King Chandra and the Palace Monkeys

In a certain city there was a king named Chandra. His son was always playing with monkeys, and so a troop of monkeys was kept in the palace and fed on all kinds of food. Their chief was learned in the treatises of Ushanas and Chanakya, and all the monkeys obeyed him.

In that same palace, for the prince's amusement, a flock of rams was also kept. One of them, greedy of tongue, would walk into the kitchen at any hour and eat whatever he found; and the cooks would beat him with whatever piece of wood or vessel came to hand.

Seeing this, the monkey chief reasoned: "This quarrel between the ram and the cooks will be the death of the monkeys. The ram is greedy and the cooks strike with whatever is nearest. If one day he is struck with a burning brand, then, being woolly, he will catch fire; and burning, he will run into the horse-stable nearby, and the horses will be scorched. And Shalihotra's book on horses says that burns are treated with fat — so monkey fat will be prescribed, and the horse-doctors will kill us for it."

Having thought it out, he called all the monkeys aside and said: "Where there is a quarrel between a ram and cooks, the destruction of monkeys is certain. While there is still time, let us leave this palace for the forest."

But the monkeys, drunk on palace food, mocked him: "You have grown old and your judgement is failing. Are we to give up the nectar-like dishes from the princes' own hands and eat bitter, sharp, dry fruit in a forest?"

He said: "Fools! You do not know where this comfort leads; it is poison at the end. I will not stay to watch my family destroyed — I am going to the forest." And he left them all.

One day that ram walked into the kitchen, and the cook, finding no other stick, took a burning brand from the hearth and struck him with it. His wool caught fire, and crackling as he ran he burst into the stable next door and rolled in the straw — and the stable caught. Some horses died; some broke their tethers and ran about half burnt.

Then the king called the horse-doctors learned in Shalihotra's science: "Tell me the treatment for these burns." Consulting their texts they said: "Master, on this the blessed Shalihotra says: monkey fat is the medicine for burns."

Hearing this, the king ordered all the monkeys killed for their fat — and the whole troop was destroyed.

Then the monkey chief heard that his sons, grandsons, brothers and nephews had all been killed. Overcome with grief, he gave up food, and turned it over: "How am I to repay this king?"

Parched with thirst, wandering in the forest, he came to a lake. Approaching it, he saw men's footprints going in and none coming out. He understood at once: "There is certainly a demon in this water." So he did not go in, but drank at a distance through a lotus stalk.

Then a demon rose out of the water, a jewelled necklace at its throat, and said: "Sir! Whoever enters this water, I eat; nobody has been as shrewd as you. So I am pleased with you — ask what you wish."

The monkey asked: "How many can you eat?" It said: "Hundreds, thousands, any number — so long as they are in the water. Outside it, even a jackal could beat me." The monkey said: "I have a mortal quarrel with a king. Give me that necklace, and I shall bring him and his whole household into this lake."

The demon gave him the necklace. The monkey wore it about the treetops, and people asked: "Where did you get such a necklace?" He said: "In a certain forest Kubera has made a great lake; whoever bathes in it on a Sunday at sunrise comes out adorned like this by Kubera's favour."

The king heard, summoned the monkey, and asked: "Friend! Is this true?" The monkey said: "Master, the proof is round my neck. If you want such a necklace, send someone with me and I shall show him." The king said: "Then take me myself, with all my household, so that we may all get many of them."

The monkey agreed, and the king set out with his whole retinue; and the monkey rode affectionately in the king's own lap.

At dawn they reached the lake, and the monkey said: "Master! Only those who go in together at sunrise will succeed; so let everyone enter at once. You come with me alone, by the special path I shall show you."

So the king's whole household went down into the water — and the demon ate them all.

When much time had passed the king asked: "Chief! Why are my people so long?" Then the monkey climbed quickly into a tree and said: "Wicked king! Your whole household has been eaten by the demon that lives in the water. I have repaid the destruction of my family. Go — I spare you out of regard for your former lordship. Repay kindness with kindness, violence with violence, and evil with evil; in that there is no sin."

Hearing this, the king went home stricken with grief. And when he had gone, the demon rose out of the water and said with delight: "Friend monkey! You made a friend of me, and with one necklace you destroyed your enemy — and you did not even lose the necklace. Well done!"

यो लौल्यात्कुरुते कर्म नैवोद्यत्कर्मवेक्षते । विडम्बनामवाप्नोति स यथा चन्द्रभूपतिः ॥

Moral: He who acts on impulse and never looks at where the act leads comes to humiliation — as King Chandra did.

From the Panchatantra, Book V — Ill-Considered Action.