Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-08

In India, where the monkeys live among meps
aud are the playmates Of their children the
Hndoos have grown go fond Of them that the
four-handed folk participate in all their simple
household rites. In the early morning. when
the peasant goes out to yoke his plough. and
the crow wakes up. and the dog stretches him.
self and shakes OF the dust In which he has
slept all night, the old monkey creeps down
from the peepultree. only half awake and vawns
and looks about him, puts straw In his mouth,
nd scratches himself contemplatively.
Then one by one the whole family come Slip
ping down the tree trunk, and they ali yawn
and look about and scratch. But they are
sleepy and peevish, and the youngsters get
cuffed for nothing, and begin 10 think life dull
Yet the toilet h as to be performed, and whether
they like 1t or not the young ones are sternly
pulled up one by one to their mother to undergo
the process. The scene, though regularly re-
peated every morning, loses nothing of it's de-
lightful comicality. and the monkey brats never
tire of the joke OF taking I'm mamma" But
mamma was young herself not so very long ago.
and treats each iudicrous affectaton OF suffering
with profoundest unconcern. and as she dis
misses one cleaned" youngster with a cun
stretches out her hand for the next ones tan or
leg in the most business-like and serious man.
ner possible. The youngsters know their turns
quite we'll and as each one sees the moment ar.
irving it throws Itself on its stomach as II over
whelmed with apprehension the others mean
while sitting their laughter at the capital way
so-and-so IL doing IL, and the instant the Mater
nal paw is extended to grasp its tail the subject
of the next experiment utters dolorous wall,
and throwing Its arms forward In the dust
allows itself to be dragged along. a limp and
helpless carcass. winking all the time no doubt,
at Its brothers and sisters, at the way 1t is i'm
posing on the old lady.
But the old lady will stand no nonsense, and
turning the child hight side up, proceeds to put
1t to rights takes the kinks out of its tail and
the knots out of its fur; pokes its fingers into
ite ears. and looks at each OF its toes the inex-
pressible brat all the time wearing on its face an
absurd expression Of hopeless and incurabls
grief Those who have been already cleaned
look on with delight at the screaming farce,
while those who are waiting wear a becoming
aspect Of enormous gravity. The old lady how.
ever, has her Joke too, which lie to cuff every
yOungster before she let's 1t 60; and nimble a.
her offspring are she generally, TO her credit 20
1t said manages to give each Of them . box on
the ears before 1t lie out Of reach. The father.
meanwhile, sits gravely with bis back to eli
these domestic matters, waiting for breakfast.
The monkeys by this time have come closer TO
the preparations for food. and sit sOlemnly
household by household, watching every move
ment. Hindoos do not hurry themselves In any.
thing they do, but the monkey has lots OF time
to spare and plenty OF patience, and In the end.
after the crow has stolen little, and the dog
has had its morse and the children are all salts
fed, the poor fragments Of the meal are thrown
out on the ground for the ''bhunder-logue" the
monkey people,, and 1t is soon discussed the
mother feeding the baby before she eats herself
When every house has thus in turn been
visited, and no chance Of further outdoor re-
lief" remains, the monkeys go of to the Well.
The women are all here again, drawing the
water for the day. and the monkeys sit and wait,
the old ones In the front, sententious and seri-
Gus, and the youngsters rolling about in the
dust behind them, till at last some girl sees the
creatures waiting, and 'in the name of Ram"
spills lotah full Of water In a hollow OF the
ground, and the monkeys come round IL in q
circle. and stoop down and drink, with their
tails all curied up over their backs ike notes OF
Interrogation. There Is no contention or jost-
ling. A forward child gets box on the ear
thirst. steps quietly out Of the circle, and wipes
its mouth. The day thus fairly commenced,
they go of 20 see what luck may bring them
The grain dealers shop tempts them to loiter
but the experience Of previous attempts makes
theft hopeless; for the bunnya with all his year,
is very nimbe on his legs, and an astonishing
good shot with pipkin. So the monkeys merely
fields. II the corn Is ripe, they can soon eat
enough for the day; but II not, they go wander
ing about picking up morsels, here an insect and
there q berry, till the sun gets too hot and then
they creep up into the dark shade OF the mango
tope. and snooze throughthe afternoon. In the
evening they are back In the village again to
share In Its comforts and entertainments.
They assist ct the convocation OF the elders
and the romps Of the children, looking on when
the faquir comes up to collect his little dues OF
salt and corn and OIL and from him In their turn
exacting pious toll. They listen graveiy to the
village musician TILL they get sleepy, and then
one by one they Chamber up into the peepui.