The Great Compromise

Crunch, crunch, crunch, the leaves on the jungle floor rustled as the king’s large legs bent back and forth. Dodging trees as he ran, faster and faster. Looking up for some sign of support. He could hear the hunters chasing him. “Howwwwwwl!” a hunter had lodged a small spear into the back leg of the behemoth. He trudged along, knowing his fate if he was caught. He heard a whisper, “left.” He swerved left. “Go right.” The king’s legs bounced across the ground as he stumbled right, nearly falling to the ground. The voice had led him right to the waterfall. The hunters were closing in. No turning back. All hope was lost.

Men picked the bananas off the large trees. Thirty feet above the ground, in the jungle canopy. They were latched in by their large tails and they had a bag of some kind. They gathered all the bananas from ten trees a day. At this rate, they will clear out the forest within a few weeks. The monkeys all sat atop the largest tree in the forest watching and strategizing.

“We must stop this,” ooked Chokai, a young monkey.

“I have a plan that will benefit us,” boomed Thou, the elder monkey.

“Jump in the water!” The voice blared in the king’s ears.

“No, I will drown!” screeched the king.

“DO IT!” The king leaped over the large bed of water, nearly making it across. Gravity won. The king dropped into the water sinking towards the waterfall. The king heard the churning of the water, as the current carried him to his death. Out of nowhere a chain of monkeys tied together by their tails fell from the large tree that neared the end of the body of water.

“Grab on!”

The king leaped as hard as he could grabbing the last monkey on the “rope.” They swung him back and forth until they moved the large jungle cat across the water. The monkeys flew back into the trees and disappeared into the jungle.

A clearing appeared. The king walked cautiously. A monkey sat in the middle on a large stump, meditating.

“Tiger, do you recognize what I am sitting upon?” the elder monkey inquired.

“A dead tree,” sneered the tiger.

“This stump used to be a magnificent tree back when I was a young monkey. I used to play on it every day but the humans in the village chopped it down. The monkeys in this forest do not approve of their actions. The people have destroyed our homes, our food supply and our way of life. They must be stopped. We call upon you to aid us." Preached the elder monkey.

“Why should I help you, the humans have taken the same from me, I cannot stay in one spot for a long time, my family has been speared and captured and the people chase me throughout the forest for my hide. I have my own problems to deal with.” The tiger started to walk out of the clearing, returning to his dwelling.

“Wait, I have a deal for you.” The tiger’s ears slowly lifted. “In exchange for your protection, I would like to offer you every monkey’s eye and ear in this forest. We ask you to circle the banana field three times a day. In exchange, we will alert you of the presence of humans if they ever breach your radius.”

“I can fend for myself, they don’t call me the king of the jungle for no reason.” The tiger roared with confidence.

“You will take me up on my offer.” The monkey squalled calmly.

“And why is that?”

“You are the last “king” in this jungle.” The elder monkey had played his last card. Shivers ran through the tiger. He understood the honorable monkey was telling the truth, he did have eyes in the entire forest.

“Thank you, monkey, I accept your offer.” The tiger walked up to the monkey and gave him a look of acceptance. Squawks ran through the clearing, as the tiger learned the entire population of monkeys had gathered to witness the compromise.