Reading Notes: South Africa, Part A

South Africa: The Monkey's Fiddle by James Honey

- Hunger and want force the monkey to move...finds shelter with uncle

- worked and wanted to return home..received: fiddle and a bow and arrow and told him that with the bow and arrow he could hit and kill anything he desired, and with the fiddle he could force anything to dance.

- encountered Brer Wolf and killed a deer for meal

- wolf becomes jealous and wants the bow..monkey says no

- Jackal comes and wolf spins a story saying that the monkey stole his bow and arrow

- "The fiddle was still at Monkey's side, and he received as a last favor from the court the right to play a tune on it. He was a master player of his time, and in addition to this came the wonderful power of his charmed fiddle. Thus, when he struck the first note of "Cockcrow" upon it, the court began at once to show an unusual and spontaneous liveliness, and before he came to the first waltzing turn of the old tune the whole court was dancing like a whirlwind."

- "I do not want it," answered Monkey, "but withdraw the sentence and give me my bow and arrow, and you, Wolf, acknowledge that you stole it from me."

- everyone is now afraid and disperses

The Monkey