The Fourth Monkey (4MK Thriller, #1)

by J.D. Barker

The four monkeys comes from the Tosho-gu Shrine in Nikko, Japan, where a carving of three apes resides above the entrance. The first covering his ears, the second covering his eyes, and the third covering his mouth, they depict the proverb “Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.” The fourth monkey represents “Do no evil.”

Do not expect me to sit here and be berated for circumstances beyond my control. I am speaking to you voluntarily, and you are giving me little reason to continue.”

“The life cycle carving at the Tosho-gu Shrine is made up of eight panels in all. The monkeys appear in the second panel. Can anyone tell me their names?” I, of course, had the answer, and I raised my hand earnestly. If Mrs. Carter also knew, she chose not to participate. Father looked to me, then Mrs. Carter, and back to me. “Well, you did get your hand in the air first. Why don’t you tell us their names?” “Mizaru, Kikazaru, and Iwazaru.”

“Mizaru means see no evil, Kikazaru means hear no evil, and Iwazaru means speak no evil.”

“Shizaru,” I said. “His name is Shizaru.” “He stands for do no evil,” Father said. “And that, of course, is the rub. Should someone see or hear evil, there is little one can do. When someone speaks evil, there is fault to be had, but when they do evil . . . well, when they do evil there is no room for forgiveness.”

Sometimes it’s best not to be the smartest guy in a room. Some people are scared of those with a higher intellect. If you dumb yourself down to their level, they’ll accept you. Makes it easier to blend with the crowd.