Once a young monkey wanted to leave his family and see the world. Jumping from one tree top to another, he entered a village border. The village children flocked to see the monkey.“He is all alone,” one said.
“Let’s catch and cage him,” said another.
Several other boys wanted to pelt stones at the animal thinking it will throw some fruits in return. But that did not happen. Looked as if the monkey was molested.
“Oh, these kids,” the young monkey was thinking, “Why do they ill-treat me? I got to hide somewhere.”
So finally he reached a hut and saw an old woman on a wooden bench. She was meditative and looked kind hearted. The young monkey instinctively felt this is the ideal place to hide. So he jumped onto the roof, and from a roof crevice he jumped down.
“Oh you, what brought you here?” She asked.
“Dear mother,” pleaded the monkey.
“Please save me from those naughty boys. They want to kill me, I don’t know why.”
“You can hide under the bed in the room.”
After awhile the boys came and asked the woman:
“Did you see a monkey coming this way?”
“Yes, I saw a young one. Go that way, you will find him,” she pointed her finger towards the forest. Then the old woman called the boys and said: “You should not harm that creature. He looked a good-hearted animal. He also needs human care and kindness.”
The village boys did not respond negatively. One of them said, “We just want him to be with us.”
moreThe old woman laughed and said, “Leave him alone.”
When the village boys went off, the old woman called the young monkey, “son, they have gone off.”
When the young monkey heard the word ‘son’, he was elated. After looking around a bit, he came and sat by the old woman.
“Mother, I like to stay in the hut with you. Would you mind adopting me as a son?”
The old woman smiled.
“I have a son,” she said, “he has gone to work. He will be here in the evening.”
“So you don’t like to adopt me, or maybe make me a brother to your son?”
“I don’t mind, but I have to ask my son.”
“That’s nice.”
The monkey fetched some fruits for both of them.
“This is a small gift for saving my life.” The old woman was happy to see the little creature being so grateful. She felt like an invisible guardian has come to help her at her old age.
When her son returned home, the old woman raised the subject. The son liked the idea.
“In many ways he looks more human than our real humans! I don’t have any issues with him being with us.”
Since then the young monkey lived with the old woman and her son.
“Brother,” the young monkey said one day, “I think I am younger than you.” The son nodded his head and wanted to know further.
“You can look after mother, while I bring riches for both of you. Tell me all you want. I have come to help you both.”
The son did not have to do hard work anymore. His adopted brother would do all the work, while he had enough time to look after the ageing mother. The young monkey would watch day in and day out how robbers rob the rich people. He would also see how people eat lots of food. He saw to his own eyes how people waste what is not wanted.
The young monkey felt that he could bring riches and flower them to live better. The young monkey would go watch how a gang of robbers count the gold coins. He would jump at once and seize a certain amount in his hand and jump back. Then he would reach the hut where the son and his mother lived. In this manner the young monkey without harming anybody brought riches to both of them.
They gradually became rich.
The old woman had more time to spend with her real son, while the adopted son ushered in a great fortune. Time passed. Nobody knew how the old woman and the son became rich. Some sensed a certain invisible help rendered by a superhuman power.
“Time has come for me to leave both of you,” the monkey said to his family one day.
“Why are you leaving us?”
“I will come and see you from time to time. But I want to see my own mother too.”
“But promise that you will return.”
“If other humans don’t harm me, I will certainly come back to see you.”
The old woman and the son looked at the departing monkey with a grievous heart.
Courtesy - Daily News
