Once, Akbar, Birbal and all the courtiers went hunting. After a while, they were tired and decided to relax in the shade. They dismounted from their horses and tied them near by. While everyone rested, the soldiers fed peas to the horses. A monkey was sitting on a tree near by, watching the horses. Suddenly, it went towards the horses, grabbed a handful of peas, and climbed up a tree. Akbar and his courtiers watched the monkey. Just then, a pea slipped from the monkey’s hand. Greedily, the monkey jumped to catch the pea. While doing so, the rest of the peas slipped from its hand as well. Seeing this, Birbal laughed out loud. Akbar asked, “Birbal, Why did you laugh?” Birbal said, “Sometimes, we act like the monkey, Your Majesty. In our greed for one thing, we lose all that we have.” Akbar and the other courtiers laughed heartily.
The Greedy Monkey
