The King and the Foolish Monkey

There was once a king who spent his days at ease while his trusted ministers ran the kingdom for him. In the palace he made a pet of a monkey from the royal stable and kept it always by his side. Other palace pets included parrots, partridges, pigeons and rams.

The monkey was fed on all kinds of treats from the king’s own hand. He grew big and strong, and the whole court treated him with respect. The king trusted him and loved him so much that he made the monkey his own sword-bearer.

Near the palace the king had a beautiful garden full of every kind of tree. When spring came, the garden was humming with bees and sweet with the scent of blossoms, and the king went in with his queen to enjoy it. All his servants were left at the gate.

After walking and gazing for a long time, the king grew tired. “I shall rest and sleep for a moment in this arbour,” he said to the monkey. “Keep careful watch, and don’t let anyone disturb me.” Then he fell asleep.

Soon a bee, drawn by the smell of the flowers and the king’s perfumes, buzzed over him and landed on his head. The monkey was furious. “What!” he thought. “This wretched creature dares to touch the king right in front of my eyes!” He tried to chase it away, but no matter what he did, the bee kept coming back to the king.

At last the monkey was blind with rage. He drew the sword and swung it at the bee, and the blow split the king’s head.

The queen, who had been sleeping beside him, woke up screaming. “You fool! You monkey! The king trusted you. How could you do this?” The monkey explained what had happened, but everyone scolded him and would have nothing more to do with him. That is why people say it is better to have a sensible enemy than a foolish friend.

Where this story comes from

“The Foolish Friend” is told near the end of Book I, “The Loss of Friends,” in Arthur W. Ryder’s 1925 translation of the Panchatantra. The jackal Cheek tells it to prove that a foolish friend can do more harm than a clever enemy, and Ryder sums it up in a rhyme: “The monkey killed the king.”

Read the original: Arthur W. Ryder, The Panchatantra (1925), Internet Archive

Best for ages 9–12 — a dark fable in which a sword blow kills the king; the text explicitly describes a head injury, so adult preview is advised.

A closer reading

The king mistakes affection for readiness to perform a dangerous task. The monkey’s loyalty is real, but giving him a sword creates consequences far beyond his ability to judge. Responsibility therefore begins before the bee arrives.

The monkey turns a minor disturbance into a matter of royal insult. His anger narrows his attention to the bee and makes the sleeping person disappear from his calculation. A remedy that causes greater harm than the original problem is the central reversal; the fable need not be read as permission to label people permanently foolish.

Try this with the story

List the original problem, the monkey’s chosen tool and the resulting harm. Suggest a response proportionate to a buzzing insect. Then identify the earlier decision the king could have made about who should carry the sword.

Questions to ask

• Does being a beloved pet qualify the monkey to guard someone with a sword?
• How does anger change the monkey’s view of a small disturbance?
• Where could either the king or monkey have prevented the harm?

Related stories

• The Story of the Monkey and the Log — another Panchatantra monkey who acts without thinking
• The Monkey and the Crocodile — a monkey who thinks fast
• The Camel, the Jackal and the Crow — a royal court and bad counsel