Once there was a king that was very fond of animals. He had lots of dogs, horses, elephants, deer and other herbivorous animals in his palatial garden. One time during a hunting trip, he came upon a baby monkey abandoned in the jungle and brought him home.
The baby monkey was well looked after in the palace. In course of time he grew to be a big fellow, and became an object of respect to the entire court. The king, indeed, felt such confidence in the monkey and such affection that he made him his personal sword-bearer.
One summer afternoon, the king retired to his chambers to take a nap. He said to the monkey: “I shall rest and sleep for a while. You must keep careful watch to prevent anyone from disturbing me.” With this he went to sleep.
Presently a bee, hovered over him and alighted on the king’s head. On seeing this, the monkey angrily thought: “What! Under my very eyes this wretched creature disturbs the king’s sleep!” And he undertook to drive it away.
But when the bee, for all his efforts, continued to approach the king, the monkey went blind with rage, drew his sword, and fetched a blow at the bee – a blow that split the king’s head.
And the queen, who was sleeping beside him, started up in terror, screaming when she beheld the incomprehensible fact: “You fool! You monkey! The king trusted you. How could you do it?”
Then the monkey told what had happened, after which everybody scolded him and shunned him out to the jungle.
So that is why it is said that one should not make friends with a fool, inasmuch as the monkey killed the king.
