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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Jan 2009 : 00:27:43
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London Letter: – WWW.ALLGAMBIAN.NET
19 Jan 2009
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BY DIDA HALAKE
A parable for our times?
(I used this story at a meeting on senior teachers in Wembley, London, in 2003 – Dida)
Once upon a time, a zookeeper built a cage for 5 monkeys.
In the cage, the zookeeper hung a banana on a string – just out of the monkeys’ reach. He also put some steps underneath the banana so that the monkeys can step on it and reach the banana.
As soon as the keeper left the cage, the 5 monkeys looked at the banana and began to jump up to get it. They couldn’t reach the banana but didn’t give up.
Soon one of the monkeys went to the steps, intending to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touched the banana, the zookeeper sprayed all the monkeys with ice-cold water. This happened several times.
After sometime, when a monkey tried to climb the steps, the other monkeys all tried to prevent him. Once this happened, the zookeeper turned the hose off and stopped spraying the monkeys.
The next day, the zookeeper removed one monkey from the cage and replaced it with a new one. The new monkey saw the banana and went to climb the steps. To his horror, all of the other monkeys attacked him. After another attempt, and another attack by his fellow monkeys, he knew that if he tried to climb the steps he would be attacked.
Next the zookeeper removed another of the original 5 monkeys and replaced it with a new one. The newcomer went to the steps to get the banana and he was attacked. The previous newcomer took part in the attack with enthusiasm.
Again the zookeeper replaced a third original monkey with a new one. The new one made it to the steps and was attacked as well. Two of the four monkeys that beat him were also new, so they had no idea why they were not permitted to climb the steps, or why they were participating in the beating of the newest monkey – but they still took part.
After replacing the fourth and fifth original monkeys, all the monkeys that had been sprayed with ice-cold water had been replaced by the keeper. Nevertheless, these five new monkeys never again approached the steps – for fear of a beating by fellow monkeys.
Why did the beatings take place when these 5 newcomers had never been sprayed with the ice-cold water? Why didn’t any of them try to get the banana?
Because they had learnt that that’s how things are always done around here – otherwise you get a beating!
Hope you enjoyed the read – have a nice day! I am signing off for awhile – doing a “Silent Londoner”!
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Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2009 : 08:11:18
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I thought the zookeeper had left the cage, when the first set of monkeys were jumping up to and climbing up the steps to get the banana the zookeeper wasn't supposed to be there (to spray the monkeys with ice water). Where did the zookeeper go when he left the cage? When did he come back to the cage?  |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jan 2009 : 09:33:55
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i remember this one, it was all about people never question things, and not having confiction to challenge something that does not feel right,
THE MORAL IS
LEAST TRY AND GET TO A GOAL. or you stay in the cage and be part of the crowd.
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