Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-10-11

I MONKEYS IN INDIA.-ln India, whpr,
he monkeys live among men, and are III,
'laymales of their children. the TIinloa,
have grown so fond of them that the fou,
handed folks participate simple household
rites. In early morning when the pe1san
goes out to lyoke his plow, AMI the crow
wakes up, and the dog stretches himsel
md shakes of the dust in which hs ha,
sieptall night the old monkey crceps down
rom the peepul tree, only htlfawakc, IN.
tawns and looks about him, puts II straw
N his mouth, and scratches himself con
| templatively.
Then one by one the whole family como
slipping down the tree trunk, and the,
all yawn aud look about and scratch
But they are sleepy peevish, and tn,
| youngsters get ouilsd for nothing, and
begin to think life dull. Yet the toilet ha.
70 be preformeh, and whether thcy lik,
it or not, the young oncs a,e sterni,
pulled up to their mother to underg.
he process. The scene, though reguarr
repeated ev0rY morning. looses nothing
IT It's delightful comicalty, and the
no1key brats never tire of the Joke OF
taking in mamma" But mamma was
young herself not so very long ago, and
reats each ludlcious afl ;ction of suffer-
ing with profoundest unconcern, and as
| she dismisses ono CLEANED" youngster
| with cuff stretches out her hand for the
next ones tail or leg in the NJ ost business
Ike and serious manner possible. The
youngsters know their turns quite well
md as each one sees the moment arriving
throws itself on its stomach, as if over
1helmed with apprehension, the others
meanwhile sitting their laughter at the
capital way so andso is doing it, and the
instant the maternal paw is extended to
grasp its tail the subject of the next ex-
pertinent utters dolorous wall and
| throws its arms forward in the dust,
allows itself to be dragged along, limp
! md helpless carcass, winkng all the time,
no doubt, at Its brothers and sisters, at tie
way it is imposing on the Old lady.
But the OLD lady will stand no nonseu st,
and turning the child right side up pro
eeds to put it to rights; takes the kinks
out of his tail and tie knots out OF
its fur; pokes its fingers into its eHis,
and looks at each Of its toes, the mex
pre- ;sible brat all the time wearing on is
face an absurd expression of helpes and
incurable grief. Those who have been
already cleaned look with delight at the
screaming farce, while those who are
waiting wear becoming aspect Of enor-
nous gravity. The old lady, however,
has her joke too which is to cuff every
youngster before she les it go; and nim-
BILE as her Offspring are, she generally, to
her credit, be it said, manages to give
each of them box on th5 ears before it
is out of reach. The father, meanwhile,
sits gravely with his back to all these do
mestc matters, waiting for breakfast.
The monkeys by this time have come
closer to the preparations for food, and sit
soemnly, household by household watch
ing every movement. Hindoos do not
hurry themselves in anything 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 morsel, and the children are
all satisfied, the poor fragments OF the
meal are thrown out on the ground for the
"bhunder-loguo" Qhe monkey people),
and is soon discussed, the mother feeding
the baby before she eats herself.
When every house has been in turn
visited, aud no chlnco of further "out
door relief remains, the monkey goes of
TO the we'll. The women are all here
again, drawing the water for the day, and
the monkeys sit and wait the old ones in
front, sertentous and serious, and the
youngsters rolling in the dust behind them,
till at last some girl sees the creatures
waiting, and "in the name of Rum spills
lotah full of water in Il hollow of the
ground, and the monkeys come round in u
circle, and stoop down and drink, with
their tails all curled up over their backs
like notes of interrogation. There is no
contention or jostling. y forward child
gets box on the ear perhaps, but each
one, rs it has satisfied its thirst, steps
quietly out of the circle, and wipes lis
mouth. The day thus fairly commenced,
they 20 off to sec what luck may bring
them.
The grain dealers shop temps them to
loiter. but the experience of previous
attempts makes theft hopeless for the
bunnys, with u | his years, is very nimble
on his legs, and an astonishing good shot
with pipkin. So the monkeys merely
make there salaams to him, and pass on
to the fields If the corn is ripe, they can
soon eat enough for the day; but if not,
they 60 wandering about picking up
morsels, here an insect and there berry,
till the sun gets too hot, and then they
creep up into the dark shade of the mango
tops, and snooze through the afternoon.
In the evening they are buck in the village
again to share in its comforts and enter
tainments.
They assist at the convention of the
elders and tho 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 expecting
a pious toll. They listen sravely TO the
village musician till they get sleepy, and
then one by one they Chamber up into the
peepul.