The monkey boy
Long ago, there was a tribe in the African mountains, which was known to be cursed, their primitive huts were surrounded by a dense forest, inhabited by predatory animals and monkeys, which prevented them from entering the area alone for fear of being attacked . A poor woman, Amina, and her sick husband lived in this tribe, one day her husband succumbed to an illness, leaving her alone and pregnant, with no way to earn money. Amina turned to her neighbors for help but was denied it as they were struggling to provide for their own families. With no other options, he decided to venture into the forest to search for food. It was learned that in the middle of the forest, there was a beautiful grove of fruit trees. To date, no one in the tribe had been lucky enough to surpass the ferocious animals of the forest. With every step she took, Amina trembled with fear. As he maneuvered through the dense undergrowth, he dropped small stones to mark his way back home. Suddenly, a monkey fell from a banana cup into the water and struggled to stay afloat. As Amina watched the monkey drowning, she felt the pain the monkey’s mother must be feeling and threw herself into the lake in an attempt to save it, for the monkeys, who had also pounced to help. When they reached the shore, the monkey’s mother stepped forward to hug Amina. He was amazed to see that the monkey understood that Amina would soon be a mother too. He asked Amina why she had ventured into the dangerous forest alone.
Amina explained as best she could that she needed food for her unborn baby and that she had no other options as her husband had died and the town refused to help her. Once he had eaten his fill, he began to collect the remaining fruit to take home. The monkey gestured to Amina and explained that she had to swear that she would never bring other people or tell the tribe about her experience. If she agreed, they would continue to help Amina find food. Desperate to keep the growing baby inside her, Amina agreed.
The next morning, Amina felt a severe pain in her stomach as her labor began fiercely. Amina cried out in pain as she realized that there was no one around to help her deliver her baby. The monkeys seem to understand that Amina was in labor and would soon give birth. They began to create an enclosure around Amina, to protect her. When they finished, she was well hidden from view, the monkey mother by her side, helping her get through the pain. Everyone was surprised to discover that the child Amina gave birth to had the face of a monkey, with the body of a human. The monkeys began to jump, as if they were performing a dance to celebrate the birth of the monkey child. Amina loved her son as he was, happy that he was safe and sound, but feared that the tribe would not understand his peculiar gaze and banish him. She knew that the tribe viewed all monkeys as harbingers of evil, but she knew they didn’t, now that they had saved her when she had no one else. The monkey tore a piece of Amina’s long dress to wrap the baby. The rest of the monkeys gathered fruit for Amina to eat and regain her strength.
Amina traveled back to her village with her new son, desperately trying to avoid being seen to protect her son. An inevitable group of women sat in front of Amina’s tent, who noticed Amina’s change in appearance. Eager to see the new baby, they huddled her, unwrapping the cloth for a better view. When they saw his monkey face, they ran off, screaming that Amina had given birth to a cursed child. Soon enough, the tribal leader sent for Amina and her son. As she stood in front of him, he declared the boy, “The son of damnation,” and ordered them both thrown into a dungeon, under constant surveillance. The tribal leader gathered his advisers to discuss the fate of Amina and her son. They all claimed that the baby had been cursed by the gods, that Amina had given birth to a demon, not a human baby. Together, they decided that Amina and the boy would be killed the next day.
The next morning, the members of the tribe gathered in the center of the village, anxiously awaiting the execution of Amina and her baby. Despite Amina’s cries of pity, she was blindfolded and brought before the tribe. When Amina and her son came into view, the crowd of onlookers began to change, “Kill the demon! Kill the demon!” The tribe leader took the seat of honor, the expression on his face showing his joy at the tragic events that were about to take place. Amina kept screaming and crying, begging for mercy, begging for freedom, but her screams fell on deaf ears. The entire tribe was working in a frenzy of anticipation, their hearts of stone unable to soften and help Amina.
In the forest, the monkeys were curious why Amina and the baby had not returned. They sent money to visit the village in silence and find out where Amina and the baby were. The monkey disappeared into the trees until it reached the closest tree overlooking the tribe and saw a crowd gathered. Unsure of what was happening, the monkey crawled forward. Knowing that she must be in danger, he quickly returned to his monkey friends to explain the dire situation in which he had found her. Hearing the danger Amina faced, the monkeys ran screaming through the forest, intending to save their friend.
Back in the village, the servants tied up Amina and her son, preparing them for execution. The sound of the monkeys approaching grew louder with each passing moment, distracting the villagers a bit. When the monkeys arrived, the villagers tried to escape, but it was too late, they were surrounded … Amina and her she stood in the middle of the circle, blindfolded, unaware of the help that had come for her. making his way through the crowd towards Amina. Slowly, he removed the cloth from Amina’s eyes and untied the ropes that bound her. The remaining villagers bowed to Amina, apologizing for their hatred and begging for her forgiveness. Amina became a righteous ruler, while her son became a virtuous young man, loved by all, despite his physical appearance. The monkeys stayed by his side, protecting Amina and the prince, as well as the people.
