The monkey chasing after the weasel is said to symbolize having to pawn one’s coat. In that era, ‘weasel’ and ‘stoat’ were cockney slang for the word ‘coat.’ The monkey also symbolized the financial trouble that people, or the country in general, were going through in that era. People would ideally lend their coats on a Monday for money and take them back on a Sunday to wear when they have to go to church.