The Monkey and the Wedge

In a certain city, there lived a very wealthy merchant who decided to build a magnificent temple in his garden. He hired skilled craftsmen and carpenters from far and wide for the construction. Huge wooden logs were brought in for the temple. The carpenters would arrive every morning and spend their day sawing the wood. It was summer, and the afternoon sun was scorching. Every day at noon, the carpenters would stop their work and go home for lunch and rest. One day, the carpenters were sawing a massive log right down the middle. They had managed to saw halfway through it. When the lunch bell rang, they decided to take a break. To prevent the two split halves of the log from closing back together, they drove a thick wooden wedge into the gap and left for their meal. Shortly after, a troop of monkeys arrived from the nearby forest. They began jumping and playing on the piles of wood. In that troop, there was a young monkey who was exceptionally restless and curious. He had a habit of meddling in things that did not concern him. While playing, his eyes fell on the half-sawn log. He went and sat right on top of it. He became very curious about the wooden wedge stuck in the gap. 'Why is this wedge here? What would happen if I pulled it out?' he wondered. An old and wise monkey from the troop warned him, 'Hey, what are you doing there? Do not interfere with the carpenters' work. We don't understand these things, and it's dangerous to play there.' But the restless monkey ignored the elder's advice. He started shaking the wedge. He began pulling at it with all his might. His legs and tail were dangling right near the gap of the log. As the wedge loosened, his excitement grew. Finally, with one great heave, he pulled the wedge out. The moment the wedge was removed, the heavy log snapped shut with a loud thud. Unfortunately, the monkey's legs and tail were caught in the closing gap. He cried out in excruciating pain. He had interfered in a matter that had nothing to do with him, and he paid a heavy price for his foolish curiosity. He was trapped because of his own meddling nature.