Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-03-28

How the Sacred Monkeys of India Are
Protected.

How The Sacred Monkeys oI arc
Protected.
An f glish gentleman who has lived
many wears in India tells some queer
stories about the sacred monkeys that
are great nuisance in some parts of the
country. No one is allowed to modest
them. They run about the streets, help
themselves to whatever they please at
the shops, rob orchards and gardens,
and play havoc generally. To thrash
them is regarded rs misdeneanor, and
to shoot a monkey might cause a second
nutiny.
The gentleman had garden where
grew delicious fruits The sacred mon
KEYS easily scaled the walls and helped
themselves. They We're not content
with simply eating, but amused them
selves with throwing half munched
fruit at each other. To shoot these pests
was ont of the question, and to hit them
with stones was impossible, as they
asily lodged any missile that might be
thrown at them. An idea struck the
Englishman one day, and he at once
proceeded to carry it into eff ct with
great success. He got large basket of
the largest potatoes that were to be
found and had them boiled. When
they were scalding hot he had basket
and potatoes placed under one of the
trees.
The MONKEYS W ere watching these
movements from the trees. Presently
every monke; sciz ID IA hot potato, and
thea followed the most unearthly
screecheS and gatherings. A monkey
will never let go an article Of food that
he once gets hold of, even if he has to
die, and these monkeys, true to their
nature, would not drop the hot potatoes.
They held them in one hand an then
in the other, and then they would take
"a BITE and sca'd their mouths, and roll
in tn. dust, Nrithing with pain, but
never letting the potatoes once out OF
their grasp. They ate up the potatoes
and then disappear, d over tie walls AID
never returned.
The E lglishman once witnessed a very
patlet.c as we'll as heroic scene in one
of the city 81 IareS, i'll which tn" sacred
monkeys wee the actors. He SAW Il
number of monkeys seated and standing
in large circle, and a female monkey
huggng and wailing over the dead body
of her baby that had just been killed by
a cobra's hi e. The other females were
trying to console her by caresses, while
the males al p'ared to be in earnest con-
sultation among themselves. In the
center of the circle was the large cobra
That had inflicted the fatal bite, coiled
and with head erect, watching the enc
mics by whom he was surrounded.
Suddenly Il young and athletic male
monkey sprang into the arena. He
carefully approached the cobra, which
prepared itself to strike. The monkey
made a few passes, and u5t as the snake
WAS al, u to dart its head he sprang to
oue sid and then over the cobra TIL S
was rep atpd so often and with such as
tonishing rap.dity that the cobra be-
came bewiilered, when the monkey
seized tie snake by the meek and pro-
cacded to crush its head to a jelly by
rubli il on III" ground with all his
mi III. The snake tried TO free itself by
ling arou#d the monkeys neck, but
in VAN; It's stru giles became weaker
and Weaker until life was extinct.
When the snakes head had been re-
luced to IL shapeies' mass the young
) IN m Zero dropped the cobra and ex-
ectItrd u eeri $ of ions and somersaults.
W to that moment the other mon
KEYS la maintained the most anxious
sIel,c', va ch' g every movement of
the cn.i.h .tants with eager interest. The
snake, ,.eAtI, however, was the sig Ial
70: the tn'ss joyous gatherings and
ga mh,l. They took hold of the con-
q zero" o. the snake, atled him on the
mead, sc II C led his back, danced round
him, nnd gave every manifestation of
their great appreci ,tion Of his valorous
achievements. The poor mother carried
;i.nu her dead babe for two days lon
ger.