Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
Causality--i.e., the gift of tracing a recondite connection of cause and
effect--is another faculty which many varieties of monkeys possess in a
decidedly ultra-instinctive degree. I remember the surprise of a
picnic-party who had borrowed my young Rhesus and on their return tied
him up on the porch of a garden-house. During the trip the little scamp
had behaved with the decorum of a well-bred youth, but, finding himself
unobserved, he at once made a vicious attempt to tear his rope with his
teeth. Whenever his boon companions approached the porch he would resume
his attitude of innocence, but as soon as they turned away, which they
often did on purpose to try him, he promptly recommenced his work of
destruction. Their giggling, however, excited his suspicions, and,
seeing them peep around the corner, he suddenly became a model of
virtuous inactivity. One of the picnickers then entered the garden-house
by a rear door, to watch the little hypocrite through a crack in the
board wall, while his companions ostensibly walked away and out of
sight. As soon as everything was quiet. Master Rhesus went to work
again, but at the same time kept his eye on the corner till he was
interrupted by a tap on the wall and a mysterious voice from within,
"Stop that, Tommy!" Tommy started, peeped around the corner, and looked
puzzled. He was sure there was nobody in sight. How could an invisible
spy have witnessed his transgression? He then scrutinized the wall more
closely, discovered the crack, and dropped the rope with a curious grin,
as he squinted through the tell-tale aperture. He had traced the effect
to its cause.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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