Chapter 4: The Cap-seller and the Monkeys
This chapter is a fun and well-known story. It teaches us about using our thinking skills to solve a problem. Let us read and enjoy the story!
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The Story (in simple words)
A cap-seller used to walk from village to village to sell caps. One day, he felt very tired. He sat under a big, shady tree and fell asleep, placing his basket of caps beside him.
While he slept, a group of monkeys came down from the tree. The monkeys were curious. They picked up all the caps and put them on their heads! Then they climbed back up into the tree.
When the cap-seller woke up, his basket was empty! He looked up and saw the monkeys wearing his caps. He shouted and waved his hands, but the monkeys just copied him!
Then the cap-seller had an idea. He threw his own cap on the ground. The monkeys copied him and threw their caps on the ground too! The cap-seller quickly picked up all his caps and walked away happily.
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Key Concepts
- Story elements:
- Characters: The people or animals in the story — the cap-seller and the monkeys.
- Setting: Where and when the story happens — under a big tree, during the day.
- Problem: Something that needs to be solved — the monkeys took all the caps.
- Solution: How the problem is fixed — the cap-seller tricked the monkeys into dropping the caps.
Copying / Imitating: The monkeys in the story copied everything the cap-seller did. To copy someone means to do the same action they do.
Thinking cleverly: The cap-seller solved his problem by using his brain, not by force.
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Worked Examples
Who are the characters in this story?
Characters: the cap-seller and the monkeys.
Where did the cap-seller fall asleep?
He fell asleep under a big, shady tree.
What was the problem in the story?
The problem was that the monkeys took all the cap-seller's caps while he was sleeping.
What did the monkeys do whenever the cap-seller waved his hands?
The monkeys copied him and also waved their hands — they imitated every action he did.
How did the cap-seller solve his problem?
He threw his own cap on the ground. The monkeys copied him and threw all the caps down too. The cap-seller then collected all his caps.
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Common mistakes
- Do not confuse the problem with the solution. The problem is what went wrong; the solution is how it was fixed.
- Remember: the cap-seller did NOT climb the tree. He used his thinking to solve the problem.
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Summary
In this story, a clever cap-seller uses the habit of monkeys to copy actions to get his caps back. The story teaches us that using our brain and thinking cleverly can help us solve problems without fighting or getting angry.