Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-26
WUCKALING.
The MlschlevOus Monkey Acquaintance in
Spanish Honduras.
by stevens Val.

Tor The Sunday Gazette:
| never fully appreciated a monkeys
capabilities for mischief or friendship
until recent long sojourn among the
Honduras Indians on the caribbean
coast
There were no white men about and
/ depended largely upon my animal ac-
quuintances for compauonship.
The monkeys / had seen In the States
were such miserable dirty little chaps
that | had formed u strong aversion 10
the whole tribe. But the monkey free
in his native land Is another fellow.
j had two tame monkeys
Panchito was fOur-hngered gibbon,
about IL feet iu height when standing
erect, with soft. silver gray fur.
Wuckalmg was q little, black imp, and
his white face ard piercing eyes gave
him particularly knowing look.
This Wucltulug was certainly a child
Of Satan. lie often reminded me of
curious tradition the natives have re-
Rurding the origin of monkeys. They be
lieve that VIXEN God made man, Satan
became Jealous ANA attempted TO rival
his creation. Sutans attempt was a fail
ure however, for the nearest he could
come TO q man was q monkey. In the
same way he tried to make horse, but
could only produce an ass; disguised, he
finally attempted a hsh-result, the SER
pCut
WUCKALTNG AND THE FEATHER.
1t kept me busy thinking up some new
ideas to amuse Wuckaling. | found 1t
hard work 70 keep pace with his active
mind.
One Of my schemes to busy him, which
worked well while new, was TO daub
his paws with glue aud then hand him
Il light feather He would sit down,
| grayely examine the feather sticking to
IL .lssIIa .t..la off
| OF course. IL would stick TO the other
| paw; so he would repeat the operation
| He would. at times, continue picking the
| feather from one paw TO another for
| over an hour, until at last, firing of his
| unsuccessful efforts mt dislodgemcnt, he
would race oil leaving the feather 20
| remain upon whichever paw It would.
THE MIRROR AND THE MACAW.
His devotion to small mirror the size
and shape Of a silver dollar was cOmical.
Ills mirror pleased him immensely, al.
| though he often grieyed that he could
not reach behind the glass and catch
that other little monkey which grinned
mt him In such a tnntaliZiug manner.
One day while sitting In the doorway
playing with his mirror, the sun struck
il and reelected the dazzling light int
the eyes OF my macaw which was blink
ing sleeply away In the branches of d
neighboring tree.
With a loud squeak the asA-Y raiset
one claw nppealngly in the Mr and al
most tumblpd OIL its perch in It's dsmay
Wuckaliug was surprised yet delight
ed nc the evident discontinue of hi
ancient enemy aud gazed wondering!
from the bird to the mirror; but as h,
twisted and turned the glass the blind
ing light flashed into his own eyes an,
with yell Of rage he dashed tn
offending mirror 20 the ground. Pres
entity he discontinued his angry gcold
ing aud sitting very still began TO think
now when Wuckuling did that mischie
was rather certain to follow. Student
lac gave Il squeak of delight aud graf
bing the glass dashed madly aroun
) and around the house chatterng wit
joy-he had discovered the secret
At last with a mighty effort he CON
posed himself, and sitting down agai
I in the doorway held the mirror car,
fully toward the m0caw while an II
tense look OF unholy joy passed owe
/ his usually solemn face.
? Again the light flashed and agni
{ came that appealing claw aud hear
{ rending squawk.
! Unable to contain his joy and almo,