Deep in the forest near a small village, a curious monkey was exploring the surroundings as usual. The troop had passed by an abandoned termite mound that had once been the home of thousands of insects. Now, it was just a hollow structure with small holes and cracks throughout.
The monkey, always hungry and eager for treats, noticed one particular hole that smelled faintly of something sweet. A villager had left a trap—placing a banana inside the hollow mound to see how monkeys behave. The banana could only be reached by inserting a hand through the narrow hole. It was an old trick, used not to harm the monkey but to observe a lesson in greed and patience.
The monkey eagerly pushed its hand inside and grabbed the banana. But when it tried to pull its hand back out, it couldn’t. Its clenched fist, now gripping the banana, was too big to come out of the narrow hole. The monkey panicked, tugging harder, but the tighter it held onto the fruit, the more stuck it became.
The other monkeys gathered around, chattering in alarm. Some even tried to help, but nothing worked. For minutes, the monkey struggled, refusing to let go. Finally, exhausted and frustrated, it released the banana.
As soon as it did, the monkey’s hand slipped right out.
This simple yet powerful moment revealed a great lesson—not only for monkeys but for humans too. Sometimes, holding on too tightly to what we desire traps us. Letting go, though hard, may be the only way to free ourselves.
