In a far-off town, lived a fat rat. He enjoyed healthy meals and roamed around in many houses. He led a happy and cheerful life until things changed for him one day.
One day when he was busy eating, he heard young boys and girls hooting, jumping and clapping. As the noise annoyed him, he left the piece of cheese that he was eating unfinished and ran out to check for himself the source of the noise.
A monkey man had arrived in the town. His monkey was hopping on a rope and the children were enjoying the show. The monkey entertained them.
When the show was over, everyone discussed how amazing the monkey was. In fact, the monkey man was also happy as he had earned a good amount of money for the day. He patted the monkey on the head and gave him a banana.
As night fell, the poor rat could not sleep. He kept thinking. “How can the kids applaud the monkey and not me?”
The next day, when the monkey man began his show, the rat could not stop himself. He came out running from his hole, wearing his bright red dress, while the monkey was about to walk on the rope. The rat jumped on the rope and showed his skills, performing for the audience.
The kids were happy and they clapped. The rat felt flattered. The monkey man realised that the rat could help him grow his income.
He put the rat in a cage. The initial days were exciting for the rat as he kept performing, but he soon realised that he had received appreciation at the cost of his freedom.
He felt depressed and sad. He began missing his home.
One night, when the monkey man was fast asleep, the rat escaped his cage and ran home to live a happy, contented life.
