The Great Monkey King - Jataka

Dadi: "Guddu beta, today I'll tell you a Jataka tale about the greatest act of leadership I know - a monkey king who became a bridge."

Guddu: "A monkey became a bridge? How is that possible, Dadi?"

Dadi: "Listen carefully, beta. Long ago, the Buddha was born as a monkey in the Himalayas. When he grew up, he became extraordinarily strong and was chosen as the leader of eighty thousand monkeys!"

Guddu: "Eighty thousand! That's a huge family!"

Dadi: "It was! Now, on the bank of the Ganges river, there was an enormous mango tree. Its branches were so thick with leaves that it looked like a mountain. And its fruit - oh, the sweetest mangoes you can imagine!"

Guddu: "*licks lips* I love mangoes!"

Dadi: "One branch of this tree spread over the riverbank, but the other extended right over the water. The monkey king was very wise. He thought: "If any of our mangoes fall into the river, great danger could come to us." So he ordered his monkeys to pick every single flower and tiny fruit from the branch over the water."

Guddu: "That was clever thinking!"

Dadi: "But one small fruit was hidden behind a leaf that ants had rolled up. No one noticed it. That mango grew and grew, becoming colorful and fragrant. When it ripened, it fell into the river."

Guddu: "Oh no! After all that careful work!"

Dadi: "The mango floated downstream until it was caught in the king's bathing net. The human king tasted it and was amazed - he had never tasted anything so delicious! He asked his foresters where this magical fruit came from."

Guddu: "And they told him about the monkey king's tree?"

Dadi: "Yes. The king traveled upriver with his soldiers and camped beneath the tree. At midnight, the eighty thousand monkeys came to eat their mangoes. The king woke up, and when he saw all those monkeys eating HIS precious mangoes, he became furious!"

Guddu: "What did he do?"

Dadi: "He shouted to his soldiers: "Kill them! Destroy all these monkeys!" The soldiers strung their bows, their arrows ready. Others raised sticks and surrounded the tree."

Guddu: "*worried* The poor monkeys were trapped!"

Dadi: "They were! The tree was surrounded, and the river was too wide to jump across. The monkeys cried out in fear. But their leader didn't panic. He climbed to the highest branch and looked across the river - it was a hundred bow-lengths wide!"

Guddu: "That's so far! No one could jump that!"

Dadi: "The monkey king leaped with all his might - and he made it! He landed on the other side, tied a strong vine around his waist, and jumped back toward his family."

Guddu: "But wouldn't the vine make him fall short?"

Dadi: "*sadly* You're right, beta. The vine was too short. He couldn't quite reach the tree. So you know what he did? He grabbed a branch with his hands and stretched his own body to make up the distance."

Guddu: "He used himself as a bridge?"

Dadi: "Exactly! He hung there, stretched between the vine and the branch, and called out: "Quick! Cross over my body to safety!" One by one, all eighty thousand monkeys ran across his back to freedom."

Guddu: "That must have hurt so much!"

Dadi: "It did, beta. But there was one wicked monkey named Devadatta who hated the king. When it was his turn to cross, instead of running quickly, he jumped hard on the king's back."

Guddu: "*gasps* That's terrible! Why would he do that?"

Dadi: "Jealousy and hatred can make people do terrible things. The jump broke the monkey king's spine. After all the monkeys had crossed, he collapsed, unable to move."

Guddu: "*close to tears* Did he die?"

Dadi: "The human king had been watching everything. His heart changed completely. He had wanted to kill the monkeys, but now he saw something that amazed him - a leader willing to give his own life for his followers. He sent his men to rescue the dying monkey king."

Guddu: "The human king helped him?"

Dadi: "Yes! He had the monkey king brought to shore, washed him gently, and anointed him with healing oil. He laid him on his own royal bed and covered him with a yellow robe. Then the king sat on a low seat - below the monkey - and asked: "Why did you sacrifice yourself?""

Guddu: "What did the monkey king say?"

Dadi: "*softly* "Great king, I guard my herd. I am their lord and chief. When they were filled with fear, I leapt to save them. My strength was almost gone, but I managed to hold on so my monkeys could pass over my back to safety. Because I could save them, I have no fear of death.""

Guddu: "*wiping eyes* He died happy because his family was safe?"

Dadi: "Yes, beta. And the human king was so moved that he gave the monkey a royal funeral. He built a shrine in his honor and from that day ruled his own kingdom with kindness and virtue."

Guddu: "The monkey king taught him how to be a good king."

Dadi: "Exactly! True leadership isn't about power or glory. It's about being willing to become a bridge for others to cross safely - even if it costs you everything."

Guddu: "Dadi, I want to be like that monkey king someday."

Dadi: "*hugging him* Then remember, beta - a good leader puts others first. They don't ask "who will save me?" They ask "how can I help them?" That's the mark of true greatness."

Guddu: "I'll remember, Dadi. Always."