Story With A Moral —Or Has It?

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 45, 24 January 1949, Page 5

Story With A Moral —Or Has It?

Colony of monkeys, having gathered a store of nuts for the winter, begged their Wise, Ones to distribute them. The Wise Ones reserved a good half for themselves and distributed the remainder among the rest of the community, giving to some twenty nuts, to others ten, to others five, and to a considerable number, none.

Now, when those to whom twenty bad been given complained that the Wise Ones had kept so many for themselves, the Wise Ones answered: “Peace, foolish ones, are ye not much better off than those who have ten?” And they were pacified. And to those who objected to having only ten they said: “Be satisfied, are there not many who have only five.” And they kept • silence. And they answered those who had five, saying: “Nay, but ®see ye not the number who have none?” Now when these last made complaint of the unjust division, and demanded a share, the Wise Ones stepped forward and exclafmed to those who had twenty, ten and five: “Behold the wickedness of these monkeys. Because they have no nuts they are dissatisfied and would fain rob you of those which are yours.” And they fell upon the portionless monkeys and beat them sorely.