Once in Bārāṇasī there was a festival and all the townsfolk assembled to keep holiday. The king’s gardener, wishing to join in the festivities, approached the king of the monkeys who lived in the royal garden and, pointing out to him all the benefits the monkeys had derived from their residence there, asked him if he would get the monkeys to water the trees in the gardener’s absence. The monkey-king agreed and, when the man had gone, distributed the water-skins and water-pots among the monkeys. In order that the water should not be wasted, he gave instructions to the monkeys that they should pull out the trees by the roots and give plenty of water to those plans whose roots went deep and little to those with small roots. A wise man, happening to see this being done, and reflecting how with every desire to do good, the foolish only succeed in doing harm, rebuked the monkey-king.

The story was told by the Buddha while staying in a hamlet in Kosala. The squire of the village invited the Buddha and his monks to a meal and at the conclusion of the meal gave them leave to stroll about in the grounds. In their walk the monks came across a bare patch of land and learnt from the gardener that it was caused by a lad who had been asked to water the plants there and who, before watering them had pulled them out to see how they grew. This was reported to the Buddha, who related the story of the past. J.i.249-51. The story is sculptured in the Bharhut Stupa: See Cunningham, Pl.xlv.5.