18 - Monkey Business

Summary

In this episode of 'Stories from India,' host Nared Money narrates two tales from Indian folklore featuring clever monkeys and a cunning giant crane. The first story tells of a monkey who outsmarts a crocodile by convincing it that his heart is stored at home, thus avoiding becoming a meal. The second story involves a group of thirsty monkeys who devise an ingenious method to drink from a lake guarded by a water monster, by using bamboo shoots as straws. The episode also mentions the character Bakasur, a shape-shifting demon defeated by Krishna, and teases upcoming stories about Tanali Raman, a figure with a complex legacy.

Takeaways

• 🎵 The podcast 'Stories from India' features myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by a traveling musician and storyteller.
• 🐒 The first story revolves around a clever monkey and a giant crane, where the monkey outwits the crane, which is portrayed as a water monster.
• 🕊️ The crane, in the story, is a shape-shifting demon sent by Kansa to kill Krishna but is defeated by the boy's wit and strength.
• 🥭 The second story involves a monkey who lives by a river infested with crocodiles and enjoys the mangoes from a nearby tree.
• 🐊 A crocodile befriends the monkey to get mangoes but later conspires with his wife to eat the monkey's heart, believing it to be sweet.
• 🗣️ The crocodile and monkey communicate in a 'Universal Animal Language', a storytelling device to simplify communication between animals.
• 💡 The monkey cleverly tricks the crocodile by claiming that his heart is stored at home, avoiding being eaten.
• 🌊 In the second story, a group of monkeys finds a lake but is wary of the mysterious footprints leading into the water.
• 🐉 The lake monster emerges and demands the monkeys clean the footprints, revealing it has eaten other animals that came near.
• 🌱 The monkey leader devises a plan using bamboo shoots and leaves to safely drink the lake water without touching it or getting near the monster.
• 📚 The podcast mentions 'Chatak' tales and provides a brief background on the folk tale origins and cultural context of the stories shared.

Q & A

What is the podcast 'Stories from India' about?

The podcast 'Stories from India' is about myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by a character named Nared Money who is a traveling musician and storyteller.

What are the two stories discussed in the podcast episode?

The two stories discussed are about clever monkeys outwitting water monsters. One involves a monkey and a crocodile, and the other is about a band of monkeys and a lake monster.

What is the significance of the mango tree in the first story?

The mango tree is significant because it provides food for the monkey, who lives near the river and enjoys the mangoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Why is the monkey cautious when approaching the river?

The monkey is cautious because the river is infested with crocodiles, which are potentially dangerous.

What does the crocodile initially want from the monkey in the first story?

Initially, the crocodile wants mangoes from the monkey, which he enjoys after tasting them.

What misunderstanding leads the crocodile's wife to confront him?

The crocodile's wife confronts him because he has stopped eating dinner at home, suspecting he might be eating out with his friends.

What does the crocodile's wife suggest after tasting the mango?

After tasting the mango, the crocodile's wife suggests that the monkey's heart must be very sweet and urges her husband to fetch it.

How does the monkey outsmart the crocodile in the first story?

The monkey outsmarts the crocodile by pretending to believe that his heart is at home and agreeing to give it to the crocodile's wife, knowing that he cannot be harmed without his heart.

What is the second story about?

The second story is about a band of monkeys who find a lake but are wary of a potential monster due to the absence of footprints leading out of the lake.

How do the monkeys solve the problem of drinking water from the lake without being eaten by the monster?

The monkeys use hollow bamboo shoots as straws to drink water from the lake without touching it or coming near it, thus avoiding the monster.

What is the significance of the crocodile and monkey tale being a well-known Jataka tale?

The crocodile and monkey tale being a well-known Jataka tale indicates its cultural and historical significance in Indian folklore, often used to impart moral lessons.

What is the character Bakasur in the podcast?

Bakasur is a shape-shifting demon sent by Kansa to kill Krishna, who is defeated by Krishna in the form of a giant crane.

