Once upon a time, a Greek ship was sailing toward Athens, the great city of wisdom and learning. The passengers on board were excited to reach their destination. But they didn't know that danger lay ahead near the rocky coast of Piraeus, the famous port of Athens.
Suddenly, a terrible storm arose! The waves grew as tall as mountains, and the wind howled like a pack of wolves. The ship was tossed about like a toy, and before anyone could do anything, it crashed against the rocks and began to sink!
Just when all hope seemed lost, a pod of dolphins appeared! In those days, the dolphins were very friendly toward humans, especially the people of Athens. These kind creatures swam to the shipwrecked passengers and invited them to climb onto their backs.
Now, as was the custom in ancient Greece, many travelers brought their pet monkeys and dogs on voyages. One little monkey was struggling in the churning water, trying desperately to keep his head above the waves.
A kind dolphin spotted the monkey splashing about and, thinking it was a man, quickly swam over. 'Climb on my back!' the dolphin called out kindly. The monkey didn't hesitate—he scrambled up and sat on the dolphin's back, trying to look as dignified as possible.
As the dolphin swam toward the shore, he struck up a polite conversation. 'You must be a citizen of the great city of Athens,' the dolphin said, assuming the best of his passenger.
'Yes, indeed!' the monkey replied proudly, puffing out his little chest. 'My family is one of the noblest in the entire city. We are very important and well-known among all the finest Athenians.'
'How wonderful!' said the dolphin, impressed. 'Then you must visit Piraeus quite often.' The dolphin was being friendly, knowing that all Athenians knew their famous port.
'Oh, yes, yes!' the monkey replied eagerly, not knowing that Piraeus was a place. 'Piraeus is my very best friend! We spend time together constantly. He comes to visit me every single day!'
The dolphin's eyes grew wide with surprise. He turned his head to look at his passenger—and saw at once that he was carrying not a man, but a foolish little monkey! The creature had revealed himself as a liar.
Without another word, the dolphin dove beneath the waves, leaving the dishonest monkey to splash about in the water. The dolphin had no time for liars! He swam away to find real humans who deserved to be rescued.
And so, the monkey learned an important lesson that day: Those who pretend to be what they are not will eventually be found out. Honesty is always the best policy, for lies have a way of catching up with us when we least expect it.
