Benjamin Monkey

<P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt><SPAN style=FONT-SIZE: 14pt><SPAN style=mso-tab-count: 1> </SPAN>The author Carol Hartley Bellows shook her head and laughed Thirty years of teaching ministry and farming brought me to canyons fields and mountains.<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>All along I have lived with the image of Benjamin on my shoulder.<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>The story of <I>Benjamin Monkey </I>is fiction based on truth. When Benjamin first grinned and raised his eyebrows our family's days of loving care for a little Capuchin monkey began.<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>This ten year adventure brought mischief fun curiosity and tears embodied in Benjamin's unusual exploits beyond our wildest dreams. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office /></SPAN></P><P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt><SPAN style=FONT-SIZE: 14pt><SPAN style=mso-tab-count: 1> </SPAN>Benjamin<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>excelled at tearing around.<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>He was driven by his bond with Jamie who had younger siblings cats and dogs at their home in a small hill-town.<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>After he had riled up the Medical School Research Lab Benjamin was sad and longed for a friend until he found Jamie.<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>Soon they traveled miles on her 10-speed over dirt roads to secret places.<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>Her Benji held on tight and hid under Jamie's hair to avoid crisis from circling predators bullies wild dogs scary cows icy wind and lightening storms.<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>Jamie shared Benji's excitement and encouraged her friends Josie David<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>and Mike to enjoy him with kindness.</SPAN></P><P class=MsoNormal style=MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt><SPAN style=FONT-SIZE: 14pt><SPAN style=mso-tab-count: 1> </SPAN>One night while blaring the car radio to hear Joan Baez's <I>Forever</I> <I>Young</I> Jamie drove with Benji bouncing up and down on her shoulder to show him Big City lights.<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>Loudly singing with Josie Jamie cruised past a befuddled cop who just scratched his head and stared.<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>Through a decade of Benji's unusual moments his Grey Logs family told his stories.<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>When tired from hours of mischief the small Capuchin loved to curl in Jamie's lap and rock beside hot coals in the fieldstone fireplace.<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN>Sturdy 1910 log rafters tall Maple trees and a special Benji's Bush had become the gentle monkey's favorite habitat forevermore.<SPAN style=mso-spacerun: yes> </SPAN></SPAN></P>