Outlines

00:00

🐵 The Clever Monkey and the Crocodile's Deception

In the first story, we meet a monkey living by a river with a delicious mango tree. The monkey enjoys a simple life, eating mangoes and drinking from the river, despite the presence of crocodiles. A crocodile befriends the monkey by sharing mangoes, which leads to a surprising request from the crocodile's wife for the monkey's heart, believing it to be sweet. The crocodile tricks the monkey with a lie about a video game, but the clever monkey realizes the deception and uses his wit to avoid being eaten, revealing that his heart is not with him but at home, thus outsmarting the crocodile.

05:00

🦄 The Cunning Monkey and the Lake Monster

The second tale features a group of thirsty monkeys who discover a lake with mysterious footprints leading in but none out. Their leader suspects a monster, which soon emerges, complaining about the mess and offering a 'retirement' at the lake with a catch—don't touch the water or be eaten. The clever leader negotiates with the monster, inquiring about the safety of the water and the possibility of drinking it without risk. The story highlights the monkeys' resourcefulness in finding a way to drink the water safely, showcasing their intelligence and survival skills.

10:03

🌿 Ingenious Solutions to Thirst and Danger

The third paragraph continues the story of the monkeys and the lake monster. The leader devises a plan to drink the water safely without breaking the monster's rules. The monkeys use hollow bamboo shoots as straws and leaf bowls to drink, avoiding direct contact with the water. This clever workaround not only satisfies their thirst but also outwits the monster, who is left to seek new solutions for his landscaping and cleaning needs, as the bamboo was used for the monkeys' ingenious drinking method.

15:05

📚 Reflections on Tales and Upcoming Stories

In the final paragraph, the host reflects on the stories shared, providing context and cultural notes. The crocodile and monkey tale is identified as a well-known chatak tale with a noted contradiction, while the character of the giant crane is linked to an episode about Krishna. The host also corrects a previous portrayal of a character and teases upcoming stories about tanali Raman, hinting at a character devoted to their parents over a visiting God. The host invites listeners to engage with the podcast through comments, reviews, and social media, and gives credits to the music source before signing off until the next episode.

Keywords

💡Mythological Character

A mythological character is a person or being from mythology, a body of traditional stories that are part of a culture's beliefs and history. In the script, the host is described as a mythological character, which sets the tone for the podcast's theme of exploring myths and legends from India.

💡Jtic Tales

Jtic Tales likely refers to a collection of stories or folklore, possibly derived from a specific region or culture in India. The script mentions discussing two stories from 'the jtic,' indicating that these tales form the core content of the episode.

💡Crocodile

A crocodile is a large aquatic reptile known for its predatory behavior. In the script, a crocodile plays a central role in one of the stories, interacting with a monkey and revealing themes of deception and survival.

💡Monkey

A monkey is a primate, often associated with agility and intelligence. The script features monkeys in both stories, portraying them as clever creatures that outwit other animals, which ties into the broader theme of wit and cunning in folklore.

💡Clever Monkeys

The term 'clever monkeys' in the script highlights the monkeys' intelligence and resourcefulness, a common trope in folk tales where animals exhibit human-like qualities to overcome challenges or adversaries.

💡Giant Crane

In the script, a 'giant crane' refers to a large bird, not the mechanical construction equipment. This bird is mentioned as a character in one of the stories, adding to the diversity of creatures that populate the podcast's narratives.

💡Mango Tree

A mango tree is a tropical tree known for its sweet fruit. In the script, a mango tree by the river is central to the story, serving as the habitat for the monkey and a point of interest for the crocodile.

💡River

The river in the script is a setting that brings together the monkey and the crocodile, creating a backdrop for their interaction. It is also described as being infested with crocodiles, adding an element of danger to the story.

💡Folk Tale

A folk tale is a story passed down through generations, often containing moral lessons or cultural values. The script refers to the stories as folk tales, emphasizing the traditional and educational aspect of the podcast's content.

💡Lake Monster

The lake monster in the script is a creature that emerges from a lake, adding a fantastical element to the story. It represents the unknown and potentially dangerous aspects of nature that are common in folklore.

