The Monkey, it is said, has two young ones at each birth. The Mother fondles one and nurtures it with the greatest affection and care, but hates and neglects the other. It happened once that the young one which was caressed and loved was smothered by the too great affection of the Mother, while the despised one was nurtured and reared in spite of the neglect to which it was exposed.
Credits
Aesop was an ancient Greek storyteller, believed to have lived around 620–564 BCE, credited with a vast collection of moral fables that continue to be retold across cultures worldwide. "The Monkeys and Their Mother" is among his shorter pieces, using animal behaviour to cast a wry, unsentimental light on human nature. His fables were originally passed down through oral tradition before being compiled and translated into many languages over the centuries.
