Monkey

Monkey appears in three distinct fables as both a performer and a ruler, and each episode tests the gap between an outward role and the nature or judgment beneath it. The stories move from a Fox’s trap for a newly elected Monkey king, through trained Monkeys whose appetite interrupts their courtly act, to an Ape king who prefers flattering lies to unwelcome truth.

The Monkey Elected King

At an assembly of Beasts, a Monkey dances so well that the audience elects him their king. The Fox envies the honor and devises a trap: she leads him to a piece of meat caught in it, describes it as a store she has kept for him as treasure of his kingdom, and counsels him to take it. The Monkey approaches carelessly and is caught. When he accuses the Fox of deliberately leading him into the snare, she challenges his fitness to rule given his poor judgment. His public elevation is thus overturned by a single failure to assess what is offered to him; the story sets acclaim for performance against the practical discernment kingship requires.

Trained Monkeys and the Return of Appetite

In another fable, a Prince trains Monkeys to dance. Because they imitate human actions readily, they become apt performers; dressed in rich clothes and masks, they dance like courtiers, and their spectacle is repeatedly applauded. A courtier bent on mischief throws nuts onto the stage. The Monkeys abandon the dance, pull off their masks, tear their robes, and fight over the food. Their performance ends in the audience’s laughter and ridicule. The incident makes their transformation reversible: costume and training can sustain a courtly appearance, but the tempting nuts expose the appetites that the act had concealed.

The Ape King and the Travelers

The Apes episode places imitation in a political setting. A Monkey-like Ape has raised himself to kingship and arranges his court to resemble human ceremony: his subjects stand in rows beside a throne, and he summons two travelers to judge his standing among men. One traveler lies, calling the Ape a mighty king and his companions suitable ambassadors and military leaders. Pleased by the praise, the Ape orders him a handsome present.

The other traveler, who always speaks the truth, expects that truth may earn an even greater reward. Asked for his estimate, he calls the king and his companions excellent Apes. The king, enraged by the accurate answer, hands him over to the teeth and claws of his court. In this encounter, imitation gives the Ape courtly forms but not a capacity to accept honest judgment: he rewards flattery and retaliates against truth.

Narrative Role

Across these episodes, Monkey’s characteristic capacity to imitate is presented as both an accomplishment and a vulnerability. It can win applause and support a convincing performance, yet it does not guarantee sound judgment or genuine command. The traps and reversals expose the instability of status built on appearance: the dancing king is undone by an attractive bait, the costumed performers by nuts, and the Ape ruler’s human-style court by its dependence on praise. The collection’s preface describes fables as short narratives that use fictitious characters to convey instruction about human motives and conduct; these Monkey stories enact that method through performance, temptation, and the consequences of misjudgment.