💡Resourcefulness

Resourcefulness is the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties. The script describes one of the monkeys as being 'as resourceful as MacGyver,' highlighting the theme of using one's wits to solve problems.

Highlights

Introduction to the podcast 'Stories from India' which discusses myths, legends, and folk tales from India.

The host, Narad Muni, is a mythological character and a traveling musician and storyteller.

The podcast features two stories from the Jataka tales involving clever monkeys outwitting water monsters.

The first story involves a monkey living by a river infested with crocodiles, highlighting the monkey's caution and the crocodiles' deceptive nature.

A crocodile befriends the monkey and tricks him into believing there is a new version of a video game, leading to a humorous twist.

The crocodile's wife wants to eat the monkey's heart, leading to a clever exchange where the monkey outsmarts the crocodile.

The second story features a group of monkeys who find a lake but are wary of the mysterious footprints leading into it.

The leader of the monkeys suspects a monster in the lake and devises a plan to safely drink the water.

The lake monster emerges and demands the monkeys clean the footprints, revealing a humorous side to the monster's character.

The monkeys use hollow bamboo shoots and leaf bowls to drink the lake water without touching it, outwitting the monster.

The lake monster, frustrated by the monkeys' cleverness, advertises for a landscaping service and a new cleaning lady.

The crocodile and monkey tale is a well-known Jataka tale with a clear contradiction in the crocodile's understanding of the monkey's heart.

The character Bakasur is introduced as a shape-shifting demon sent by Kansa to kill Krishna, showcasing a different aspect of Indian mythology.

Krishna outwits Bakasur in his giant crane form, demonstrating Krishna's divine powers and the theme of good triumphing over evil.

The podcast concludes with a teaser for the next episode, featuring stories about Tanali Raman and his devotion to his parents.

The host encourages listeners to leave comments, reviews, and engage on social media, fostering community interaction.

The music for the podcast is sourced from Purple Planet, adding a unique and engaging auditory experience.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

