After a heavy lunch, a little monkey napped in the branches of a tall tree.
Suddenly, a desperate cry for help awakened him. Opening his eyes, he saw a stout mantis clinging to a delicate branch with its saw-like forelimbs. The insect was crying for help as a black bird nearby prepared to attack. Without hesitation, the monkey jumped over and frightened the bird away.
"Thank you for saving my life, Mr. Monkey," said the mantis. "When I realized the bird was following me, I knew moving or staying still would both lead to an immediate attack. Without your timely help, I would have been killed. I am deeply grateful and don't know how to repay you."
"It was my pleasure," the monkey replied cheerfully before leaping to another tree. "Saving a small creature's life is wonderful. I'll keep doing such things," he said to himself, elated as he moved through the leaves and branches. Resting on a coarse branch, he suddenly heard another cry—this time, more than one.
Following the sound, the monkey quickly found four small birds crying desperately in a nest from hunger. "I think I'll die if Mom doesn't bring food soon," one chick cried, and the others echoed the same despair.
Just then, the mother bird returned. Amid cheers, the large black bird comforted her babies: "Sorry, my dears, I brought no food this time. A little while ago, I was almost sure to catch a stout mantis. If a naughty monkey hadn't interfered, that mantis would have made a good meal for you. But I'll keep looking."
The mother bird hastily kissed each chick and flew off again, leaving the hungry little ones crying weakly.
Having quietly overheard the conversation, the monkey was upset and confused. He had stopped a mother from feeding her hungry children. Was he right or wrong? Unable to decide, he jumped to the ground and went to consult the most knowledgeable elephant.
"You didn't do anything wrong," the authoritative elephant replied. "In this world, nobody can take care of everyone."
The elephant was right. Every good deed can have an opposite effect. As a Chinese philosopher said, "As long as we have done what we should, we cannot expect approval from everyone."