• The Monkey and the Fishermen

Pride without skill destroys.

High in the branches of a tall tree that stretched proudly over a flowing river, a curious monkey sat quietly, observing the world below. His keen eyes were fixed on a group of fishermen working diligently along the riverbank. With practiced ease, they cast their heavy nets into the shimmering water, then pulled them back teeming with fish. The monkey watched with fascination as the nets returned, glistening and heavy with their catch.

As the sun climbed higher, the fishermen decided to take a break and head home for lunch. Trusting the solitude of the riverbank, they left their nets behind, sprawled carelessly near the water’s edge.

The monkey, intrigued and emboldened by what he had witnessed, clambered down from his perch. "How hard could it be?" he thought. He had seen every movement, every throw, every pull. Convinced he could replicate their actions, he approached one of the abandoned nets, wrapped his small hands around it, and with a determined grunt, flung it into the river.

But what seemed simple from above quickly became a disaster. The net, far from behaving as it had for the fishermen, coiled and twisted around the monkey's limbs. He pulled and tugged, panicked and confused, but the more he struggled, the more entangled he became. The net dragged him toward the water’s edge—and then into it.

Splashes turned into desperate flails as the monkey sank deeper and deeper. His strength faded. Water rushed over him. It was only in that final moment, gasping and submerged, that the monkey understood the folly of his actions. He had mistaken observation for understanding, confidence for capability.

And so, the river claimed him. The once-curious monkey disappeared beneath the surface, leaving behind only ripples—and a timeless lesson about the dangers of pride and the importance of experience.