Among the Dan people of Côte d’Ivoire there is a story often told around fires at night. It is the tale of a monkey who thought himself cleverer than all others yet learned the cost of greed and foolishness.
In a village near the edge of the forest lived a band of animals who worked together to grow their food. They tilled the soil, planted yams, and harvested bananas. Each creature had a share in the harvest, and together they prospered. Among them lived a monkey who never cared to work. He was quick with his hands and quicker with his tongue, and he believed that his cleverness gave him the right to take what he wanted.
When the others returned from the fields with baskets of food the monkey would sneak behind their huts and snatch the ripest fruits. He danced and laughed in the trees while his neighbors shook their heads. Foolish monkey, they said, one day your tricks will catch up with you. But the monkey only grinned and swung from branch to branch, stuffing his mouth with stolen bananas.
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His tricks grew bolder with time. When the tortoise carried yams home on his back the monkey leapt down and grabbed them. When the antelope left cassava to dry in the sun the monkey whisked it away. He mocked the others from the treetops, saying, Why work so hard when I can outsmart you all?
The animals grew weary of his mischief but could do little. Then one season a hunter set his nets in the forest. The monkey, driven by greed, wandered near. He saw the bait of sweet fruit glistening in the sunlight and without caution leapt down. The trap closed around him with a snap. For the first time the trickster monkey’s laughter was silenced. He struggled, but the more he pulled the tighter the net became.
The villagers soon gathered. They found the monkey tangled and helpless, his clever hands bound by the net. Some called out, Let us leave him. He has stolen from us too long. Others said, No, he is still one of us. Let us set him free but teach him a lesson.
The elders spoke with wisdom. Monkey, you thought yourself wiser than all, yet your greed has made you a prisoner. Cleverness without respect and humility leads only to downfall.
They cut the net and freed him, but their warning echoed in his ears. Ashamed, the monkey slunk away into the forest. Though he lived, his days of mocking laughter were gone. He learned that greed and selfishness destroy even the cleverest trickster.
From that time forward the Dan people told the tale of the trickster monkey to remind their children that wisdom is not in taking but in living with respect and fairness among one’s neighbors.
Moral Lesson
The story of The Trickster Monkey of the Dan People teaches that cleverness without humility is dangerous. Greed can trap even the most cunning, while respect and fairness ensure harmony within the community.
Knowledge Check
Who is the main character in the Ivorian folktale The Trickster Monkey of the Dan People?
Answer: A clever but greedy monkey who stole food from his neighbors.How did the monkey steal from the other animals?
Answer: He snatched fruits, yams, and cassava from their homes and mocked them from the treetops.What mistake led to the monkey’s capture in the story The Trickster Monkey of the Dan People?
Answer: His greed led him to leap into a hunter’s net while trying to take fruit.How did the villagers respond when they found the monkey trapped?
Answer: Some wanted to leave him, but the elders decided to free him and warn him about his behavior.What lesson did the elders teach the monkey after freeing him?
Answer: That cleverness without humility and respect leads to downfall.What is the main moral of The Trickster Monkey of the Dan People?
Answer: Greed and selfishness destroy even the cleverest, while fairness and respect keep a community strong.
Source: Ivorian folktale, Dan tradition. Preserved in oral storytelling traditions of the Dan people.
