[Mother Carey’s Chicken by George Manville Fenn]@TWC D-Link bookMother Carey’s Chicken CHAPTER NINE 12/16
They says as a monkey's next door to a man.
Not as I thinks so." "Then what do you think, Billy ?" "Oh, I think he lives several streets off, sir; but the men thinks tother, and they says as though it's all werry well for a monkey to play with a dog and be friends, just as a man might; it's going down hill like for him to make a habit o' sleeping in a dog-kennel." "Nonsense! the monkey's happy enough with the dog." "So was a mate o' mine with the Noo Zeeling savages, after cutting away from his ship; but our old skipper said he ought to be ashamed of hisself for going and living that way, and them beginning to tattoo him in a pattern.
He said he was a-degrading of hisself, and fetched him aboard, saying as if he wanted tattooing some of his messmates should mark his back with a rope's end.
No, sir, we thinks a deal o' that monkey--our crew does--and we don't want to see him go wrong." "What stuff! My Bruff is quite as intelligent an animal as your monkey. Suppose I said he should not associate with the ugly brute ?" "No, no, sir: Jack aren't ugly," said Billy Widgeon in protest.
"He aren't handsome, but no one can't say as he's ugly; while that dog--" "Oh, he isn't handsome either, but it's absurd to draw the line between the two animals like that." "Well, sir, I tell you what the men says; and they thinks a deal o' Jacko, and looks after his morals wonderful.
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