"The Monkey Trap"
Wild monkeys are often trapped by placing a banana
inside a box with a small hole.
The mark, thinking he's getting something for nothing,
grins slyly around to make sure no other monkeys are watching
and then reaches through the hole and grabs the banana.
He's already picking out the tree he will dine in when a problem pops up.
The banana won't come out through the hole,
and letting go is not an option.
You must remember that a banana to a monkey is an important matter.
Second to romance, it's the biggest thing in his career.
Like millions of human car "owners",
the monkey begins to believe the item is his,
just because he has a grip on it.
If you walked up to that trapped monkey
and offered him an equivalent banana to let go,
he would turn you down.
Furthermore, he would disparage your banana.
He has pride of ownership.
When they carry him away
his hand will still be clenched stubbornly inside the hole.
They'll have to take box and all,
or they'll get no monkey.
On any business day you can see ships
loaded to the brims with monkeys with their hands in boxes,
crowding shipping lanes all over the seven seas.
They've sold themselves into slavery for their materialism.
Nothing down, pay forever.
Monkeys are the second greediest animals on earth.
© November 29, 2000 by Jack Blanchard. All rights reserved.