hello and welcome to stories from India

a podcast where we talk about myths

Legends and folk tales from

India I'm your host nared money and I'm

a mythological character Myself by

profession

I'm a traveling musician and

Storyteller so the way I'm doing my job

is by

podcast this week we'll talk about two

stories from the jtic

tales both are about clever monkeys

outwitting some kind of water

monster one of them claims to be a

cardiologist expert enough to perform

surgery on

himself and the other is as obs servant

as Sherlock Holmes and as resourceful as

mcgyver the character this week is a

giant

crane the bird kind not the mechanical

construction equipment

kind now on to the

show there was a mango tree by the

river the mangoes were most

delicious and that's why a monkey lived

there

he had breakfast lunch and dinner right

outside his door what more could he

want if he was thirsty he could jump

down to the river and drink his

fill as we have noted in a previous

episode the absence of Industrial Waste

in those days made the water perfectly

safe to

drink but When approaching the river the

monkey had to be careful anyway

this was because the river was infested

with

crocodiles sure they looked like they

didn't do much just sitting around in

the sun mouths wide

open why the monkey even saw some birds

hopping in and out of the crocodile's

mouth and not get

eaten however the monkey played it

safe because those teeth sure looked

sharp most most days the monkey would

play and eat mangoes and not do much

else one day a crocodile approached him

slowly but also waving its hands in a

gesture of

Peace if you haven't seen a crocodile

wave its hands you're really missing

something hey monkey said the

crocodile hey

crocodile but I'm surprised do you speak

monkey

no said the crocodile we are actually

both talking in the Universal Animal

language you may not have realized it

but this is a Common Language created by

storytellers so that we don't have to

spend a lot of time establishing a means

of communication before we even get to

the meat of the

story ah remarked the

monkey and what happens next in the

story now that we are

communicating

just that you offered me a mango out of

politeness said the

crocodile cool I can do that said the

monkey offering the crocodile a

mango the crocodile ate it and loved

it the mango was incredibly sweet and

the crocodile had never tasted anything

like it

before he thanked the monkey and went

home for the day the crocodile skipped

dinner that

night and his wife suspected that

something was

up but she let it

go the next day the crocodile visited

the monkey again and ate another mango

and skipped in her

again this continued for a few days

until the crocodile's wife confronted

him you have completely stopped eating

dinner at home are you secretly eating

dinner out with your

mates we can't afford it you

know the crocodile was reluctant to

reveal what was

up but as it happens in all

marriages he relented under

pressure his wife found the mango story

hard to

believe so he had to prove

it the next day he went back to the

monkey who by now was a friend and he

asked the monkey for an extra

mango the monkey gave him an extra mango

without even thinking too much about

it the crocodile took the mango to his

wife she loved it too in fact she said

to her husband if the mango is so sweet

imagine how sweet must be the heart of

the monkey that lives on

these wait a minute said the crocodile

that's a s

argument first of all Hearts just pump

blood they don't absorb taste chemicals

from ingested

food secondly I have been eating mangoes

every day too does that mean you'll eat

my heart

next and thirdly this monkey is like the

goose with the golden eggs if he eat his

heart how do we get our

mangoes you're the silly one the wife

said

first of all how do you know it won't

taste sweet you have never tasted a

monkey's heart you can't claim to know

how it will

taste secondly like I have been

reminding you throughout our marriage

you haven't got a

heart and thirdly monkeys don't lay eggs

golden or not so stop blabbering and go

fetch the monkey's

heart the crocodile couldn't argue

against that he away straight to the

mango

tree he knew though that the monkey

would not go

willingly so he instead said hey monkey

I have great news there's a new version

of the curse of Monkey Island that video

game you love so much it's out

now there's another monkey on that

island over there he has the game and

he's willing to sell it to you for a

discount

the monkey did indeed love this video

game and he had talked about it often to

the

crocodile he even tried to get the

crocodile to play along on an auxiliary

controller but it didn't quite work

out crocodile hands aren't exactly built

to handle video game

controllers anyway this is why when the

monkey heard about it he just had to go

see it for

himself ooh it's the island how do I get

there on my back said the crocodile hop

on the monkey did that without too much

thought the crocodiles soon swam off

towards the

island at least until they were far

enough from sure that the monkey

couldn't just jump back to

land hey said the monkey how did the

video game selling monkey get to the

island

anyway and the curse of Monkey Island is

a game from many years

ago it had value then and was well rated

but those values and ratings don't

transfer to this day and

age and hey why did you just change

direction you're heading away from the

island

now the crocodile

said well the truth is I was lying there

is no video game

seller my wife actually wants to eat

your

heart no screamed the monkey I can't

take it no new version you raised my

hopes just to dash

them and wait what what was the second

part your wife wants my heart she wants

to eat your heart corrected the

crocodile well then why didn't you just

tell me before we left I'd have brought

it with

me you mean you don't don't have your

heart with you the crocodile

asked of course I don't you must not be

familiar with monkey biology much we

monkeys store our hearts at home haven't

you heard heart is where the home

is I thought the expression was home is

where the heart

is among crocodiles maybe anyway let's

go back I will be happy to give your

