Towards the top, the palm stem gets quits slender and sways in the breeze, but the monkey is used to treetop life, and clings tenaciously with hands and feet as she makes her way to the very top where the nuts are.Madame Monkey works for her living in Sumatra: As a coconut collector she earns a human worker's wage: Sumatra is an island full of monkey of all shapes, colors and sizes. The natives have long ~ken advantage of this and train female captive monkeys to do a useful day's work for their keep. Best (the only in fact) job a monkey can do is to use his skill in climbing trees to pick the coconuts which are sold for their copra. Females only can be trained for this work as the male of the species is too fierce. Any morning early one sees in Sumtaran towns such as Padang or Bukit Tinggi, a native walking along with his monkey on a leash. He solicits custom from a householder and a bargain is struck for the use of his monkey to fetch the coconuts down for the owner to sell. The monkey has to be trained for the work when young and will live and work for many years. usual fee is one Rupiah (one-tenth of a workman's daily wage) for a tree. Thus the monkey can earn a normal workers wage for her master.
Photo measures 8.25 x 10.25 inches.
Photo is dated --0000.
Photo back:
