“The smallest worm will turn being trodden on, And doves will peck in safeguard of their brood.” -William Shakespeare, Henry VI
Despite China’s capitalist reforms and opening to the West, life for many Chinese is still one of grinding poverty.
One way to survive, instead of panhandling, is to train animals as street performers to entice passersby to toss a few coins as reward.
A shocking cell phone video, believed to have been taken in the city of Anyang in China’s Henan province, shows a man who keeps monkeys as street performers.
The video begins with the man slapping one monkey, who promptly slaps the man back. SMACK!
The man then repeatedly slaps the monkey, who returns the slaps, at one point slapping him so hard, the man falls back.
Then the man takes a knife, sharpens the blade on the ground, feigns to kill the monkey by placing the knife on its throat. Then he repeatedly jabs the knife at the monkey, who jumps up to avoid the knife.
At that point, another monkey walks up to the man, snatches the knife away and attacks the man.
The first monkey slaps the man again and again, with the man returning the slaps. The second monkey again takes the knife, walks up to the man and threatens him with the knife. The first monkey slaps the man again, so hard he falls back.
The man starts gathering the ropes that are tied to the monkeys, at which point, all five monkeys converge on the man.
Is this a case of monkeys turning on their cruel keeper, or a very clever skit devised by the man to get more donations? You be the judge!
The really appalling thing about this bizarre street scene is the reaction of the bystanders, who laughed and found the mutual abuse of man and monkeys hilariously amusing.
H/t Daily Mail
~Eowyn
