Vishnu Sharma
|
India

Two Cats and a Monkey

Two cats found a piece of bread but could not agree on how to share it, so a clever monkey tricked them and took everything.
Greed
Deception
Problem-Solving
Panchatantra Fables - Two Cats and A Monkey
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, in a dense forest, there lived two cats who were the best of friends. They spent their days exploring the woods, hunting prey, and lounging in the sun.

One day, they came across a piece of bread that had fallen from a nearby picnic. Both cats were hungry, and they wanted to share the bread. But as they started to divide the bread, they couldn't agree on how to split it evenly.

Just as they were about to start fighting, a clever monkey happened to be passing by. Seeing the two cats arguing, the monkey offered to help them.

The cats were relieved and grateful for the monkey's offer, and they handed over the bread. The monkey took the bread and proceeded to divide it into two parts. However, one piece was slightly larger than the other.

The monkey tried to make the pieces equal by taking small bites from the larger piece and placing them on the smaller piece. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make the pieces exactly the same size.

In the end, the monkey ended up eating all of the smaller piece, leaving nothing for the two cats. They watched helplessly as the monkey gobbled up the last crumbs of their hard-earned bread.

The two cats were very disappointed and regretted not coming to a solution before the monkey intervened. From that day on, they promised each other to always find a way to compromise and work together to avoid being tricked by others.

Once upon a time, two best friend cats enjoyed their days together. They explored, chased butterflies, and napped in the warm sun.

One afternoon, they walked among the trees. Then, they spotted a fresh piece of bread on the ground. It likely fell from a picnic. Their eyes lit up with excitement.

“We’re so lucky!” one thought, while the other wondered how to share it fairly.

They sat down, staring at the bread. They agreed to share but hesitated. How could they divide it into equal parts? Each wanted a fair share, but neither trusted the other to break it properly.

As they argued, a monkey sitting on a tree branch overheard them. He swung down with a grin. “Why fight? I can split it fairly for you.”

The cats weren’t sure, but they handed over the bread. The monkey broke it into two pieces, then frowned. One was bigger. “Oh no,” he said, taking a bite from the larger piece to make it even. But now, the smaller piece looked bigger. So, he took a bite from that too.

Back and forth he went, nibbling bit by bit until there was nothing left. The two cats watched sadly as the monkey ate the last crumbs of their bread. He licked his fingers and sighed dramatically. Then, he quickly climbed back up the tree and disappeared.

The cats felt disappointed and regretted not solving the problem themselves. If only they had worked together sooner. From that day on, they promised to always find a way to share and cooperate, ensuring no one could trick them again.

Once upon a time, two best friend cats enjoyed their days together. They explored, chased butterflies, and napped in the warm sun.

One afternoon, they walked among the trees. Then, they spotted a fresh piece of bread on the ground. It likely fell from a picnic. Their eyes lit up with excitement.

“We’re so lucky!” one thought, while the other wondered how to share it fairly.

They sat down, staring at the bread. They agreed to share but hesitated. How could they divide it into equal parts? Each wanted a fair share, but neither trusted the other to break it properly.

As they argued, a monkey sitting on a tree branch overheard them. He swung down with a grin. “Why fight? I can split it fairly for you.”

The cats weren’t sure, but they handed over the bread. The monkey broke it into two pieces, then frowned. One was bigger. “Oh no,” he said, taking a bite from the larger piece to make it even. But now, the smaller piece looked bigger. So, he took a bite from that too.

Back and forth he went, nibbling bit by bit until there was nothing left. The two cats watched sadly as the monkey ate the last crumbs of their bread. He licked his fingers and sighed dramatically. Then, he quickly climbed back up the tree and disappeared.

The cats felt disappointed and regretted not solving the problem themselves. If only they had worked together sooner. From that day on, they promised to always find a way to share and cooperate, ensuring no one could trick them again.

Once upon a time, in a forest where even the trees seemed to be playing hide-and-seek, lived two cats who were the best of pals. They explored, they played, and they basked in the sun. Life was a never-ending playdate.

One fine day, they discovered a piece of bread that looked like it tumbled right out of someone's basket. "Yum!" they thought. Both were hungry, and the bread looked way too delicious to pass up.

"So, how do we split this fairly?" said one cat, eyeing the bread.

"Well, we could try tearing it down the middle?" suggested the other cat.

But then they got into a tiny pickle. "Hold on, what counts as 'the middle'? The fluffy bit or the crunchy bit?" the second cat asked.

