pieces of bamboo. By connecting hollow bamboo sticks
together, he made a large pipe that sucked the water from the pond. Monkeys
were able to drink to their heart's desire.
'All hail
the Monkey King!' chanted the monkeys.
With an
ill-humored expression, the ghost vanquished by the wise monkey king returned
to the pond.
Moral Story:
Never give up when things get tough, be patient and smart like the monkey king.
