From the 1958 printing of Ideas and Stories for The Scoutmaster's Minute

Anybody here want to know how to catch a monkey? Well, I can tell you how they do it in India. They take a coconut, cut a small hole in it, and put some rice inside. Then they tie the coconut down securely and wait for the monkey.

Monkeys are greedy and selfish. I guess you could say anybody who is greedy and selfish is a monkey.  Anyway, monkeys are so greedy and selfish that they fall for the coconut trick every time.

The monkey sticks his paw into the coconut to get the rice. He gets a handful -- but then he can't get his hand out of the coconut.  His fist won't go through the small hole.  And he's so greedy and selfish that he won't let the handful of rice go.  He just waits there with is greedy fist wrapped around the rice until the men come and take him.

Well, you've got the moral to this story: Don't be greedy and selfish, or you may make a monkey of yourself.