Stolen Potatoes
Two of the Monkey’s surprises were the birth of a pair of monkey sons, also known as the Rambling Dawg and the Big Kid. Rambling Dawg was barely two years old, while his older brother, the Big Kid, was four. As two and four-year-olds go, there was never any indication that they were missing any marbles, or anything like that. But on one occasion it was clear that some fundamental lessons were woefully deficient. Rambling Dawg is pictured on the right, planning his next move.
Planning their next moves
Come feeding time these two little monkeys were seated side by side at the trough feasting like all monkeys do. Rambling Dawg noticed a small pile of mashed potatoes on the Big Kid’s plate. Without any sign, warning, or other indication, Rambling Dawg grabbed the Big Kids’s potatoes and tossed them into his mouth.
The Big Kid was startled, unnerved, and vengeful, traits he undoubtedly learned from the elder Monkeys. He immediately reached into Rambling Dawg’s mouth to retrieve his missing potatoes.
The rest of the story may be self-evident. Rambling Dawg clamped down on the Big Kid’s fingers, like any self-respecting young monkey would do.
The Big Kid extracted his hand from Rambling Dawg’s mouth with only a trace of potatoes on his fingers, but he acquired one of the more basic lessons in life.
EEEEK! EEEK! The Big Kid complained to the elder Monkeys that Rambling Dawg had stolen his potatoes, and put them in his own mouth. On retrieving his potatoes, Rambling Dawg bit him!
The empathic and thoroughly sensitive older Monkeys advised the Big Kid that putting your hand into somebody else’s mouth gets you bit most of the time. It is a chance you take, specially with the Rambling Dawg.
To this day, almost fifty years later, The Big Kid has never again put his hand anywhere near Rambling Dawg’s mouth.
And what, exactly, did Rambling Dawg learn from this fundamental lesson, if anything:
“On discovering a strange hand in your mouth, do what comes naturally”
In later life, Rambling Dawg became an expert at twiddling bits. He learned well that bits in your mouth are nicely secured.
The Big Kid, an expert at risk assessment, proceeds with great caution when investing in potatoes. Potatoes on your plate may need to be discounted, while your potatoes in another’s mouth are next to worthless.
What did they both learn?
The hand is quicker than the eye in a dog-eat-dog world.
Welcome to the Monkey’s canopy.
