The stories La tells....

I came across this story on a storytelling listserv.
The story was posted by Wayfayer Tomm.
I think this story has a message for all of us.

The Forever Trap

Sometimes are like other times and other times are like no time at all.

One morning that was like no other morning except maybe this morning.
Owl was returning from a long night, of exploring and studying and thinking and other types of work, that owls do in the quiet of the night.

As Owl was returning home he saw a Hunter sneaking through the low morning mist and the tall grass at the base of the big banyan tree.

Owl watched as the Hunter tied a shinny glass bottle.
To the root that stuck out from the base of the big banyan tree.

And Owl thought that that was more than just a little strange.
I mean, what the heck, the shinny glass bottle wasn't going to run away or
anything.

As soon as the Hunter finished tying up the shinny glass bottle he reached his hand into his pocket and he took some things out.

He put them into the bottle then the Hunter crept carefully and quietly off into the low mist and tall grass.

After the Hunter had left everything became really quiet.
Nothing happened for a long time while Owl's eyes closed and he took a well-earned nap.

Owl was almost dreaming when suddenly he heard a clittering and a clattering, a chittering and a chattering from the base of the big banyan tree.

"Oh me, oh my, oh me, oh my, oh my goodness, oh my goodness! I'm trapped, this bottle has me trapped and I'll be trapped forever!"
"Eeeeee! I'll never get loose, I'll never get loose! I want to get loose and I want to get loose right now!!

"Oh me oh my", on and on went the chittering and the chattering, on and on when the clittering and the clattering as owl looked down to the base of the big banyan tree.

He saw Monkey just a pulling and a tugging and a jumping up and a jumping down, a running back and a running forth with his hand stuck inside the shinny glass bottle that was tied to the root that stuck out from the bottom of the big banyan tree.

Owl quickly flew down to get a closer look at the situation and as he looked through the clear sides of the shiny glass bottle, he could see right away what was causing Monkey to have his hand stuck in the shiny glass bottle.

Inside the bottle were many nuts which were Monkey's favorite food.
Monkey had his hands wrapped around three or four of the nuts which was why Monkey could not pull his hand back through the small opening at the top of the shiny glass bottle.

"You have your hand filled with nuts," said Owl to Monkey.

And Monkey said back " I found them, I found them, they're my nuts, they're my nuts and I want to eat them right now!"

"You have your hand stuck in the bottle," said Owl, again, to Monkey.

Monkey said back, " Oh me, oh my, oh me, oh my, oh my goodness this bottle has me trapped! I'm trapped and I'll be trapped forever!"
"EeeK I want to get loose and I'll never get loose I want to get loose and I want to get loose right now!

"Well, let loose of the nuts and you can take your hand out of the bottle." said Owl to Monkey.
And Monkey said back "They're my nuts, they're my nuts! I found them, they're mine and I want them right now!"

Owl told Monkey " If you drop the nuts they will still be in the shiny glass bottle
and you will be able to get your hand out of the bottle and you can decide what to do next while the nuts are still safe in the bottle which you will still be
holding."

Monkey looked around to be sure there was no one else near him and Monkey open his hand and he dropped the nuts and slowly withdrew his hand from the bottle.

When his hand was out of the bottle Monkey started to jump up and down
Shouting joyfully, "I'm free! I'm free! Thank you Owl! Oh thank you Owl! I
don't know how to thank you enough."

And with those words Monkey went running up the big banyan tree until he got
to the end of the rope. Which was tied to the shiny glass bottle, which was tied to the root that stuck out of the base of the big banyan tree.

Well, the rope snapped tight and it pulled Monkey off of balance and he fell to the ground with a big thump and a bounce and a little bump.

And monkey started yelling at Owl. "You tricked me, you tricked me! They're my nuts, they're my nuts, I want them and I want them right now!"

Owl waited until Monkey calmed down and then told him, "If you turn the
bottle upside down, all those nuts will fall out and you will be able to eat them."

So Monkey slowly turned the shiny glass bottle upside down.
Out of that bottle flowed more nuts than any one monkey could eat at any one sitting.
Monkey was so happy that he started to jump up and down shouting joyfully, "My nuts, my nuts! Oh thank you Owl, thank you! I don't know how to thank you enough!

"Well", said Owl "Those nuts look awfully good. There are more than you can eat. Maybe you will share a few of those nuts with me."

Monkey shouted "They're my nuts, they're my nuts! I found them, they're mine and I want them and I want all of them!"

And he tried to pick up all the nuts at one time and to run off with them but there were more nuts then any one monkey could carry.
The more nuts that Monkey tried to pick up the more nuts that he dropped until out of complete frustration Monkey stopped and asked "What am I going to do? What am I going to do? Oh Owl, what am I going to do?"

Well Owl cocked his head to one side and he looked at Monkey.
Then Owl cocked his head to the other side and he looked at Monkey some more.

Then Owl said " Monkey if you put all the nuts back in the bottle there will
not be any left on the ground."

Monkey grabbed at the nuts and quickly put them all back in the bottle

Then Owl said "Those nuts look good enough to eat."
Monkey said "And I want to eat them right now!"

Monkey reached his hand into the bottle and rapped his greedy little fingers around three or four nuts, when he found that he couldn't pull his hand out of the bottle.

He said "Oh me, Oh my, oh me, oh my, oh my goodness, oh my goodness I'm
trapped! This bottle has me trapped and I'll be trapped forever! I'll never get loose, I want to get loose and I want to get loose right now!"

Owl just looked at Monkey and Owl said "Monkey, that bottle is not what will
keep you trapped forever."

Then Owl unfolded his wings and flew off to his home where he got good days
sleep.