Section 166
The Monkey and the Camel explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
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At a gathering of all the beasts the Monkey gave an exhibition of dancing and entertained the company vastly. There was great applause at the finish, which excited the envy of the Camel and made him desire to win the favour of the assembly by the same means. So he got up from...
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Public-domain original
At a gathering of all the beasts the Monkey gave an exhibition of
dancing and entertained the company vastly. There was great applause
at the finish, which excited the envy of the Camel and made him desire
to win the favour of the assembly by the same means. So he got up from
his place and began dancing, but he cut such a ridiculous figure as he
plunged about, and made such a grotesque exhibition of his ungainly
person, that the beasts all fell upon him with ridicule and drove him
away.
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
At a gathering of all the beasts the Monkey gave an exhibition of dancing and entertained the company vastly.
Why this scene matters
This fable matters because it turns a common human habit into a short lesson about judgment and consequences.
Characters in this scene
- The Monkey: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
- The Camel: A figure in the fable whose choice helps reveal the lesson.
Simple story version
At a gathering of all the beasts the Monkey gave an exhibition of dancing and entertained the company vastly. There was great applause at the finish, which excited the envy of the Camel and made him desire to win the favour of the assembly by the same means.