wife my

heart Fe my wife your heart corrected

the

crocodile they raced back and as soon as

they got closer to the shore the monkey

jumped off scampered up his tree and

breathed a huge sigh of

relief you silly crocodile if my heart

were out of my body I wouldn't be alive

I'm never coming near you again or

giving you any more mangoes

either the crocodile could do nothing

nothing because crocodile hands are not

adapted to climbing

trees but you should have seen him try

it sure looked

funny our Second Story is about a band

of monkeys who were wandering about in a

forest they were thirsty and badly

needed

water finally they happened upon a

lake the water looked so refreshing all

the monkeys were were about to rush in

but just then their leader shouted stop

something's fishy

here of course said one of the monkeys

it's a lake there must be fish in

it haha very funny but this is not the

time for wise

cracking

observe all these Footprints are leading

into the lake and none of them lead

out and your point is asked the wise

cracking

monkey just that there are no animals in

sight what happened to

them I bet there's a monster in the lake

that ate them

all AR came a loud noise from the

lake a monster had

emerged I'm going to get me a new

cleaning

lady you monkeys tell me is it too much

to ask to have those Footprints cleaned

up what does it take huh I already pay

her $100 every time and she can't even

clean

this I'm going to take her to the Better

Business Bureau he

grumbled the monkeys all looked at each

other

expectantly oh yes the monster said I

forgot the welcome speech here goes

welcome to the lake your perfect

retirement destination here you can turn

off your mind relax and float and enjoy

the sound of song

birds be careful not to touch the water

though if you do the monster has full

permissions to eat you car your

signature on the park of that tree to

indicate you have heard these terms and

conditions and fully accept

them eat us exclaimed the

monkeys yeah come near my Lake and I

will eat you said the monster

the monkeys were really thirsty and too

tired to find another

Lake their leader could clearly see

that he thought for a while trying to

find a

loophole is the water safe to drink he

asked is it poisoned or otherwise

capable of causing discomfort or

illness well being eaten would be

discomforting I suppose the monster

replied but the water is perfectly

portable completely safe to drink filled

with nutrients and all

that but how are you going to drink it

without touching it or coming

near now suppose continued the leader if

a part of the lake water were to be

separated from the rest of the

lake would that then be okay to drink

without risk of being

eaten the monster was

puzzled how are you going to do that he

asked never mind just tell me asked the

leader the monster put on his reading

classes and pulled out the monster

Handbook of Lake residency rules

guidelines and etiquette and browse

through it for a

while I'll admit he said I can't eat you

if you do that but beats me how you're

going to get the water out of my Lake

without coming near the lake and without

touching the

water that was what the leader had been

hoping to

hear I'll show you he said the monkey

leader organized a couple of

teams one of them would tear down all

the hollow bamboo shoots they could find

the others would make bowls with a few

large leaves joined

together this tool making Behavior might

have interested Dame Chan Goodall

but she wasn't around in this forest or

even in this

Century soon The Long Hollow bamboo

shoots which were basically pipes at

this point were all laid down like giant

straws one end dipping in the lake the

other end opening up near the leaf

Bowes the leader showed the monkeys how

to use the straws but be careful not to

drink the water directly from them they

would suck the air out of the bamboo

shoots and redirect the flow to the BS

so they weren't touching the water and

they weren't going near the

lake while the monkeys were chattering

and drinking all they could from the

leaf bows that had water sucked from a

bamboo straw the lake monster was

placing two very important ads on all

the job

sites he needed a Landscaping service to

get rid of all the bamboo around the

lake and of course he needed a new

cleaning

lady some notes on these stories the

crocodile and monkey tale is a very

well-known chatak

tale it's also claimed to be a folk tale

from the southern state of

Karnataka in the original story there's

a very clear

contradiction the crocodile knows in the

conversation with his wife that the

monkey and his heart are one in separate

unit yet he readily buys the monkey

story about him leaving his heart

behind maybe he didn't have a

stethoscope with him to

check obviously it goes without

saying a crocodile handling a

stethoscope is a funny

sight the character this week is a giant

crane the bird kind not the mechanical

construction equipment kind

bakasur quite unlike his gluttonous

namesake from an earlier episode was a

shape-shifting

demon he had been sent by cuns to kill

the boy

Krishna see more about this in episode

11 the boy who

lived bakasur in giant crane form flew

speedily to Gokul where Krishna played

Cricket with his

friends he swoop pooped down and scooped

up Krishna in his

Peak but Krishna wouldn't be

swallowed he broke off bakasur peak from

the inside killing the bird to loud

cheers from his

friends the bird fell to the ground

Krishna promptly got off and resumed

playing it was his turn at the

pat next week we'll do some tanali Raman

stories

I realized I had portrayed rahen as a

Tormentor of animals in episodes 2 and

3 he certainly was that but he did a few

other things too all for

himself the character next week is

someone who was absolutely devoted to

their

parents so much so that they were given

higher priority than even a God who had

come to visit him

that's it for this week if you have

comments or suggestions please leave a

comment or a review on the site SFI

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episodes thanks to all you listeners for

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planet.com that's

purple-planet.com I'll see you next

[Music]

week