IMITATION A MONKEY TRAIT
The monkey is an animal easy to teach, for it is very ready to do what it sees those around it do. It thus has two qualities very useful in teaching, curiosity and imitation. When it sees anything being done it is apt to watch closely and then try to do the same thing. These qualities we all have. Many of us are curious to see and prompt to do what our teacher does, and in this way the monkey is like man in his thinking powers. It does not wait to be told to do things, but will try to do them itself. This faculty has led to some comical results, as you will think when you read the following stories.
We are told of a retired admiral and his wife who had a monkey as one of their home pets. The admiral had a habit of reading the paper aloud to his wife and would strike it in a testy way when he read something that made him angry. One day his wife, hearing a strange noise in the dining-room, looked in to see what caused it. What she saw was very amusing.
In the arm chair sat master monkey, with the admiral's smoking-cap on his head and the admiral's spectacles on his nose. In his hand was an open newspaper, and this he shook and patted, just as he had seen his master do, jabbering away in a very funny manner to the cat that lay blinking on the hearth. So close was the imitation to the tone and manner of the testy old sea-dog that the lady broke up the performance with a shout of laughter.
A Mrs. Loudan tells us of a case of the same kind, but with a different audience from the cat. It is told of Father Casaubon, a priest, who had a favorite Barbary ape that grew very fond of him and tried to follow him wherever he went. One day, when he set out for church, the ape in some way got loose and followed him unseen. When the church was reached the ape slipped in and climbed up to the sounding-board, where he lay quiet till the sermon began.
While the reverend father spoke, the ape perched itself just above his head and watched his actions, and soon began to imitate the gestures made by him. The congregation could not help smiling and tittering at this. Casaubon scolded them severely for their behavior, suiting his actions to his words, while the monkey imitated all his movements in a very amusing manner.
At this the congregation could not keep still, but broke into a roar of laughter, in which the angry priest joined when its cause was pointed out to him. He took good care that his ape should not attend church again.
These are perhaps enough of this sort of stories, though there are one or two others which you may care to read. One is of a painter who, on going into his studio, saw his pet monkey seated before his nearly finished picture, with brush and painting implements in hand, laying on the colors with a free touch that made bad work of the artist's masterpiece.
A second has to do with an English vicar and his family, who came home to dinner one Sunday after the morning service. On entering the dining room they saw the table-cloth, which had been laid for dinner, spread out smoothly on the floor, with all the plates and dishes, knives and forks, laid upon it in a way that showed how well the lesson had been learned. Beside it sat the pet monkey, with a look of satisfaction that showed it was very proud of its work.
A monkey, in fact, knows very well when it has done a thing as it should be done, and likes to be praised for it. I cannot say that they always get praise, certainly not for jobs like those just told, in which the element of mischief is mixed with that of good work.
But when we talk of the intelligence of animals we must admit that the monkey goes ahead of the dog, cat, or other household pet. Certainly none of these would think of a piece of work like that, laying the table-cloth on the floor and properly placing on it all the table ware.
Many monkeys have such a grave and quiet way of doing things, and look at us with such bright and meaning eyes, that we are brought to think that if they could talk they would have something to say worth hearing. In fact, there are people who think they could talk if they chose. There is the story of the Southern slaves who thought they showed their wit in not talking, since if they did they would have a hoe put in their hands and be set at hoeing.
A traveller, writing about Java, tells us something of the same sort. He speaks of a sultan who had a well trained corps of monkeys and apes. "The orang-outangs and long-armed apes," he says, "had been trained to go through a variety of military exercises; and when one of us expressed surprise at their seeming intelligence the Sultan said gravely: 'They are as really men as you and I, and have the power of speech if they chose to use it. They do not talk because they do not wish to work and be made slaves of.'"
The Malays in all the islands believe this and in their language orang-outang means "man of the woods."
Certainly monkeys can be trained to act very much like men. Mrs. Lee tells us of one that has been taught by a Frenchman to act in a very polite fashion. One day she met this monkey as he was on his way up stairs. He made way for her very politely and stood on one side to let her pass.
"Good morning," she said, and he took off his cap and made a low bow. "Are you going away? Where is your passport?"
At this question he took a square piece of paper out of his cap and showed it to her.
His master, who was following Mrs. Lee, now told him that the lady's dress was dusty. He at once went to the man, took a brush out of his pocket, and raising the hem of Mrs. Lee's dress, brushed it and did the same with her shoes.
But while monkeys can be trained to do some surprising things, they are not all alike. Some can be taught easily and some not at all. Darwin tells us of a man whose work it was to train monkeys to act, and who bought them from the Zoölogical Society for twenty dollars apiece. He offered double the price if he might keep them for three or four days so as to pick out a good one.
When asked how he could tell this in so short a time he said that what he wanted was a monkey that would pay attention. If when he was talking to one he could not keep its attention, but it turned aside to look at a fly on the wall or other trifle, it was of no use. To force such a monkey to act by whipping would only make it sulky. But a monkey that gave him close attention when he was talking or showing it something could always be trained.
A Pair of Midget Donkeys Driven by a Baboon and Groomed by a Monkey
Any one who pays attention can be taught, whether boy, monkey, or dog. As long ago as 1753 this was shown in London in the case of the monkey and the dog. In that year everybody in London was going to see and was talking about "Mrs. Midnight's Animal Comedians." This was a troupe of trained dogs and monkeys who were taught to dance a ballet, dressed as ladies and gentlemen. This they did very neatly and cleverly.
But their great act was when, dressed as soldiers, they took part in a mock battle. A fort was built on the stage which was defended by the monkeys and attacked by the dogs. Everything was done as in regular battle. The dogs carried ladders and tried to climb them and capture the fort. The monkeys, armed with muskets, fired on them and the air was full of smoke and the smell of powder.
After a hard fight the dogs took the fort. Then the monkeys dropped their muskets, the smoke cleared away, and both parties were seen drawn up side by side, waving their hats, while the band played "God save the king."