The Monkey’s Disgrace

Three monkeys sat in a coconut tree,
Discussing things as they are said to be
Said one to the others, "Now listen, you two,
There’s a certain rumor that can’t be true,
That man descended from our noble race,
The very idea is a great disgrace!

“No monkey has ever deserted his wife,
Starved her babies, and ruined her life.
And you’ve never known a mother monk,
To leave her babies with others to bunk,
Or pass them on from one to the other ,
Till they scarcely know who is their mother.

“And another thing you'll never see,
A monk build a fence 'round a coconut tree,
And let the coconuts go to waste,
Forbidding all other monks to taste.
Why, if I put a fence around this tree,
Starvation would force you to steal from me.

“Here’s another thing a monkey won’t do -
Go out at night and get in a stew,
Or use a gun or club or knife
To take some other monkey’s life.
Yes, man descended, the ornery cuss,
But brother, he didn’t descend from us!”

Author Unknown

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