Just as they were getting their claws out, a monkey swung by, doing his best gymnastics from vine to vine. "Whoa, you two! Why so tense? I can help you split the bread!"

The cats looked at each other, unsure but hopeful, and handed the bread to the monkey. "Alright, do your thing," they said cautiously.

The monkey broke the bread into two pieces but, whoops! One was a tad larger than the other. "Ah, let me fix that," he said, taking a small bite from the larger piece and placing it on the smaller one. But even after several adjustments, the pieces just weren't the same size.

Finally, one of the pieces disappeared—right into the monkey's tummy! "Oops, all gone," said the monkey, smiling as he licked his fingers.

The cats looked at each other in disbelief. "You ate it! Our bread!"

The monkey grinned, "Well, you see, it was all a lesson! You gotta figure things out on your own sometimes!"

The two cats sighed, "Next time, we're just bringing a measuring tape and doing it ourselves," said one cat.

"Yep," agreed the other, "And maybe a guidebook on how not to get tricked."

From that day on, they promised to work together, solve their own problems, and never trust a tricky monkey again. And so, they continued to explore, play, and have fun—always remembering to bring a measuring tape just in case.

Two kitty pals roamed woods so free,
Side by side as best friends be.
One sunny day, they found a delight,
A loaf of bread, in plain sight.

Tummies growling, they both agreed,
"To split this loaf is what we need."
But how to share, they couldn't decide,
Each wanting the bigger slice, neither did hide.

A monkey swung by, sly as could be,
"I’ll help you divide, just leave it to me!"
The cats were pleased, gave up their bread,
Imagining the tasty bites they’d soon be fed.

Monkey tore the loaf, but oh, what a sight,
One slice was big, the other not quite right.
He nibbled from one, then added to the other,
Still, the pieces differed, oh, what a bother!

At last, the smaller slice was all but gone,
Eaten by the monkey, who grinned and shone.
The cats sat stunned, their meal a lost tale,
Monkey chuckled and swung off, without fail.

The kitties sighed, their eyes full of tears,
"We could’ve split it ourselves, now it's clear."
From that day, they vowed, in woods so grand,
"To solve our own problems, and let no tricksters land."

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Word Finder

  1. Explored

    Traveled around to see new things.

  2. Hesitated

    Stopped for a moment before deciding.

  3. Argued

    Spoke angrily because they didn’t agree.

  4. Overheard

    Accidentally heard someone talking nearby.

  5. Grin

    A big, happy smile.

  6. Frowned

    Showed sadness or worry with a face.

  7. Nibbling

    Taking small bites of something.

  8. Crumbs

    Tiny leftover pieces of food.

  9. Dramatically

    Made a reaction bigger than needed.

  10. Cooperate

    Work together to get something done.

Understanding Questions

  1. What were the two cats doing when they found the bread?
  2. Why did the cats hesitate to share the bread?
  3. How did the monkey convince the cats to let him split the bread?
  4. What happened to the bread while the monkey was trying to make the pieces equal?
  5. What did the cats learn after the monkey ate all their bread?
Word Finder
  1. Explored

    Traveled around to see new things.

  2. Hesitated

    Stopped for a moment before deciding.

  3. Argued

    Spoke angrily because they didn’t agree.

  4. Overheard

    Accidentally heard someone talking nearby.

  5. Grin

    A big, happy smile.

  6. Frowned

    Showed sadness or worry with a face.

  7. Nibbling

    Taking small bites of something.

  8. Crumbs

    Tiny leftover pieces of food.

  9. Dramatically

    Made a reaction bigger than needed.

  10. Cooperate

    Work together to get something done.

Understanding Questions
  1. What were the two cats doing when they found the bread?
  2. Why did the cats hesitate to share the bread?
  3. How did the monkey convince the cats to let him split the bread?
  4. What happened to the bread while the monkey was trying to make the pieces equal?
  5. What did the cats learn after the monkey ate all their bread?
Reflection Questions
  1. Why did the two cats start arguing?
  2. How did the monkey trick the two cats?
  3. Can you think of a time when you argued with someone but later realized it could have been solved by working together?
  4. What lesson does this story teach us about solving problems with others?
  5. How can we use the lesson from this story in our lives when sharing or making decisions with others?
Fable Quotes
Greed blinds us to the simplest solutions.
Not everyone who offers to help has good intentions.
A problem shared is a problem solved.
Just One More Fable
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