Monkey June Stories

Story Nine

It’s possible that you’ve never heard of a girl by the name of ‘Monkey June’. If you were to ask someone who has heard of her, they would tell you that she was a girl who loved monkeys.

That would only be the tip of the iceberg, though.

(No, this story is not about ice, or ocean voyages, or polar bears. The saying ‘the tip of the iceberg’ means ‘you’re only seeing a little bit of the whole picture’. When you see an iceberg, the only part you can see is the top part that sticks up out of the water. The rest of the iceberg that you don’t see—the part under the water—is actually where most of the iceberg is. But this isn’t a story about icebergs, or ocean voyages, or penguins. It’s a story about Monkey June and her friends. So let’s get back to that, shall we?)

The rest of her iceberg was that Monkey June didn’t just love monkeys; she was totally obsessed with monkeys.

I think I’ve described her room to you before, with its monkey curtains, monkey blankets, monkey pillows, monkey art on the walls, and even a huge monkey beanbag chair that made it seem like a giant monkey was hugging her whenever she lay on it. Oh…did I not mention that before? Well, she had one of those. Now you know.

Monkey June ran into the kitchen after school one afternoon looking rather excited. Her mother wondered if she had discovered a new monkey-themed item that she was about to ask for.

“I thought you were working on homework” her mother said. “Did you come down looking for a homework snack?” She was already reaching towards the bowl of bananas on the counter.

“No,” Monkey June said. “Homework is all done. I’m just wondering if we have any books about Chess. But I will also take a banana, thank you!“

“Chess?” her mother asked.

“Yes,” Monkey June explained. “It’s a game people play on a square board covered with smaller squares. There are all kinds of different pieces, and I think each piece has its own rules for moving. I need to figure out what all the pieces are—and all the rules.”

“I know what Chess is,” her mother said. “I didn’t know you were interested in it. I think your father could teach you how to play. I’m sure he has some books about it somewhere.”

“Oh, yeah…" Monkey June added, “I forgot to tell you that I signed up for Chess Club at school! I’ll have to stay after school for that tomorrow.”

“That’s…interesting,” her mother said. “I’m glad to hear that you’re getting involved with one of the clubs at school. What got you interested in that one?”

“Well, Marilyn has a piano recital this weekend. She’s been taking lessons for months. A recital is a gathering where people get together in an audience to watch you do…whatever it is you’ve been learning to do. Did you know that people can have piano recitals, Dance recitals, and all kinds of other recitals? But apparently when it’s gymnastics they call it a ‘meet’. I haven’t figured out why, yet.”

“Okay…” her mother said, “…so did you go to a Chess recital, or…”

“Ha!” Monkey June said. “That would be silly. I think Chess people have meets. Or competitions. Or…something I haven’t heard about yet. Anyway, I was talking to Marilyn about her piano recital and she asked me what kind of stuff I’m involved with outside of school. I mentioned monkeys, of course, but she meant lessons or clubs. I realized that I’m not involved in any lessons or clubs, and I decided to fix that! I went straight to the office after school and asked the secretary what clubs we have at school. She gave me a list, and the first thing on the list was Chess Club, so I told her that sounded great and I asked her to sign me up!”

“What else was on the list?” her mother asked.

“I don’t know,” Monkey June said. “I didn’t want to be late for parent pick-up.”

“So you didn’t even read the rest of the list? You just picked the first thing you saw?”

“Yup!”

“Wow. Okay. Well, I hope you like it.”

Monkey June did like it. She liked it so much, in fact, that after her first Chess Club meeting she went straight to the school office and asked to see the Club List again. This time she read the whole thing.

This time, she signed up for more than just Chess Club.

At dinner that night, Monkey June told her parents about all of the clubs she had joined.

“There’s Chess Club, of course, and there’s Drama Club, Environmental Club, Fiction Writing Club, Gardening Club…”

“Do they have a club for every letter of the alphabet?” her father asked.

“I don’t think so,” Monkey June said. “I didn’t see any that started with ‘A’ or ‘B’. I heard that someone is thinking about starting an ‘A Capella Choir Club’ and someday they might start a Bowling Club, so of course those two would be right at the top of the list.”

Her mother said, “I think the more important question is: did you actually sign up for all of these clubs?”

“Yes!” Monkey June answered. “How will I know what I like if I don’t try them all? You know what my favorite song says!”

