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The Penny Wise Monkey

A wise King's desire for adventure led him to witness a greedy monkey's loss, teaching him to appreciate what he already had in his kingdom.
Appreciation
Greed
Wisdom
Jataka Tales - The Penny Wise Monkey
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, there was a wise and kind King who loved to explore. He wanted to see new places and meet different people, so he decided to go on a big adventure with his army.

While they were traveling, they came across a beautiful forest. They decided to take a break and rest there. While exploring the forest, they found a tricky monkey. The monkey had lots of green peas in his hands and he looked very greedy and happy.

The monkey had so many peas that some of them fell on the ground and rolled away. Among all the peas, there was one that looked the best and tastiest. The monkey really wanted that one special pea, so he let go of all the other peas and chased after it.

The monkey ran around, searching high and low, trying to find the pea he wanted so badly. But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find it in the big forest.

When the monkey went back to where he started, he realized that all the other peas were gone. His greed had made him lose everything.

The King watched all this happen and it made him think. He saw how the monkey's greed had made him lose so much, just like how the King's own desire for new things made him forget about the wonderful things he already had in his kingdom.

The King learned a valuable lesson from the monkey's mistake. He understood that he should appreciate what he already had instead of always wanting more. The King decided to go back to his kingdom and be grateful for all the good things there.

From that day on, the King ruled his kingdom with love and gratitude.

Once upon a time, in a kingdom that could have had its own travel show for kings, there was a King who loved adventures. "My kingdom's nice, but have you seen those awesome hills in the travel books?" the King wondered, packing his royal backpack.

Ready for a grand road trip, the King took his knights, jesters, and of course, his special "Keep Connected" magical stone that let him send messages back home.

After walking and singing fun road trip songs, they found a forest so pretty it could have been in a fairy tale. "Time for a break, everyone! I need to draw this for my royal scrapbook!"

While everyone was chilling, they saw a monkey who loved green peas more than anything in the world. This monkey was holding so many peas, he looked like he'd hit the jackpot. "Oh boy! It's like a pea party over here!" the monkey giggled, looking really excited.

But then, the monkey saw a pea that was super shiny. It was the coolest pea ever. "I NEED that special pea!" he shouted, dropping all his other peas like they were hot potatoes.

The monkey zoomed off like a race car, swinging from trees and leaping over logs. "Where are you, my shiny green treasure?" he yelled, but the fancy pea was hiding really well.

When the monkey got back to where he started, all his other peas had disappeared. "Oh no! My peas have vanished!"

The King, who had been secretly watching this funny show, suddenly understood something. "That monkey really wanted one thing and forgot all the good stuff he already had. Kinda like me always wanting to see new places and forgetting my own awesome kingdom."

The King made a big decision. "Pack up, everyone! We're going back home. I've realized my own backyard is a treasure, too."

From that day on, the King took care of his kingdom with a lot of love and was really happy for all the good stuff he had.

King of lands and golden throne,
Traveled far from his great home.
Went for walks both near and wide,
With his army by his side.

Soon they reached a forest grand,
Trees and creatures filled the land.
There they found a monkey, see,
Juggling peas so happily.

One pea glowed a special green,
Shiniest pea they'd ever seen.
Monkey dropped the rest to chase
That one pea all over the place.

Through the woods, high and low,
Monkey sought that pea to stow.
But alas, the pea was gone,
And when he looked—his peas moved on!

Watching all from his royal chair,
The King thought hard and clear.
"Monkey's lesson's not in vain,
Greed can lead to so much pain."

King saw how his want for new,
Made him miss his kingdom's view.
Valuing what he had in store,
King went home, to roam no more.

From then on, in castle halls,
Gratefulness decked the royal walls.
King ruled with love, day and night,
A kingdom bathed in thankful light.

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Understanding Questions

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Understanding Questions

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think the monkey chased after the one special pea, even though he already had many?
  2. What happened when the monkey tried to find the one pea he lost?
  3. Can you recall a time when wanting too much of something made you lose what you already had?
  4. How did the King's observations of the monkey's behavior change his perspective about his own kingdom?
  5. How can we learn from the King and the monkey's story to appreciate the things we already have in our lives?

Fable Quotes

Appreciate what you have, for the pursuit of more may make you lose sight of everything.
Greed blinds us to the riches already within our grasp, leading us to lose what truly matters.
True wisdom lies in appreciating the treasures we already possess, rather than always seeking new ones.
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