The Strand Magazine, Vol. 07, Issue 41, May, 1894: An Illustrated MonthlyVarious
General
The Strand Magazine, Vol. 07, Issue 41, May, 1894: An Illustrated Monthly
Various
English literature -- Periodicals; Short stories, English -- Periodicals
The Diana monkey, too, makes a pleasant pet, and is not so confirmed a
dier as some. The Diana monkey here is over in the large monkey-house,
in the middle of the Gardens. Her name is Jessie, and her beard is
most venerable and patriarchal. But just outside the eastern door of
the big house, John, the Tcheli monkey, occupies his separate mansion.
John is a notable and a choleric character. He dislikes being made
the object of vulgar curiosity, and is apt to repel an inspection of
his premises with a handful of sawdust. Any unflattering remark on
his personal appearance will provoke a wild dance about his cage and
a threatening spar through the wires. But once threaten him with a
policeman--do as much as mention the word, in fact--and John becomes a
furious Bedlamite, with the activity of a cracker and the intentions
of dynamite. Against floor, walls, ceiling, and wires he bounces
incontinent, flinging sawdust and language that Professor Garner would
probably translate with hyphens and asterisks. John is the most easily
provoked monkey I know, and the quaintest in his rage. He is also the
hardiest monkey in the world, being capable of enjoying a temperature
of ten degrees below zero; but there is a suitable penalty provided in
the by-laws for any person so lost to decency as to suggest that this
Tcheli monkey is a very Tcheli monkey indeed. For John's benefit I
would suggest an extra heap of sawdust on Bank Holidays. On an occasion
of that sort it is little less than cruelty to keep him short of
ammunition.
[Illustration: DOWDY.]
[Illustration: THE DIANA.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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