Foolish Fish and Wise Monkey by Tshabang Tlalanyane

The story Foolish Fish and Wise Monkey is folklore set in a wildlife environment, depicting a community where creatures of different cultures live together. Within these cultures, a friendship develops between a young fish and a young monkey. The consequences of their friendship come at the expense of not following parental advice and guidance, which makes both Little Monkey and Little Fish suffer consequences. Little Monkey’s love for adventure and his imagined heroism on Little Fish’s back through the deep waters where his kin has never travelled, brings him to the brink of death. Similarly, Little Fish’s tactics to get her friend Monkey to the bottom of the water leads to losing the friendship that developed between them. The story shows how the fish’s foolishness was topped by monkey’s wisdom in being able to think quickly and calmly enough to save his life. The tale exposes problems faced within societies regarding child rearing and upbringing. Children often turn deaf ears to parental advice and guidance while giving in to peer pressure. To this end, social ills and problems such as lies, dishonesty, substance abuse, and ignorance can breed into juvenile delinquency.