“The one about the Black-eyed Monkey Named Bunky?”

“No, but that one is great. I mean my favorite song from Zootopia: ‘Try Everything’. I’m just doing what the song says, mom!”

“I’m not sure that’s what the song means…” her mother sighed.

A few days later, Marilyn and Carolyn sat at their usual lunch table looking around the lunchroom for their missing friend.

“I saw her this morning when I first got here,” Marilyn said.

“Where did you see her?” Carolyn asked.

“She was kind of sitting on the playground staring off into space. I figured she was tired or something and I just let her be.”

“You don’t think she’s still out there, do you?” Carolyn asked.

“No, I saw her in class right before lunch.”

“Did she say anything about missing lunch today?” Carolyn asked.

“No,” Marilyn said, “I don’t think she said anything. I think she was asleep.”

“What?!”

“She just had her head down on her desk and looked like she was sleeping.” Marilyn explained.

“Maybe she’s still there!” Carolyn said jumping up from the lunch table. “Let’s go look!”

“Slow down there, young ladies,” Mr. Jeffries said. The Custodian sometimes had Lunchroom Monitor duties. He said it allowed him to respond to spills more quickly. “No leaving the lunchroom during lunch. This time is for eating, not for—”

“We have to check on our friend, Monkey June!” Marilyn said. “We think she may be…um…late for lunch.”

“I’ll allow one of you to go and look for her,” Mr. Jeffries said. “And you can’t be gone any longer than a regular bathroom break. Which one of you wants to go?”

“I’ll do it,” said Carolyn. Mr. Jeffries nodded.

A few minutes later, Marilyn was back with a very sleepy-looking Monkey June. She had missed her chance to go through the lunch line, so she just trudged with Marilyn to their table and sat down.

“You look like you can barely keep your eyes open,” Marilyn said. “What’s the matter? Didn’t sleep well last night?”

“Cooking Club,” Monkey June mumbled. “I need to get to Cooking Club.”

“It’s lunchtime,” Carolyn said. “I don’t think clubs do things until after school. Are you feeling okay?”

“I mean Gardening Club,” Monkey June said, laying her head down on the table. “No…wait…I mean Drama Club. I didn’t learn my lines yet…” She suddenly stopped talking and started snoring. She was asleep again.

“Wake up!” Marilyn said, shaking her friend. “Monkey June, I think maybe you’re in too many clubs.”

“But my favorite song…”

“I’m not sure what your favorite song has to do with anything,” Carolyn said, “but you need to quit some of those clubs. If you don’t, you’ll make yourself sick from pure exhaustion.”

“Fine,” Monkey June said. “I’ll pick just nine and quite the others. Can I sleep now?”

“Um, I think you should pick like…three,” Marilyn said. “Not nine.”

“Monkey June,” Carolyn said suddenly, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”

The question seemed to surprise the sleepy girl.

“You already know,” Monkey June said. “Monkey Expert.”

“So pick the interests that will help you be a better Monkey Expert someday. Then drop the other ones.”

“You’re my smartest friend, Marilyn,” said Monkey June.

“I’m Carolyn,” said Carolyn.

The only thing they could get out of from Monkey June after that, though, was more snoring. They even had to leave her at the lunch table when lunchtime was done. Mr. Jeffries said he’d make sure she got to her next class after her nap.

“So I learned that ‘Try Everything’ is not the best strategy,” Monkey June told her parents at dinner that night. “Instead, I will change the name of my favorite song to ‘Try Everything Monkey Related’.”

“Weren’t you already doing that?” her father asked.

“Yes, but now it’s more…official,” Monkey June said.

“If you say so,” her mother agreed. “I hope whatever you try in life you’ll always remember one of my favorite Bible verses.”

“Which one?” Monkey June asked.

“Rejoice always,” her mother said, “pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. It’s First Thessalonians 5:16-18. It reminds us that no matter what we’re doing—or trying to do—we should always remember to include those three things too: rejoice, pray, and give thanks.”

“Rejoice, pray, give thanks,” Monkey June repeated. “I can remember those!”  

“And do you remember when you should do them?” her mother asked.  

“In all circumstances!”  

“Exactly right!” her mother said with a big smile. 

You might be wondering which three clubs Monkey June kept going to. Which three do you think would be most helpful in making her a better Future Monkey Expert?