Once, a wise Monkey King noticed a mango tree growing at the riverside. He thought, ‘If humans find out about these mangoes, they will drive us away from here.’ So, he ordered all the mangoes to be removed. However, a mango fell into the river. It flowed downstream into the hands of the Human King. It was so delicious that he wanted more. Within days, the Human King’s troops reached the Monkey King’s forest. Seeing the monkeys, the soldiers started killing them. To protect his subjects, the Monkey King took them all to the river. He lay down and formed a bridge with his huge body. Quickly, the monkeys crossed the rushing river safely. However, the Monkey King’s body was badly trampled, and he died. Seeing this, the Human King was filled with karuna (compassion). He swore to protect the monkeys in the forest forever. The monkey king was none other than the Bodhisattva.
Moral: A good king always protects his subjects.
