The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-27
A TALE OF A TAIL.

| Jocko-just plain Jocko-and prize
monkey at that, is dead. He suceumbed
early this morning in the basement at
| Madison Square Garden to influenza, and
thereby hangs a tale, Jocko's tail. 1t
was this way:
Jocko caught cold coming down from
Bridgeport, and he was wrapped UP in
/ flannel and given all sorts of monkey
medicine-for influenza is quite common
among them-and put in a box in the
corner of the cage. But every morning
the flannel would be distributed among
his brothers and sisters, andsJooko would
be shivering and scared and too weak to
try to get it back.
Monkeys are very vain and fine suit of
red flannel on sick and sleepy Jocko was
not allowed for a very long time. So
Jocko was moved TO a cage all by himself,
little wire cage, right next to the furi-
Gus family OF spotted hyenas
AS everyone knOws-who reads natural
history-the spotted hyena is very differ
ent from the striped hyena. Thes ported
kind are the most savage animals in the
world. They are great enemies of snakes,
often killing them and eating them, and
are bitten and ali that.
Well they often watched Jocko from
the side bars and offered him no sym
pathy at all. They didn't know what it
was to have Ia grippe and feel cold and
sore and tired Of life, for they lived until
they were killed or eaten up--for they are
regular cannibals-and they considered
Jocko lazy and very poor company.
But the sick prize monkey didn't notice
them. He just slept and took his medi-
cine like n monkey that can eat with n
fork and ride a running horse should.
and was getting well, he thought, and so
did the doctor.
Last night, however, JoclIo left his box
and curled up in the corner right next TO
the hyena cage, he was feeling so adj
venturous and so much better. And
there he went to sleep. and while dream
ing of the land where there were all sorts
of trees and grapevines. and no water.
his tail. which is about four feet long,
moved around and finally got out be-
tween the bars. and rested on the ledge
just in front of the place where the hye-
mas get their raw meat.
The hyenas weren't asleep. They look
just like big. raw-boned. four-legged bats
anyway, and always have one eye open
at least.
There was a great scramble among
them 1t is known whether thy thought
the tail was a tail of a monkey whom
they didn't like. or whether, in the dark
it looked like a snake, and each one want
ed to be the first to get hold of it: but the
fact remains that Ne] the monkey doctor
was awakened by an awful scream, and
running to the cage of his patient, found
JOcko IN all his nice warm flannel hop
ping up and down and crying and nursing
his tail. The cage of hyenas was in great
commotion and rocking like a ship at sea.
as each one came circlirg around to the
bars. with eyes that shone in the dark
and ears up and lips back, with all dane
ing in an awful excited. hungry process
sion. for n scream like that and taste
of monkeys blood was enough for pack
of spotted hyenas to make n night over.
But n little piece off a monkeys tail.
whether he he's influenza or not. is serious
business It Is like a rattles7ake losing
his rattles or an elephant his trunk. 1t is
a vital part. and monkeys can't get along
without them
So Jocko died this morning at o'clock.
And now they say he probably is in the
land Of trees ana grapevi2es and no water
Tor sure. But the hyenas don't care.
Neither do the monkeys who are pulling
one another's tails aud assisting in one
another's toilet. and swinging on the bars
and trapezes.-New York Globe