The Dancing Monkeys
A group of talented monkeys in a forest village delighted people with their dancing, but their obsession with nuts ruined their performance.
Once upon a time, in a forest village, there lived a group of special monkeys. These monkeys were famous for their dancing skills. Every day, they performed on stage, jumping and spinning. Their dances made everyone who watched very happy.
One day, during a performance, a villager threw some nuts onto the stage. The monkeys loved nuts and couldn't resist them. When they saw the nuts, they forgot about their dance. They ran toward the nuts, pushing each other to collect as many as they could.
Their beautiful dance turned into a chaotic scramble. The audience was surprised. They didn't clap or cheer. Instead, they quietly left, leaving the monkeys fighting over nuts on the empty stage.
When the monkeys finally noticed, they saw that the stage was empty, and the clapping and cheers had stopped. They realized they had let their love for nuts interrupt their performance and ruin the show.
Audio available for B1 version
Once upon a time, in a forest village, there lived a group of special monkeys.
These monkeys were famous for their dancing skills.
Every day, they performed on stage, jumping and spinning.
Their dances made everyone who watched very happy.
One day, during a performance, a villager threw some nuts onto the stage.
The monkeys loved nuts and couldn't resist them.
When they saw the nuts, they forgot about their dance.
They ran toward the nuts, pushing each other to collect as many as they could.
Their beautiful dance turned into a chaotic scramble.
The audience was surprised.
They didn't clap or cheer.
Instead, they quietly left, leaving the monkeys fighting over nuts on the empty stage.
When the monkeys finally noticed, they saw that the stage was empty, and the clapping and cheers had stopped.
They realized they had let their love for nuts interrupt their performance and ruin the show.
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Word Finder
Village
A small group of houses in the countryside.Famous
Known about by many people.Performance
An event where people watch entertainers.Stage
A raised platform where performances are held.Audience
People who watch or listen to a performance.Resist
To stop yourself from doing something.Scramble
To move quickly and with difficulty.Chaotic
Very disorganized and confused.Surprised
Feeling shocked because of something unexpected.Interrupt
To stop something from continuing.
Understanding Questions
- Where did the special monkeys live?
- What were the monkeys famous for?
- What did the villager throw onto the stage during the performance?
- How did the monkeys react when they saw the nuts on the stage?
- What happened to the audience when the monkeys started fighting over the nuts?
Reflection Questions
- Why do you think the monkeys stopped dancing when they saw the nuts?
- How did the audience react when the monkeys started fighting over the nuts instead of dancing?
- Can you think of a time when you got distracted from doing something important because of something you wanted right away?
- What do you think the monkeys learned from this experience?
- How can we use this story to remember the importance of focusing on our tasks and not getting easily distracted?
Fable Quotes
Greed blinds us to the beauty of our purpose, turning joy into chaos and applause into silence.
Neglecting responsibility for fleeting desires can tarnish one's reputation and undermine their true purpose.
Actions taken in haste often lead to empty stages.
Just One More Fable
- Kindness
- Respect
The Ox Who Won the Forfeit
A proud man's boastful claims about his strong Ox backfire, but after showing kindness and humility, the Ox proves its strength.
- Envy
- Contentment
The Goat and The Donkey
A jealous Goat advises the Donkey to fake illness, resulting in the Goat's demise as its organs heal the Donkey.
- Deception
- Survival
The Wise Goat and the Wolf
A wise goat outsmarts cunning wolves who try to trick her, eventually scaring them away with the threat of powerful friends.
- Resourcefulness
- Contentment
The Faith of a Starving Man
A man collects seemingly useless items on his journey, which later help him survive by a river.