Hanu lived in a large house with his parents. It had a large garden with a lily pond in it. The pond had a jamun tree rich with fruits during the season. Many monkeys came there to eat the fruits because they were so tasty. The ground was also stained purple where the fruits fell.
Hanu loved to sit in the verandah and watch the monkeys when they came. He was very fond of animals and birds and could spend hours watching them. He watched the peacocks and the mongoose that came into the garden, and the squirrels and the parrots.
One day, as he watched, a troop of monkeys arrived. There were older monkeys, youngsters and mothers with babies clinging to them. They all had a feast eating the fruits till they were full. All the older monkeys lay on the branches and the wall, enjoying their nap after the meal. Only a few of the younger ones were energetic and played across the branches, chasing one another.
Suddenly, one very tiny monkey who had been sleeping holding on to his mother, got dislodged by the youngsters running up and down. The little monkey fell with a splash into the pond! His mother woke with a screech and that awoke all the others too.
A terrific rumpus broke out as the monkeys jumped down, chattering, wailing and rushing around the pond. The mother was trying to fish her baby out of the water and the baby was flailing his paws desperately.
Hanu saw all this and in a flash he ran and got two long bamboo poles from the shed behind the house. He went towards the pond. Monkeys can be very violent. And most animals will attack people if they are frightened.
This group of monkeys was no different. Hanu had watched them long enough to know that they could attack him too. So, he used one stick with his left hand to chase away the monkeys, as they came clustering around him. They bared their teeth and chattered, trying to protect their baby.
Hanu kept one eye on them while he pushed the other stick into the pond, close to the baby monkey. The baby grabbed the stick. Slowly, Hanu lifted the baby on the stick and put the stick near his mother. She grabbed the baby and the monkeys cluttered around her.
Hanu ran back to the verandah where his own terrified mother had watched the whole incident. She too hugged her kind and brave little boy!
Moral: Courage is needed to help others.
