The monkey brigade helped Sri Rama to defeat Ravana at the gates of Lanka. After the battle, Rama returned to Ayodhya in triumph. The monkey brigade accompanied the victorious Rama.
After his coronation as the King of Ayodhya, Rama hosted a feast for all the monkeys. Delicious food was served. Rama, Sita and Lakshmana were going around to make sure that the guests were fed well.
Suddenly a monkey jumped up. Another monkey followed him. In no time, all the monkeys were jumping. To Rama’s surprise, Hanuman too, jumped high in the air.
As Hanuman came down, Rama said to him. “I’m delighted you are happy, Hanuman. But tell me, what made you jump so high?”
Hanuman looked sheepish. He admitted he had no great reason to jump. When he saw the monkey next to him jump, he wanted to put him in place. So, he jumped higher!
“Why did the other monkey jump?” asked Rama. He jumped because the monkey seated next to him jumped, and he wanted to show he could jump higher!
The trail of enquiry led to the smallest monkey seated first in the row. It turned out that he was the first one who jumped. Sita was determined to solve this mystery.
“Why did you jump, child,” she asked gently.
“I was peeling a banana served to me,” said the little monkey. “As I peeled off the skin, the banana slipped out of my hand and it jumped. I wanted to show the banana, I could jump higher. So, I did!”
The monkey seated next to him thought the little monkey was challenging him and so he jumped still higher! Thus, in no time monkey after monkey jumped. Each one jumping higher than the one who jumped earlier. Finally, to crown it all, Hanuman jumped the farthest!
Retold from a mythological folktale.
