Monkeys.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2033, 18 July 1885, Page 5 (Supplement)

Monkeys.

Monkeys Boon make frieads with other anianimula do them a service. They resemble man in thiß respect, wn«*tever else may be said about the likeness. Ani we see from what Uncle Bob has told us thai; a monkey may become as fond of n pet ad any boy or girl. A monkey can bs taught to do almost anything, and,if »t &11 kindly treated can be trained 4 much more quickly than anj other creature. There is a storj 01 one that used to walk hand in hand wiih its maoler within a month after it c&rae into hia pos»eoSioi2. it would answer 4 his call lite u savant, iiut it wa9 not treated like a servant. It was honored aa a guest, and had a se.it at table. It would drink tea ot milkout of a cup, and help itself to an egg or to bread or meat, and it lifted what it wanted with the right hand. A J?rench traveller named Le Vaillant, who went through Africa, became lntertaLeu in a chacma monkey, one of tho baboon KpcutiS, that he got^at the Cape, scd whien w^o very uaefal to him iv hia wanderm^i. lit. maclo thiß monkey, which he called " Iv.eV' & sort of " Wbter." That ia to say, whi.ll he cuine to a place where there were nuts ■>*. berne* of a kind ho [had not 3een before, he c&red them to "Ktea." If tue monkey ate them the traveller would do the bauie, and anything the monkey would not touch, the traveller, unless when he uaew better, avtided as poison. Kees wa3 oi value also during the night as well as at meal timed. Ha waa the i-entinel of the camp. Ha was alert, and gave the alarm at 6he slightest bign of danger. Ev«n the dogs trusted to s ! ie monkey's watchfulness. When the party began ita journeyings it the duty ol tho do^s to give warning when there was any trouble ; but in time they put sui.h conhdeuce in Kew that they went soundly to sleep at every r.ssting place. With monkeys, as with men, '' one good turn denervet> another," and so Kces, tired out with walking, would now and again leap on the bacs oi one ot the dogs, and get carried in this way for miles at a t<tr€tch. All the dogs did not hko this. There waß one of them that would' not on any account be made a horsa of ; mid thu one took a very cunning w<iy oi };etti*g treeuiroin his rider. He could not prevent .tCees jumping on his back, hue he could Uo this— he could refuse to move. A3 soon as tne monkey leaped on him ha stood poriectly still The, camp being in motion tuia do^ and his wouldbe nder were spsedity left bacunJ. Kees would keep his seat, thiu.uog, n» doubt, that the dog would etiange hw mind, and not after his companions before ohty disappeared. But the dog knew better. A , long aa he felt himself burdened he would noi .. jvo an inch, and it will always Keta that hi. . u yive in. When this took place, tho two unuusis would set off at their beat speed to mvi^ake tha travelling party. It was hko a. race between the two, but the dog took cttte to keep second place, so tnat tue monkey might not again have the chance of getuag on ma back. Taere is a very pietty story of tne monkey in an ancient Hindoo poe^j. The. monkeys, v?e ure told, were once employed in a great contest in India between good and evil powers; and it is something to know t*at the moukeya were on the right side 1a the dispute. In tha e»d the good powers won. Now dunug the str-uggle the ohief monKey performed what may seem at hrst sight a very courageous act. He made his vt»y into the garden of a very terrible giant, and took therefrom the famoas mango tree and gave it to India. Supposing such an aut had been the work of a human being, v/e couli not think of doing too rnuca to reward the hero ot it for hia pluck and oravery. But tho poem does not look at the mtkuter 1.1 k uid way. The monkey stole the tree, and altaough what v.i.3 done waa of benefit to the iand, ie waa & crime and a tin, and it hai to ha puuidhud. Up to this period the ruoukeyhaa clean hands ami a clean face, bun became ot iiu oliunce m lobbing tue gmnt hia hands and Lft face were bluciienud, and olack thuy lemaiu to thii day. Such is tne btory. I;, is aot true, of course, but the teaching or u id true, and noi a boy or girl but cm, oy thiusiug a mument, see what it all means. — Leeds Mercury.