Monkey Sense

The sad tale I am about to relate makes my hands to tremble. It draws forth a bitter fore-taste in my mouth. I can see my friend on the other side of the river shaking his head in utter bewilderment.

Upon all that we the mangy dogs of this triangle endure, is this our coup-de-grace or a re-awakening call to brandish our fangs? Fangs sharpened to very deadly points so that even steel becomes soft meat? That’s what this monkey spin’s all about. Before you get mixed up, let me relate to you one escapade of my friend Mr. monkey.

It was one fine mid-summer afternoon –if you can call the African dry season mid-summer – and there was a lazy breeze blowing across the land. Being a season of plenty, for the harvests had been good, everyone was idling about. Joy was on every face so much so that you could hardly notice any bitterness, for it is often at times like this that age old hatchets are buried and peace reigns supreme.

Now, there was this very big lake resembling an inland sea that was surrounded by a variety of savannah grass and on one edge, a small coconut grove. Being a season of abundance, there was this coconut tree overhanging the lake bearing bunches that were sufficiently ripened to attract any copra harvester. My friend the monkey strolled by and looking up at this particular tree couldn’t help but climb up it. Though he was not hungry, he could not resist the delicious juice he could imagine quenching his thirst that afternoon.

And so, he found himself picking one nut after the other. With a primitively fashioned straw made from a coconut frond, he’d pick the eye and suck the juice with relish. The sweetness of the concoction did not encourage him to try the coconut meat so after emptying the contents, he would let go of the nut which then splashed into the glassy surfaced waters below. The commotion these nuts stirred attracted Mr. Fish, owner of the lake who swam around enquiringly.

Addressing the monkey, the following exchange took place, ‘Hi-ho Mr. Monkey, what a pleasant afternoon!’

‘Hello to you too, Mr. Fish. It’s such a splendid day I am relaxing with coconut juice. If only life could be like this every day…’

‘Yes sir, life could be this way each day if we could all be friendly and understanding. For example, I have a little problem and only you can solve it Mr. Monkey.’

‘Oh, come on master of the lake, I would do anything for you so that my life would be this way forever, OK?’

‘That’s nice of you. The problem is our chief wants to see you right away and since morning I have been looking for you’.

‘Why would your chief want to see me, eh?’

‘Come down first. I’ll tell you why he wants to see you as soon as we’re on our way. It’s just that you are the only person who can offer a solution to his predicament.’

And so, the monkey scrambled down the coconut tree, eager to please a friend and obtain the right to a life of ease. He got on to the fish’s back and they started on their journey to the fish kingdom. Halfway across the lake where the bottom could not even be discerned, the monkey demanded ‘you said you were going to tell me about the chief’s problem. What could that be so that I can prepare beforehand to solve it? You know it would not be good to arrive before your big man and make a fool of both of us by not offering an immediate solution!’

‘That’s true, my dear monkey. All right, the thing is my chief is very ill and his doctor has prescribed your heart as the only remedy to cure his ailment.’

The wise old monkey did not hesitate to reply. “No problem about that at all. As I told you a few moments ago, I’ll be very willing to do anything for your chief so that my joyful days may last for ever’.

‘There’s only one difficulty though. You see, as I was coming down from the coconut tree, I left my heart up it. You know; we monkeys don’t usually move about with our hearts for fear that with all the gymnastics our nature encourages us to perform, one’s heart can easily develop problems. We’ll have to make a U-turn to that coconut tree by the shore so that I can pick up my heart.’

The fish could not resist the force of this argument so he made an about-turn and headed for the coconut tree. When they arrived, Mr. Monkey immediately scurried up it like a mouse that had just been missed by a snapping trap. Once up it, he instead secured a harness round his waist to the branches so that sway as it might, only if the tree fell would he go down with it.

Of course, Mr. Fish waited and waited, and when the monkey was not coming down, he called out and called out to no avail. He sang ballads, he cajoled, he wailed, he enticed but Mr. Monkey offered not even a sound. The escape had been so narrow!

Moral of the story - some acts of kindness may land you into trouble you will not even live to regret!