Back To The Jungle

 

Back To The Jungle

by Paul McCann

 

Stinkweed the chimp was kept in captivity by a special zoo that catered for all the endangered animals on earth . There were Gorillas , orangutan’s , rhinos  pandas , giant tortoise’s ,polar bears and tigers and some elephants  .

Stinkweed walked with a limp so he liked to swing through the trees and catch the breeze in the ape house where they place him after he challenged the leadership of the alpha male chimp in the monkey house that was built to house seventy chimpanzees who were mostly timid and unobtrusive characters . Stinkweed was playful and mischievous rocking and swaying upside down from fixtures and vocalizing his feelings with more often that he should .

Sadly, Stinkweed was now put on a chain to stop him from trying to escape .

He had previously managed to dig an underground tunnel from the ape house to the monkey house and started a riot with the other chimps .

One day as Stinkweed was having some stimulation activities . the keeper of the ape house had tripped over and bumped her head . As she lay unconscious on the ground Stinkweed saw the set of keys she had in her bag and started trying each of the keys on the padlock that the was anchored to the clasp on the concrete wall inside the ape house . It was Stinkweeds lucky  day , he managed to find the right key and also managed to unlock the door to the ape house .

Stinkweed was free and, on the run, He jumped over chairs and tables and climbed up poles and  swinging from one to the other  until he was sitting on the front gate of the zoo .where a bus had just dropped off some visitors to the zoo . Stinkweed managed to get on the bus unseen by the driver who started up the engine and drove from the zoo back to the city streets . The bus driver made his way back to the depot because his shift had finished for the day

Stinkweed kept out of sight until no one was around then he walked with a limp across the road . It was a market day and Stinkweed had seen some fresh fruit stalls there . All he knew that it was time to eat again and off he went in a world of his own .This was a great adventure for him and one he was eager to explore.

After he helped himself to some bananas and other fruits, he took an old lady by the hand across the street where he saw a pet shop . He went inside the pet shop and created chaos with the animals there , the staff who worked there tried in vain to capture Stinkweed bet he quickly did some forward rolls out the door and along the sidewalk to a set of traffic lights where people started to cross over in front of the traffic that had stopped there . Stinkweed crossed over as well with a hop , step, and a jump motion , stopping to shake his fist at the cars and trucks that had come to a standstill  the lights .Then he climbed on top of the traffic lights and began to vocalize his frustration in a high-pitched mumbo jumbo language that only animals could understand , A few sea gulls flew down and perched nearby on a pole and began to squawk at him ,

“What you are doing in the city chimp :

“Just visiting the jungle here , It’s a crazy place ?

“You’ll  get used to it after a while . The people don’t bite and usually like to keep to themselves . If you leave them alone, they’ll leave you alone .“

“Do you know where the forest is around here . I need to get up a tree before the night falls “

“There’s a great big park three blocks away . Just watch the way we’re going and follow close behind The sea gulls took flight and Stinkweed did his best to swing from  pole to pole but eventually had to give up as they were too fast for him . He saw a few stray cats down an alleyway and went to ask for directions “

“Hey, look out there puss , Stinkweed’s on the loose in the city today . “

The cat leapt in the air with fright and said ,

“Where did you come from Chimp . You nearly gave me a heart attack “

I originally came from Africa , Then I was taken in a big wooden box on a ship to a zoo called Endangered Species where I managed to escape . I’m looking for the forest . Have you any idea where that could be ?

‘The cat answered .

“I’ve been all over this city and I have never seen a forest but there is a city park with s few trees . Come and follow me I’ll take you there .”

They two of them started their journey to the city park . A little further along the road they were joined by a rat from the gutter who said ,

“Wow , I mean wow cat , I mean like how ever did a chimp end up on the streets of the city :”

The cat replied ,

“Well meow , yeah , we don’t often see a chimp out and about on the street king rat  .“

“You’re a real cool cat puss , so tell me puss , where are you going ?”

Stinkweed said ,

“Puss is helping me to find a place to hide before the night comes  . You see I  broke out from the zoo today and I’m in no hurry to go back there if you get my drift . So, I kind of need to swing low for a while and chill like a breeze in the trees until I work out what to do ”

“So have you got a name chimp ?”

The rat asked and he replied,

“The name is Stinkweed . Used to smoke a lot before I quit the habit “
He replied and the rat said  

‘”Nice to meet you Stinkweed . I’m king rat :. These streets are my kingdom and around here there are millions of rats and every rat has a hole and every one of them has to answer to me see because I’m King of these city streets :

Now listen to me Stinkweed , you need to get back home to where you come from . The jungle is you’re home . You’re not meant to live in a zoo. You were born to be in the wild ”

 The cat started meowing and purring and said .

“Well said King rat . “

“Now listen to me see , there’s a dock where ships come in and we’re going to get you on a ship back to where did you say you come from again “

“I’m from Africa .“

“’That’s hardly a challenge . I know exactly where that ship leaves . I’m going to get you on that ship tomorrow Stinkweed and you can get back home to Africa “

‘Like that’s some awesome action right there King Rat , give me some skin and I’ll tell you what , I’m never going to forget you King rat and you too pussy cat .Life is good and I’m going home “

Puss said ,

“Let’s get off the streets and out of sight before someone might see us . “

King Rat said ,

“Ok lets go and best to forget that park and hiding up some tree , because I know a derelict building down by the docks where we can stay out of sight until the ship leaves for Africa . There’s one that comes and goes everyday “

“That is the best thing I’ve ever heard”

Stinkweed said ,

“Lets go  Follow me “

Said King rat who scurried away . The three of them made their way unseen to the docks . Where ships sat being loaded and unloaded .They made their way into an old custom house on the pier that was now derelict . Inside the old building many rats said ,.

“ All for one and one for all “

They all cheered and shouted  :

“Long live the King “

They stood to attention as King Rat said ..

“ You all know cool cat , our friendly stray but I want you all to meet for the first time , Stinkweed the chimp who broke free from his cage at the zoo today and now we’re going to help and get him back home . So I need you all to go now and find out which ship is going to Africa and when its leaving and don’t come back until you have the answers “

All the rats scurried from the building and out to the docks . It didn’t take long before they returned with the answers .

:Theres a ship  leaving in the morning at 6am to Africa . The ship is already being loaded we have left a hole in the canvas on top of one of the lifeboats where Stinkweed can hide during the voyage .

They all cheered and King rat said

“Now that’s what I’m talking about . Freedom ”

They all cheered and that night they had a party in the old custom house . From every hole around the city many rats came and every one brought something to eat of drink and they all shared what they had .

Oh yeah they sure did know how to rock and roll the night away . There were  food scraps scattered all around the floor and as they all cried out squeaking for joy and dancing as one in a rat pack they were jumping and pumping in a wild rat pack rock and with a rat  pack jive , they night was alive and they partied on and on all through the night till the dawn and then after everyone they had all gone King Rat made his way with cool cat and stinkweed to the ship on the docks where the crew never saw them make their way on board the ship . Inside the lifeboat they all sat and King Rat said

“Stys out of sight until tomorrow night when the ship will arrive at the docks in Africa and then make you way however you can to the jungle where you come from “

Cool cat said ,

“Be happy in your new life and forget all the hard times you’ve had “

After they said their goodbye ,  Stinkweed closed his eyes and had a sleep before the start to the long voyage and was excited about the new life he had

 

The End