The Monkey's Frolic: A Humorous Tale, in Verse — Reading Notes

Catalog Subjects vs. Textual Evidence

The Project Gutenberg catalog lists five subjects: Children’s poetry, Cats—Juvenile poetry, Humorous poetry, Monkeys—Juvenile poetry, and Physicians—Juvenile poetry. The first four are well supported: the poem is in verse, features a cat and a monkey, and is clearly humorous. However, the subject “Physicians—Juvenile poetry” has no basis in the excerpts. No doctor, medical treatment, or healing appears in the available text. The only character who might be considered a healer is the monkey, who acts as a barber—but barbering is not medicine, and the monkey’s “skill” is purely mischievous. This mismatch suggests the catalog entry may have been copied from another record or inferred from the title’s mention of a “barber,” which in the 19th century could also refer to a surgeon-barber. Readers should not expect any medical content.

Voice, Meter, and the Role of the Narrator

The narrator addresses the reader directly in the opening lines, claiming the tale is “a true one” and offering a maxim. This framing device is common in moralistic children’s literature of the period, but the narrator quickly abandons instruction for comedy. The anapestic meter (da-da-DUM) gives the verse a galloping rhythm that suits the chase. The narrator uses exclamations (“Oh, oh!” thought the Monkey) and onomatopoeia (“Mew,” “chatter’d”) to animate the action. Notably, the narrator never condemns the monkey’s behavior; the only judgment comes from the master, who fears the animals “might be maim’d.” The voice remains neutral, letting the absurdity speak for itself.

Structure and the Unresolved Chase

The excerpts break off during the rooftop confrontation, leaving the outcome unknown. The poem builds a clear three-part structure: the monkey’s barbering attempt, the cat’s escape and capture, and the chase onto the roof. Each stage escalates the violence—from lathering to tying to tile-throwing. The servant Susan functions as a comic foil, rushing in and out without solving anything. The master’s command to fetch a ladder introduces a human authority figure, but the monkey repels the servant with “loose tiles.” The excerpts end with the monkey “apparently proof” against all maneuvers. Without the full text, readers cannot know whether the animals are rescued or the monkey triumphs, but the structure suggests a cyclical farce rather than a tidy resolution.

Readers approaching this work should set aside the catalog’s physician subject and focus on the poem’s actual content: a fast-moving, morally ambiguous comedy of animal mischief. The anonymous author’s skill lies in maintaining a light, rhythmic verse while depicting increasingly chaotic violence. The incomplete excerpts leave the climax unknown, so the poem rewards reading to its end—if only to see whether the monkey’s frolic concludes with punishment, rescue, or further mayhem.

I found myself thinking of my grandmother's old tomcat, who once sauntered across the piano keys mid-lesson. This book's silly, impossible chase somehow echoes that same gentle chaos. It reminded me of the quieter mischief in The Complete Poems of Sir Thomas Moore Collected by Himself with Explanatory Notes — Story, Setting & Ideas, where even the notes on the margins felt like a friend wandering off the path.