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It was a cold and silent night. The weather was freezing cold. A group of monkeys was on a tree. They were clinging to its branches. One of the monkeys said, "I wish we could find some fire. It will help us to keep warm."
Suddenly they noticed a flock of fireflies. One of the young monkeys thought it was fire. He caught a firefly. He put it under a dry leaf and started blowing at it. Some other monkeys also joined in his efforts.
In the meanwhile, a sparrow came flying to its nest, which was on the same tree the monkeys were sitting on. She noticed what they were doing. The sparrow laughed. She said, "Hey silly monkeys that is a firefly, not real fire. I think all of you should take shelter in a cave."
The monkeys did not listen to the sparrow. They continued to blow at the poor firefly.
After some time, the monkeys became very tired. Now they realized that what the sparrow had said was correct. They set free the firefly and moved to a nearby cave.
Moral of the Story: While persistence is one of the most defining qualities of a good student, there's always something new to be learned every day! The monkeys in the story sure are persistent but their hard work didn't pay off because they refused to listen, at least initially. Always listen to your elders, they know better!
The Greedy Boy
Sam and Tom were identical twins. They were so identical that even their mother found it difficult to distinguish one from the other, at least during their initial days on earth.
However, they were very different from each other when it came to everything other than their appearance. Sam had no friends, while Tom was a great friendship maker. Sam loved sweets, but Tom loved spicy food and detested sweets. Sam was mommy’s pet and Tom was daddy's pet. While Sam was generous and selfless, Tom was greedy and selfish!
As Sam and Tom grew up, their father wanted to share his fortune equally amongst them. However, Tom did not agree and he argued that whoever proved to be more intelligent and strong would have to get a bigger share of the wealth.
Sam agreed. Their father decided to organize a competition between the two. He asked the two sons to walk as long as they could, and return home before sunset. The wealth would be divided in proportion to the distance covered. As a rule of the competition, they were not permitted to carry a watch to keep track of the time.
The following day, Sam and Tom set out to walk. It was a rather sunny day. Sam walked slowly and steadily, while Tom broke into a sprint as he was bent on winning the race and winning a greater portion of his father’s wealth.
Sam knew that it would be ideal to walk as far as possible until noon and start for home at noon as it would take the same amount of time to walk back home. Knowing this, Sam decided to turn back for home at noon so as reach home on time.
However, Tom, with his greed to earn more wealth, did not attempt to return home even after mid-noon. He walked twice as long as Sam and thought he would still be able to return home before sunset. He hurried back when he saw the sun turn orange. Unfortunately, he could not even make it half way home as the sun started to set. Slowly darkness engulfed his path and he had to drag his tired feet back home.
He had lost the race because of his greed.
Moral of the Story: It’s tempting sometimes to pull a fast one to get ahead of everyone else. In the story, Tom thought that by outsmarting his twin brother, he'll be able to accumulate an extra portion of his inheritance. His greed caused him to overestimate his own abilities and this led him to lose the race… and money in the process. Meanwhile, Sam’s hard work paid off, he was able to win the raise through persistence.
The Proud Teak
There was a proud teak tree in the forest. He was tall and strong. There was a small herb next to the tree.
The teak tree said, "I am very handsome and strong. No one can defeat me." Hearing this, the herb replied, "Dear friend, too much pride is harmful. Even the strong will fall one day."
The teak ignored the herb's words. He continued to praise himself. A strong wind blew. The teak stood firmly. Even when it rained, the teak stood strong by spreading its leaves.
During these times, the herb bowed low. The teak made fun of the herb. One day, there was a storm in the forest. The herb bowed low. As usual, the teak did not want to bow.
The storm kept growing stronger. The teak could no longer bear it. He felt his strength giving way. He tried his best to stand upright, but in the end, he fell down. That was the end of the proud tree.
When everything was calm again, the herb stood straight. He looked around. He saw that the proud teak had fallen.
Moral of the Story: Do not let your pride get in the way of overcoming great difficulties. The proud teak was so prideful; he thought he was stronger than the howling wind. His inability to yield eventually caused his own fall.