A WONDERFUL MONKEY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 181, 1 August 1881, Page 4

A WONDERFUL MONKEY.

The "Mahratts," a native Indian journal, relates the following story from Indore :— " A certain Hindoo watchmaker, residing at the Khan river, just behind Pandhurinath's temple, in Ku-rai-Ghat-Etreel, accidentally met his death, and as he bad no close relatives to perform the funeral ceremonies, the police authorities went to the house, took ohsrge of his property, and also of a big monkey kept by him. Thia animal was tamed by the deceased, who took a fatherly care of bis pet. When the monkey saw this sad accident, be at once came to him, kisse i his feet and moutb, and cried so loud as no human beiog could cry. His red eyes end overflowing tears proved to every beholder his agony for his master ; he was perplexed ia bia grief and beoame so wild that ha at once jumped on the nearest house, and purposely threw himself on a big stone which was lying beneath it to commit suicide. The throng of spectators, who naturally held a compassionate view, gave him tome fruits to eat, so that he might calm himself, but the sagacious poor animal tbrew all the fruits in the faces of the givers, showing every beholder that he was, as it were, insulted. Nobody could dare go to the deceased and take him to the burying-ground. The policeman was frightened, and went to fetch more men. On the other side the monkey was crying, and fell on his master's feet and kissed them. Sometimes he took stones and tried to beat himself ; eomelimes he went to the nearest big stone, and dashed his head ao heavily that it might be fractured in a few moments, sometimes he tore bis moustechios and hair. He now and then went to the deceased, and by lifting his head saw whether the pulie ol bis master was beating. No words can describe the agony of this poor animal. There was not a single soul whose heart wag not melted. After three bonrs when the order reached from the nearest magistrate to remove the corps c at once, one of the policemen went to catch the animal, but the instant he reached the place the animal at once fell on him and made a thorough attack and would have killed him, had not the policeman taken proper precaution to save himself. Afterwards some four or five men volunteered their services and suddenly caught the animal and fastened him with a chain to the nearest wooden post and took the corpse away. When the prisoner monkey saw his master being removed, he bade him his last farewell, ■" and fell on the ground in such a senseless manner that no one could imagine that he would survive. After the funeral the policeman who had removed his master took all the property and the prisoner animal to the gaol ward. Now it is told that the monkey does not wish to behold the four wretched men who took his master away, and up to date he has not eaten even a morsel of food, and has been crying day and night. When he sleeps in the night it has been watched that he awakes from his slumber and looks out in every direction with a joyful eye, thinking he is hearing the call of his master."