Jared Bernstein 9/26/16

201

The Monkey and the Orangutan

One day in the forest on the island of Penghu. There was a orangutan and a monkey who

divided up the forest. The orangutan and the monkey were good friends, they talked occasionally

and would eat meals together when they could. One day the monkey thought to himself, There

are plenty of bananas on this island, having a few more a day wouldn’t hurt. The monkey

decided to have one more for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and was told by the orangutan if you

eat to many a day you won't have enough for tomorrow. But the monkey replied there's plenty of

food on this island, I'll be fine.

The next few days the monkey thought to himself again. There are plenty of bananas on

this island having a few more a day won't hurt. And so once again he decided to have 1 more for

breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With the passing weeks going by the monkeys appetite kept

growing more and more with the amounts he was eating per day. One day the orangutan decided

to check on the monkey as he usually did. Swinging over to monkeys side of the forest, he

noticed a large figure dwarfing him in size and realized that it was Monkey. Monkey was in the

midst of eating his second breakfast and realized orangutan had shown up at this time.

Orangutan soon asked, Monkey what happened to you. Monkey replied, “nothing besides

eating a little more lately.” Orangutan looked in disgust and said if you keep eating this way
you're going to run out of food from your side of the forest. But Monkey said “there are plenty of

bananas left on this island I'll be fine, and asked orangutan to leave ignoring his advice.” Another

week went by and one day Monkey woke up much larger than he use to be. Unable to see a

single banana in sight he climbed up the stumps to get to his favorite spot and started swinging

from tree to tree to find some. On the second branch he heard something beneath him crack and

when he tried to swing to the next branch he fell with a loud thump on the ground.

Looking up Monkey saw the branch he was on snapped right off the tree and he looked

behind him and saw the one he was on before did as well and the one before that. Realizing the

mess he was in made him yell for orangutans help but orangutan did not come watching Monkey

in his desperate attempt to get the last bit of food on his side of the forest.

What is the moral of the story?

Have self control, Being preserving/diligent of one's self.