It Ain't Right

Rocky wagged his tail as he lay his latest gift at the feet of his master, his tongue hanging outside of his mouth with anicipation of his praise.

"What have you brought me now, ole boy?" Curtis chuckled as he put on his glasses to see the lasted catch.  "Oh dear God!  Where did you get this?"  His arthritic hands began to shake as he held the lifeless body in them.  Never had he expected anything like  this.  Sure, his trusted companion had brought him some "treasures" in their years together.  Moles, squirrels, rats, rabbits, and even the occasional armidillo, but this was just . . . just unthinkable.

The blank dark eyes of a baby monkey seem to bore into his even though the soul had obviously left it some time ago.  He could tell that Rocky hadn't killed the animal but merely found it and claimed it as his own.  The monkey appeared dehydrated.  Curtis didn't rightly know; he had no experience with monkeys and their health. 

As tears eeked down the old man's face, he thought of the selfishness of humanity.  He knew of people getting alligators, exotic snakes, and the such for pets, and now it seemed their greed for what should not be held captive had grown.  That was the only conclusion that could be drawn.  How else would a baby monkey come to be in Idabel, Oklahoma? 

"I'm so sorry, litte fella.  The world ain't what it once was.  You deserved better.  Dang bastards took you from your home.  More than likely illegally.  Probably tired of the novelty and quit seein' to you properly. "

Rocky began to whimper at his feet, sensing his master's sadness and anger. 

"I ain't mad at you, ole' boy.  It's this world.  I'm ready to leave it, I tell ya.  I don't want to live in a world where people can't be content with the surroundings God blessed them with, where creatures are expendable at a whim.  It ain't right, I tell ya.  It just ain't right."  He patted Rocky's head as he began to prepare a respectable burial for the loss of one of God's creatures.