The king of the forest was a huge lion. No one could match his strength — and oh, how he showed off about it! Every day he'd roar, "ROAR! Whoever's strongest, rules!" And all the animals would hide in fear.
Up on a branch sat a little monkey, watching it all. He called down with a grin, "Plenty of strength, Your Majesty. But without brains, all that strength is blind!" The lion blazed with anger. "Come down this instant!"
The monkey didn't come down. He smiled a sly little smile. "One condition, Your Majesty. If you catch me, I'm yours. But can you?" The lion burst out laughing. "I'll have you in a single pounce!"
And the chase was on! Branch to branch went the monkey, the lion pounding after him. Smack into tree trunks, crash through bushes, scratched on the thorns — thud-thud! The monkey called back, "This way, Your Majesty, this way!"
At last the monkey settled on a branch above a muddy bog. "Catch me now, if you can!" In a rage the lion leaped with all his might — and right then the monkey darted aside! Sploosh! By his own great strength the lion flew straight into the bog.
Panting and panting, the lion bowed his head. "You were right, brother monkey." But the monkey didn't laugh. He called all the animals. Together they dropped a vine and pulled the king out — heave-ho, heave-ho!
From that day on, the king was not the same. He stopped showing off and became the monkey's friend. "I see it now, brother — it's not muscles that win. It's brains."