Minnie's Pet Monkey Part 4

CHAPTER VI.

THE CRUEL MONKEY.

One afternoon, Minnie ran out of breath to the parlor. "Mamma," she exclaimed, "cook says monkeys are real cruel in their families. Is it true?"

The lady smiled. "I suppose, my dear," she responded, "that there is a difference of disposition among them. I have heard that they are very fond of their young, and that, when threatened with danger, they mount them on their back, or clasp them to their breast with great affection.

"But I saw lately an anecdote of the cruelty of a monkey to his wife, and if I can find the book, I will read it to you."

"There is an animal called the fair monkey, which, though the most beautiful of its tribe, is gloomy and cruel. One of these, which, from its extreme beauty and apparent gentleness, was allowed to ramble at liberty over a ship, soon became a great favorite with the crew, and in order to make him perfectly happy, as they imagined, they procured him a wife.

"For some weeks, he was a devoted husband, and showed her every attention and respect. He then grew cool, and began to use her with much cruelty. His treatment made her wretched and dull.

"One day, the crew noticed that he treated her with more kindness than usual, but did not suspect the wicked scheme he had in mind. At last, after winning her favor anew, he persuaded her to go aloft with him, and drew her attention to an object in the distance, when he suddenly gave her a push, which threw her into the sea.

"This cruel act seemed to afford him much gratification, for he descended in high spirits."

"I should think they would have punished him," said Minnie, with great indignation.

"Perhaps they did, love. At any rate, it proves that beauty is by no means always to be depended upon."

Mrs. Lee then took her sewing, but Minnie plead so earnestly for one more story, a good long one, that her mother, who loved to gratify her, complied, and read the account which I shall give you in closing this chapter on Minnie's pet monkey.

"A gentleman, returning from India, brought a monkey, which he presented to his wife. She called it Sprite, and soon became very fond of it.

"Sprite was very fond of beetles, and also of spiders, and his mistress used sometimes to hold his chain, lengthened by a string, and make him run up the curtains, and clear out the cobwebs for the housekeeper.

"On one occasion, he watched his opportunity, and s.n.a.t.c.hing the chain, ran off, and was soon seated on the top of a cottage, grinning and chattering to the a.s.sembled crowd of schoolboys, as much as to say, 'Catch me if you can.' He got the whole town in an uproar, but finally leaped over every thing, dragging his chain after him, and nestled himself in his own bed, where he lay with his eyes closed, his mouth open, his sides ready to burst with his running.

"Another time, the little fellow got loose, but remembering his former experience, only stole into the shed, where he tried his hand at cleaning knives. He did not succeed very well in this, however, for the handle was the part he attempted to polish, and, cutting his fingers, he relinquished the sport.

"Resolved not to be defeated, he next set to work to clean the shoes and boots, a row of which were awaiting the boy. But Sprite, not remembering all the steps of the performance, first covered the entire shoe, sole and all, with the blacking, and then emptied the rest of the Day & Martin into it, nearly filling it with the precious fluid. His coat was a nice mess for some days after.

"One morning, when the servants returned to the kitchen, they found Sprite had taken all the kitchen candlesticks out of the cupboard, and arranged them on the fender, as he had once seen done. As soon as he heard the servants returning, he ran to his basket, and tried to look as though nothing had happened.

"Sprite was exceedingly fond of a bath. Occasionally a bowl of water was given him, when he would cunningly try the temperature by putting in his finger, after which he gradually stepped in, first one foot, then the other, till he was comfortably seated. Then he took the soap and rubbed himself all over. Having made a dreadful splashing all around, he jumped out and ran to the fire, shivering. If any body laughed at him during this performance, he made threatening gestures, chattering with all his might to show his displeasure, and sometimes he splashed water all over them.

"Poor Sprite one day nearly committed suicide. As he was brought from a very warm climate, he often suffered exceedingly, in winter, from the cold.

"The cooking was done by a large fire on the open hearth, and as his basket, where he slept, was in one corner of the kitchen, before morning he frequently awoke shivering and blue. The cook was in the habit of making the fire, and then returning to her room to finish her toilet.

"One morning, having lighted the pile of kindlings as usual, she hung on the tea-kettle and went out, shutting the door carefully behind her.

"Sprite thought this a fine opportunity to warm himself. He jumped from his basket, ran to the hearth, and took the lid of the kettle off.

Cautiously touching the water with the tip of his finger, he found it just the right heat for a bath, and sprang in, sitting down, leaving only his head above the water.

"This he found exceedingly comfortable for a time; but soon the water began to grow hot. He rose, but the air outside was so cold, he quickly sat down again. He did this several times, and would, no doubt, have been boiled to death, and become a martyr to his own want of pluck and firmness in action, had it not been for the timely return of the cook, who, seeing him sitting there almost lifeless, seized him by the head and pulled him out.

"He was rolled in blankets, and laid in his basket, where he soon recovered, and, it is to be hoped, learned a lesson from this hot experience, not to take a bath when the water is on the fire."

CHAPTER VII.

KEES STEALING EGGS.

When Minnie was nine years of age, she accompanied her parents to a menagerie, and there, among other animals, she saw a baboon. She was greatly excited by his curious, uncouth manoeuvres, asking twenty questions about him, without giving her father time to answer. On their way home, she inquired,--

"Are baboons one kind of monkeys, father?"

"Yes, my daughter; and a more disagreeable, disgusting animal I cannot conceive of."

"I hope you are not wishing for a baboon to add to your pets," added her mother, laughing.

"I don't believe Jacko would get along with that great fellow at all,"

answered the child. "But, father, will you please tell me something more about the curious animals?"

The conversation was here interrupted by seeing that a carriage had stopped just in front of their own, and that quite a crowd had gathered about some person who seemed to be hurt.

Minnie's sympathies were alive in an instant. She begged her father to get out, as possibly he might be of some use.

The driver stopped of his own accord, and inquired what had happened, and then they saw that it was a spaniel that was hurt. He had been in the road, and not getting out of the way quick enough, the wheel had gone over his body.

The young lady who was in the buggy was greatly distressed, from which Minnie argued that she was kind to animals, and that they should like her.

The owner of the dog held the poor creature in her arms, though it seemed to be in convulsions, and wept bitterly as she found it must die.

Mr. Lee, to please his little daughter, waited a few minutes; but he found her getting so much excited over the suffering animal, he gave John orders to proceed.

During the rest of the drive, she could talk of nothing else, wondering whether the spaniel was alive now, or whether the young man in the buggy paid for hurting it.

The next day, however, having made up her mind that the poor creature must be dead, and his sufferings ended, and having given Tiney many admonitions to keep out of the road when carriages were pa.s.sing, her thoughts turned once more to the baboon.

Mr. Lee found in his library a book which gave a short account of the animal, which he read to her.

"The baboon is of the monkey tribe, notwithstanding its long, dog-like head, flat, compressed cheeks, and strong and projecting teeth. The form and position of the eyes, combined with the similarity of the arms and hands, give to these creatures a resemblance to humanity as striking as it is disgusting."

"Then follows an account," the gentleman went on, "of the peculiarities of different kinds of baboons, which you would not understand."

"But can't you tell me something about them yourself, father?"

"I know very little about the creatures, my dear; but I have read that they are exceedingly strong, and of a fiery, vicious temper.