The tale begins when the Monkey and the Turtle find a banana tree floating in a river. They decide to split it. The Monkey, being greedy and wanting immediate results, chooses the upper half with the leaves, believing it will grow faster. The Turtle is left with the bottom half—the seemingly lifeless stump with roots.
The climax of the story is one of the most famous examples of reverse psychology in literature. It teaches children (and adults) that when backed into a corner, one's greatest weapon is their mind, not their fists. Cultural Impact pagong at si matsing