The Dancing Monkeys

"God, can't you do anything right?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, Austin, can't you ride a bike? You're twelve, and you can't balance on your bike. What a loser?"

"Uh...I can ride. Just wait for me, Rob. I'll get it...it's just that my knee brace stops me from bending too far. Give me a minute, guys. Please?"

Jake couldn't believe what he was hearing, his son Mike and Mike's friend Rob were good kids - weren't they? Why were they being so mean to Austin? He may not be the most athletic kid in the neighborhood, but Mike had known him since they were toddlers.

"Hey guys, what's going on out here?" Jake asked, stepping out from the garage.

"Oh...Dad. We were just getting ready for a ride, and Austin was heading home. Weren't you Austin?"

"Uh, I guess so. Maybe I can come later; after I practice?"

"Yeah, maybe," Mike said.

Jake couldn't believe how cold Mike was being to his friend. He knew the boys had grown apart over the years, but Austin had spent nearly every summer in their backyard when they were younger. What was happening to his son? How could Mike turn his back on Austin? Then, he remembered the story his Dad used to tell him when he was a boy, maybe it was time to share the tale with Mike.

"Hey Austin, wait up. I have something I want to share with you guys. Come on in, all three of you." Walking back, he settled into the sofa they kept near the back wall. "I have a tale to tell you guys; take a seat."

"But, Dad. We want to go for a ride."

"It won't take long, son, but this is something you should hear. I heard this from my dad when I was your age. It's the story of a group of monkeys."

"Dad, monkeys? I'm not a baby anymore."

"I know, but listen anyways. Now as I was saying...there were these monkeys, they lived in the trees around a village in Kenya. The group consisted of four families. In each family, there were a couple of younger monkeys. Several of these youngsters were male. They used to spend their days swinging from trees, climbing branches, and picking the bugs off each others' backs. One of the boys, however, wasn't able to participate. His tail was shorter than those of the other boys, and he had a lot of trouble when it came to moving through the trees. The other boys would often taunt him as they swung above the lower branches, where he sat. They spent a lot of time teasing him about his tail, dancing around in front of him before tearing off into the branches."

"Sir, I um...think maybe just Austin and Mike need to stay for the story," Rob said.

"No, Rob. I think all of you need to hear this story. So, anyways, years passed and the boys began to grow into male leaders in their tribe. They each began looking for mates, and the teasing of their boyhood days fell behind them. Soon the responsibilities of tribal leadership began to take over, and swinging through the trees became about transportation, rather than games. All was going well for the group, until one day when a warning could be heard echoing through the canopy. Teraro, one of the male monkeys, rushed into the center of their tree unit, and he looked for the cause of all of the commotion. Below him, stood some of the men from the village. They were holding tree-cutting tools, and it looked as if they had already felled three of the groups' trees. Calling out to his friends, Teraro sent the message forth to all of the families. The villagers were taking their homes, and they would have to move. Frantic, the families sought out the counsel of their wisest monkey. Now, this monkey was not unfamiliar to any of the males. In fact, he was the father of the young monkey they had once tormented. What do you think this wise elder said, boys?"

"I don't know, Dad. Did he tell them which path to take?"

"No, in fact, he said he did not know the answer. Because he spent most of his time in the trees around the village, and so he did not know where another cluster of trees was located. So, he said they needed to ask someone who had not spent all of his time high in the trees. Instead, they needed to consult another perspective on their location, his son. Teraro and his friends looked at each other, knowing that this would be difficult. But, knowing that the lives of all of his tribe members were at risk, Teraro swung forward. He said that he should be the one to ask the younger male about a possible plan, and be of any assistance that younger male needed. So, Teraro swung down through the tree, spotting the male sitting in one of the lowest branches below him. He positioned himself right in front of the other monkey, clearing his throat. At that moment the younger monkey looked up, and without a moments hesitation, he began explaining his plan for the monkeys to escape through some low-level trees. So, the four family groups moved their tribe to a cluster of trees further away from the village, hoping that it would be many years before the village encroached upon their homes again."

"Is that it, Dad?"

"Yeah, is that all? Didn't he say sorry?" Austin asked.

"He had to have said sorry. In fact, didn't they all say they were sorry? That's what they should have done, right?" Rob asked.

"You tell me boys. Would sorry have been enough? Now, go ahead and go for your ride. See you later, Austin."

"Um...Dad. Uh, wait. Can you help us?"

"With what, Mike?"

"We need to set up the Wii. I want Austin to stay here and play Wii with us instead."



Prompt - Write a story or poem entitled: The Dancing Monkeys.

P.S. Your piece has to be about live animal monkeys -- not drugs, school children, or monkey wrenches etc.

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