Day 165: Cheeky Monkey

Cheeky Monkey.
by
Matt Zurbo

 

Freddy was a cheeky monkey.
(Freddy, cheeky grin, farting. In background, best friend, monkey, Louie, holding his nose.)

Everywhere he went, people said: “Hey, there goes one cheeky monkey…”
(Freddy, Louie trailing behind, stealing hat from man in crowd.)

Freddy had to be cheeky. It was fun.
It was daring.
(Louie pulling face wile Freddy steals nuts from vendor.)

It was a way to survive.
(Freddy and Louie running from reaching vendor’s arms.)

The hardest part of Freddy’s life was breaking the shells of the nuts he’d stolen.
It took forever!
(Freddy dropping a brick on nut from high, Louie covering his eyes,)

But when he finally opened one, oh boy, they tasted sweet!!

And even harder for Freddy, was the Head Monkey! Freddy had to give him half of everything!

“Get out of my way!” Head Monkey screeched.
(Big, mean-looking monkey with yellow jacket on.)

“Why do we have to give half of everything to the Head Monkey?” Freddy asked his mother.
(Living in a box made to look like a shanty.)

“Because that’s the way it works in the monkey world,” she said. “The biggest, toughest monkey is the Head Monkey. The next biggest are the nest most important.”“Then there’s us at the bottom!” protested Freddy
(Mum showing a stick figure monkey pyramid. Top monkey wearing yellow jacket.)

“It’s not fair!” Freddy was complaining to his best friend, Louie, when…
(Outside, Freddy was breaking nuts with Louie.)

“Get out of my way!” boomed Head Monkey.
(Head Monkey, arms full of Freddy and Louie’s nuts, despite Freddy and Louie’s protests.)

“I’ve had enough!” Freddy shouted.
(Freddy stealing a drum from brass band.)

Cheeky Monkeys!!
(Freddy bashing drum, Louie in background, blowing trumpet. Head Monkey and friends running, faces full of fear.)

After that, Freddy was made Head Monkey.
(Other monkeys  cheering, throwing Freddy in the air as he plays his drum, oversized yellow jacket on. Louie behind him, sitting on other monkey’s shoulders, playing trumpet.)

“How good is this?” said Louie. “Everyone gives you water, picks your fleas, and best of all…”
“You don’t have to shell your own nuts!” cheered Freddy..
‘Hooray!”

Freddy liked everything about being a Head Money!
(Freddy very happy, being spoilt by other monkeys, who bow as they get out of his way.)

(Freddy lying back as other monkeys take turns, like as production line to steal nuts, gather, break then hand feed them to him.)

After a while, though, Freddy found not having to steal his nuts boring.
(Freddy gaining weight, sitting in shade, stick throne, watching other monkeys have fun and screech in fear, too, as they steal nuts.)

He missed the fun he had gathering them with Louie.
(Watching as other monkeys swing on elephant trunk to get nuts on ground.)

With someone else always cracking them open for him, they just didn’t taste as sweet.
(Bored, as other monkeys roll unshelled nuts down leaf into Freddy’s mouth.)

Every now and then a big monkey would challenge Freddy to be Head Monkey.
(Other monkeys standing tall, and on branches, boxing in hunched Freddy)

Nope!
(Freddy playing drums, other monkeys running in horror.)

(Freddy surrounded by food, looking lonely and sad, as other monkeys play in the background.)

So he came up with a plan…
(Freddy being lowered swiping tuba from circus band.)

Cheeky Monkey!!
(Freddy, being held by the legs by Louie, dangling from tree, placing tuba on ground in front of sleeping former Head Monkey.)

Freddy was no longer Head Monkey.
(Big monkey blowing tuba. Freddy running, as if scared, drum and yellow jacket in the air.)

But he was happy once more!
(Freddy and Louie on vendor’s head. Vendor’s eyes looking up, furious. Louie holding down nut, eyes closed. Freddy, eyes wide, biting tongue, about to smash nut with rock.)

 

The End

 

The End