A Good Story--

Date : 10.05.2025

Osho is the one to be accredited for awakening my wisdom towards stories. Once, in a book about Osho, I happened to come across a story which in fact led me to develop a tendency to make amends in stories. Although, my whole life has been influenced by Osho. Amid the dense clouds of unconsciousness, a few rays of awareness began to appear. A few notes began to emerge from the veena of creativity. The seeds for living your life in your own way began to sprout. The lesson of immature faith taught by social surroundings now began to fall under the shadow of doubt. I began to experience the fact that whatever is happening around us is not natural. We have interfered so much with nature that the nature has lost its fundamental essence. Could the stories that been part of school’s curriculum from centuries be incomplete? I realized this because of Osho only. I am writing that story from a school’s textbook based on my memory. Now suppose if thattale found its genuine end, through Osho’s insight for the first time. Three decades ago, I heard this in a speech. Osho was saying that, it is commonly believed that monkeys are imitators. If human tries to scare them then they adopt and reflect a violent gesture by grinding their teeth. If someone affectionately throws a banana at them then they catch it like a wicketkeeper. At that time, their posture is that of gratitude. When they are disturbed while they are engaging in affectionate conversation then their demeanor is different.

  There was a cap’s seller. He used to sell caps by going from village to village and street to street with his cart. It was his ancestral business. His four generations had been engaged in this business. Women used to stich the caps and men used to sell them. Their livelihoods were dependent on the income which was generated by selling caps.

One day he selling caps at a nearby village. He was carrying the bundle of caps on his head. It was day time in summers and he was really exhausted. He saw a shadowy tree of Neem. When he reached there, he felt a sense of coolness. He kept the bundle down, drank water from his bottle, spread a sack and fell asleep.  Sun was producing extreme heat in those summers and he had completed the journey of 20 Kms already.  Due to exhaustion the fairies of sleep began to spell their cast on him. He fell into the embrace of sleep. A deep sleep enclaved him. When he got up having taken a deep sleep for 2 hours, he could not find the bundle of caps. Lines of worry started to clearly appear on his face. He looked far and wide but he could not see his bundle of caps anywhere. His throat went dry. He got anxious. He understood the entire scenario when he looked up at the branches of tree. There was a whole procession of monkeys on the tree. They were almost 60-70 in number. Each monkey had a cap on his head. They were jumping from one branch to another branch with caps on. He had never seen monkeys so joyful. Many times, he had given bananas to road side monkeys. Monkeys were never this happy even while eating bananas. Even though cap is not their edible product still they were so happy. All of a sudden, the lines of tension started to disappear from his face and they began to be replaced by smile. He smiled. He heard it from his ancestors that monkeys were imitators and they mimic humans. He also had a cap on. While believing that whatever action he will do the procession of monkeys sitting on tree will also imitate. He removed his cap and threw it towards monkeys. Monkeys did the same. They also removed their caps and threw it towards the cap’s seller. The caps fell on ground. The caps seller burst into joy. He collected all the caps fallen on ground and tied it up in his bundle. He looked at imitating monkeys then put the bundle full of caps on his head and went towards his home. The monkeys were left starring in silence. In a tone that he wanted to show his cleverness he softly said, “poor monkeys”.

In the textbooks this story ends here only. Osho says that this story is incomplete and he completes this incomplete story in the following way-

Cap’s vendor arrived home at late hours. He had crossed 60 years of age. While having dinner he told his son and family about the incident that had occurred that day, while narrating the story he was apricating his own wisdom as how he regained the caps from monkeys. His family too started singing his praise. Then, he said to his son that now I am getting old and I don’t have the strength to roam from village to village, street to street for selling caps. Now I get exhausted. Since now you are an adult, the task to carry this ancestral business is upon your shoulders. My shoulders are tired now. His elder son replied affirmatively. Then he shared his experiences to his elder son. He said you will have to visit many villages for selling caps and then obviously you will have to take rest beneath a tree as well. It is quite possible that you may fall asleep while taking rest. Before sleeping remember to tie up the bundle very tightly. While familiarizing his son with his that day’s experience he said-

“I knew that monkeys do imitate humans. I removed cap from my head and tossed it towards monkeys. Monkeys also threw their caps towards me in response. I tied up all my caps in bundle and left for home”. He said , in a tone to explain his son-

“If the same thing happens to you then do not panic. Just remove the cap from your head and toss it towards monkeys. Monkeys will do the same”

His son understood this. He said, “okay, father. I will start the work of selling caps from next day. Although I will tie the bundle very tightly before sleeping, still God forbids if the same incident happens with me, then I will do exactly the same as you did today.”

At the same night, monkeys also organized a meeting. They were upset about the caps getting stolen. The leader of monkeys had gone to another forest since morning. Just when he arrived, monkeys told him about the recent turn of events occurred that day. He felt appalled and called for a meeting for discussion. He was addressing the monkeys, angrily-

“Is there anything like wisdom amongst you guys or not? May be all of you were sleeping while the supreme being was distributing wisdom. Idiots, human still considers us as imitators. Humans are nothing but our own developed version. We have to break this perception that imitating humans is our nature. Listen to me carefully, you idiots. From now on, if any cap seller sleeps beneath this tree, all of you shall take caps and climb the tree and when the cap seller throws this cap towards you, you must not throw back your caps.”

Everyone was listening to the speech of their leader with keen interest. The expressions of self-guiltwere clearly visible from their faces. There was a pin drop silence. The silence was broken when an old monkey dared to ask, “so chief, what should we do?”

“We should snatch that cap too”. The chief passed an order. All monkeys nodded in positive affirmation. The meeting concluded with a pledge that, from now on they will not be mimicking humans. If a cap seller throws cap towards them, then they will snatch that cap too. They will not throw their caps in any situation.

         In obedience of his father’s instructions the cap seller’s son started selling caps in village to village and street to street. This world of full of co-incidences. His son was also passing by near the same tree. It occurred to him that he should take rest beneath this tree with a thick shade and then go ahead. He spread a sheet beneath the tree and lay down. He was exhausted. He didn’t even realize when he fell into the arms of sleep.

        The group of monkeys was gazing towards him. As soon as they believed that the cap seller has fallen in deep sleep. All monkeys exchanged glances. They climbed down the tree without making any noise. They opened the bundle of caps, put it on their heads and climbed up the tree. They were giggling while looking at each other. In the meanwhile, the cap seller woke up. When he tried to adjust his bundle, he found it missing. He got anxious. When he looked upwards, he found that monkeys were wearing the caps. They were smiling towards him baring their teeth. He recalled what his father taught him, that monkeys are imitators.  They do exactly what human does. He removed the cap from his head and tossed it towards monkeys. By co-incidence none of monkey threw back its cap. One monkey snatched that cap too, wore it and started teasing him by showing baring his teeth. None of the monkeys threw its cap on ground.

      The cap seller got stunned. He started throwing stones at monkeys. Monkeys were not scared of stones. In defense they kept adjusting themselves backwards and forward, whenever a stone was coming at them. The cap seller got discouraged; while rubbing his hands he moved towards his home. A festive atmosphere spread over tree.

See next Blog : Unique Imagination of OSHO (Click Here)