Name _________________ Miss Maggie’s Weekly Lesson Packet • No. 36 • Nov. 6, 2001

Why Monkeys Live In Trees Your teacher will read you an African folktale. Listen carefully. There are 2 stories in one! See if you hear both stories. When your teacher is finished reading the story, answer each question. 1. Who is in the first story? Draw a picture.

© 2001 Miss Maggie’s Earth Adventures LLC

Miss Maggie’s Weekly Lesson Packet • No. 36 • Nov. 6, 2001

2. Draw a character from the second story.

3. Draw a picture of what Monkey did to Bush Cat.

4. Who helped Bush Cat? ___________________

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Miss Maggie’s Weekly Lesson Packet • No. 36 • Nov. 6, 2001

5. How do you think Monkey felt when Bush Cat jumped up? ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ 6. What was Monkey’s punishment? ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ 7. What did you learn from this story? ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ 8. How do you think Baby Bush Cat felt at the end of the story? ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

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© 2001 Miss Maggie’s Earth Adventures LLC

Miss Maggie’s Weekly Lesson Packet • No. 36 • Nov. 6, 2001

To Be Read By the Teacher This is a great way to develop listening skills! Why Monkeys Live In Trees “Mother Bush Cat, Mother Bush Cat, look at that monkey sitting in the baobab tree. He just eats flower nectar and fruit, swings about, and picks at the other monkey’s fur all day long. I would like to play with him. Tomorrow morning let’s ask him to come down. We will run and play together on the savannah.” Mother Bush Cat looked at her baby with sharp eyes. “I’m afraid Monkey will not come down and be your playmate.” She sighed, stretched her nimble legs, and lay down to lick her paws. Baby Bush Cat waited for his mother to continue. He knew that a story would soon emerge, and he always loved the stories Mother told. He snuggled up next to her all the while keeping one watchful, hopeful eye on Monkey in the tree. But Monkey seemed to laugh at Baby Bush Cat’s wish. Finally Mother finished with her cleaning task and turned her attention to her child. “It was a long time ago,” she began. Baby Bush Cat purred contentedly and snuggled up next to her. He always loved a story from his mother. There was little prey to be found that day. Bush Cat was exhausted from hunting and weak with hunger. When she sat down to rest, she felt the tiny bites of her many fleas. Miserable, she saw a ray of hope in a passing monkey. “Oh Monkey, will you please come and groom me? I know you are so good at picking fleas from fur. I often see your nimble fingers cleaning the other monkeys’ coats. I am your friend, too. Please help me.” The monkey was delighted with the bush cat’s kind words. He knew he was one of the best flea pickers in this part of Africa. So, he began to clean her infested fur. Soon Bush Cat’s eyes grew heavy, and she fell asleep. Now, monkeys are quite good at grooming, but they are much better at playing tricks! This little monkey was no exception. He took the Bush Cat’s long tail and tied it to a tree! Then he ran away, laughing to himself. You can imagine the fright of Bush Cat when she awoke and discovered she could not move! She struggled and struggled, but she only succeeded in tightening the knot in her tail. Soon a snail crawled by. “Oh, kind snail, please help me,” panted Bush Cat. “That monkey, the one who grooms so well, has played a trick on me. Look, he has tied my tail to this acacia tree. Please help me.” The snail paused and looked at Bush Cat. But, she was a very wise snail. She could spot the look of hunger in the cat’s eyes. “No, I can not help you,” replied the snail. “I fear that you will eat me if I untie you.” “I would never do that,” answered the desperate Bush Cat. “I promise that I will do nothing to you. I will die if I am left here unable to move. Please take pity on me.” So, the snail, being a kindly creature, untied Bush Cat’s tail.

© 2001 Miss Maggie’s Earth Adventures LLC

Miss Maggie’s Weekly Lesson Packet • No. 36 • Nov. 6, 2001

After the snail had freed her, Bush Cat ran through the grasslands to her home. She loved the feel of the savannah as it patted her paws. She loved the whispering wind in her ears. It was a joy to be free from Monkey’s prison. But soon her joy turned to anger as she thought about Monkey’s cruel trick. “Now, it is my turn to play a trick on him,” she decided. The next day Bush Cat called all her animal friends together. “Monkey’s cruel trick could have killed me. I might have died right there beneath the acacia tree if the snail had not come along. This is what we will do. Five days from now, I want you, my friends, to tell the animal world that I am dead. Say that you are going to bury me. Invite everyone to come and help. You will all sing and dance around me in the burial ceremony. Then I will be able to get Monkey.” On the morning of the fifth day, Bush Cat snuck to the place where Monkey had tied her tail to the tree. She lay down in the dirt and pretended to be dead. Soon all the animals arrived. Monkey was there, too. He kept his secret to himself and did not tell any of the other animals that it was he who had tied Bush Cat’s tail to the tree. Monkey just sang and danced around the still Bush Cat along with the other animals. Then Bush Cat jumped up! She reached for Monkey! In a flash, Monkey jumped into the tree. He was gone – out of the reach of Bush Cat. She could not get him.

“I liked that story, Mother,” whispered Baby Bush Cat. “But Monkey won. He played a cruel trick and he got away.” “He didn’t really win, my child,” answered his mother. “You see monkeys now must live in trees. Ever since that time, the monkey has been afraid to come down from the tree. He is much too afraid of what awaits him on the ground!” Baby smiled. Now he understood. Mother and child fell asleep to the soft lullaby of the African night.

Adapted by Kathy Hart Smith from a story told by the African people. One version is printed in African Folktales, Selected and Retold by Roger D. Abrahams, Pantheon Books.

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