The Flying Dutchman and Other Folktales from the Netherlands

Copyright © 2008 by Theo Meder

An entire family – father, mother, and children – went to the zoo. They wanted to see everything. Knowing that the children liked giving things to the animals, like sweets, peanuts, and so on, father and mother had brought a bag of fruit. Jantje, the eldest, was allowed to throw a peach into the monkey cage. To his utter amazement, the monkey first took the stone out and tried to stick it up his bum. Then he got it out again and ate it.

Jantje, surprised, asked, "Daddy, what's he doing?"

"Well," daddy said, "that monkey is sensible. He won't eat anything that won't come out at the back."

This story was sent to the Meertens Institute in 1991 by Kees Mommersteeg, a market gardener from Vlijmen (North Brabant). The translation is based on T. Meder, De magische vlucht (Amsterdam, 2000), p. 248.