What the Monkey's Thinking

Not the described picture, but a similar one

The following was written some years ago but not uploaded as the picture we used for this writing exercise was taken down from the walls of the cafe. Writers Connect has since folded, but another group runs in the same venue.

Writers Connect are held fortnightly in Nexus Art Cafe in the Northern Quarter. The café's walls are adorned with painintgs and craftwork, one of which is a large, elaborate oil piece of a monkey. We used this as a prompt.

Fluffy Oakes, zoological consultant extraordinaire, sits facing the glass of the monkey enclosure with his steel clipboard and pen poised.

Most of the marmosets are asleep, but one- the zoo named him Max- is engaged in a stare-off. The room is very quiet. Fluffy writes, 'Attentive.'

Max peers over the glass at Fluffy's clipboard, chin raised, like he's trying to look at what he's written.

It started at the turn of the century in the States- zookeepers had managed to teach animals to tap objects based on verbal instructions for rewards. Oldham Zoo were intent on taking it a step further.

The marmoset pressed his hands against the glass.

“Lie Down,” Fluffy instructed.

Max shrugged, or so it seemed.

Fluffy held up a bag of peanuts. “Lie. Down.”

Max dropped to his hips, propping his head up on his elbow, human-like.

Fluffy passed the peanut through the sliding drawer and Max devoured it.

It was time to move things on. Fluffy pressed his lips together, as Max watched. He made a “pah” sound. He held up another peanut. “Pah.”

Eventually, Max would copy, and language would follow.