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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
397
There was also a small herd of sheep domesticated in the palace. The young princes used to ride the sheep and enjoy. There was an infuriated and intoxicated sheep in the flock. It always entered the royal palace and ate away whatever it found there. The cook flung forth a rod, a stone, a vessel at the sheep but the sheep did not abandon the habit.
One old monkey constantly watched this and he felt that what happened was not proper. The cook is very wrathful by nature and the sheep is obstinate. Sometime the cook would fling a burning log at the sheep who being burnt ablaze would enter the horse-shed full of grass. The grass would catch fire and the horses would be burnt. The fat of monkeys being very effective remedy for burns the King would order our massacre. With these calculations the entire flock of monkeys thought of departing.
All the monkeys assembled in a lonely place. The chief of the monkeys stated, “Brothers, constant fight is going on between the cook and the sheep. It is possible that we shall be a target of destruction some day. Therefore, let us depart from here before the catastrophe arrives. We shall live on twigs, fresh flowers and fruits with joy".
Hearing these words a monkey said: “This is very strange ! How are we affected by the fight between the royal cook and the sheep?
The other monkey said: "If the catastrophe were at all to come, it would have come already. As it has not arrived still, it proved that the danger apprehended is false”.
The third monkey said : "It is unreasonable to apprehend danger where it should not be apprehended. We cannot leave the royal palace under such false apprehension".
The fourth monkey retorted, "We shall indeed not find pleasures there in the forest as we do here".
The old monkey thought : "It is useless to speak out every thing frankly when no one considers any matter in right earnestness". He said : “I have fully considered this matter with seriousness. You may believe it or not".
One monkey said : "As this matter is very serious, we cannot rely on one man's opinion. Let us follow the majority".
