In a dense jungle, there lived a monkey and an elephant. The elephant was very powerful, capable of uprooting large trees effortlessly. The monkey was slender but extremely agile and fast, spending its days leaping around the trees in the jungle.
Both the monkey and the elephant were proud of their own qualities. They always thought they were better than each other, leading to constant arguments between them.
In the same jungle, there was an owl who frequently observed the activities of the monkey and the elephant. It got fed up with their fights. One day, the owl said to them, “The way both of you fight, no decision will ever be made. You can easily settle who is stronger between you two through a competition.”
The monkey and the elephant liked the idea. They asked, “What do we need to do for this competition?”
The owl replied, “Upon crossing this jungle, there lies another jungle where there’s an old tree with a golden fruit. The one among you who brings that golden fruit first will be declared the winner of this competition and truly be considered the most powerful.”
Upon hearing the owl’s words, the monkey and the elephant immediately set off towards the other jungle. The monkey showcased its agility by swiftly jumping from one tree to another. Meanwhile, the elephant started running at full speed, uprooting everything that came in its way with its strong trunk.
After a while, both of them reached the end of the jungle, where a river flowed, marking the way to the other jungle. The monkey impulsively jumped into the river, but the current was too strong, causing the monkey to be swept away. Seeing this, the elephant immediately used its trunk to pull the monkey out of the water.
Witnessing the elephant’s behavior, the monkey was amazed. It humbly thanked the elephant for saving its life and suggested that the elephant should decide the next course of action.
Hearing the monkey’s words, the elephant replied, “I can cross the river. You can ride on my back, and together we’ll get to the other side.”
The monkey agreed and sat on the elephant’s back. Both of them crossed the river and reached the other jungle. They found the tree with the golden fruit.
Initially, the elephant attempted to knock down the tree with its trunk, but the tree was too sturdy. Disheartened, the elephant said, “I cannot pluck this fruit.”
The monkey said, “Let me try once.”
The monkey swiftly climbed the tree and plucked the golden fruit. After getting the fruit, they crossed the river again and returned to their jungle. They gave the golden fruit to the owl.
As soon as the owl was about to announce the winner’s name, the monkey and the elephant stopped the owl and said together, “Owl elder, we no longer need to know the winner’s name. We both have completed this competition together. We understand now that everyone has unique qualities and strengths within themselves. We have also decided never to argue over such matters and live in this jungle as friends.”
The owl was delighted to hear the monkey and the elephant’s words. It explained that respecting each other’s qualities and strengths and living together harmoniously is the best path to follow.
From that day on, the elephant and the monkey became friends and lived happily in the jungle.
Lesson from the story: We should respect each other’s qualities and strengths and strive to live harmoniously together.
