Vishnu Sharma
|
India

Two Cats and A Monkey

Two cats disagreed on dividing their found bread, got tricked by a monkey, and ended up with nothing.
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, 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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Understanding Questions

Reflection Questions

  1. Why did the cats decide to ask the monkey for help in dividing the bread?
  2. How do you think the cats felt when they saw the monkey eat their bread?
  3. Have you ever had a situation where you couldn't decide how to share something fairly with a friend?
  4. What does this story teach us about trust, greed, and the importance of compromise?
  5. How can we apply the lesson from this story in our lives, especially when it comes to sharing and making decisions with others?

Fable Quotes

In the grip of greed, even the tastiest of bread turns into ash.
Deception is the monkey's game that leaves everyone else a loser.
Collaboration and compromise pave the path to effective problem-solving, avoiding the pitfalls of external intervention.
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