The Dragonflies and the Monkeys

Once in a huge forest, in Luzon, there was a strong tree. The tree had families of monkeys living in it.

The forest was very hot at that time of the year.

A dragonfly had been flying in the forest all day and she was tired. She came to the branch of the strong tree and realized that she needed to rest for some time.

She landed on the branch of the tree and that was when she saw a huge monkey smirking down at her.

“What do you think you are doing?” The monkey demanded angrily from her.

The dragonfly caught her breath and looked earnestly at the monkey. “Please sir, let me rest here. I am tired and the forest is too hot.”

“I will not let a weak creature like you rest on my tree!” The monkey told the dragonfly angrily and the monkey threw a twig on the little dragonfly.

The dragonfly was faster and she dodged the twig. She was shaken, but not hurt.

She flew to her brother, who was the king of the dragonflies and told him all that had happened.

The king of the dragonflies was very angry after hearing his sisters. He sent three of his messengers to the monkeys and asked them to make amends for treating dragonflies with cruelty.

Naturally, the monkey scoffed at the messengers of the dragonflies. The dragonflies were too tiny and the monkeys felt that there was nothing that the dragonflies could do to them.

The king of the dragonflies heard the story of the messengers and decided to attack the monkeys. So with no weapons and relying only on their flying skills the dragonflies flew to the strong tree of the forest.

The monkeys were ready with their clubs to swat down the dragonflies.

That was when the king of the dragonflies had an idea.

“Land on the heads of the monkeys.” The king told his soldiers.

That is what the dragonflies did.

They landed on the head of every monkey. The monkeys were waving their clubs haphazardly, trying to bring it down on the dragonflies.

But the dragonflies flew off because they were very quick.

The club instead landed on the head of the other monkeys.

One by one, the monkeys hit each other with their own clubs and fell off the tree and fell down.

That was how the little dragonflies won against the big monkeys.

Folk Tales from Philippines