Odd but True.

This past weekend Eric took Olivia to the play “A Little Princess” which my coworker informed me was probably based on a Little Shirley Temple movie by the same name… of course you could also say it was based on a novel written by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
In the play a man from India shows up with a monkey that he leaves with a little girl who turns out to be the little Princess. This happens late in the third and final act of the play. Now this was a school production and rumor had it that there was going to be a REAL monkey. Now really who can pass up being so close to a real monkey with no bars or barriers in between? (I kept asking Olivia is she was going to have her picture taken with the monkey and she kept telling me no because the monkey would not becoming down where she would be. He would stay up on the stage with the other players.)
Now Eric knew the director of the play who was also playing the part of the guy from India. He told Eric that he had been practicing with the monkey so the monkey could get used to him and not freak out when they were on stage together. He then added that this particular monkey did not really like little girls.
OK so it is the first night of the play. Eric and O are in the front row. Olivia is enjoying the play but really she wants to see the monkey. She keeps telling Eric that the monkey will stay up on the stage. Then she asks - RIGHT? Finally it is the third act and the monkey arrives. People in the audience give each other a look which says – Is that a real monkey??? Olivia of course is thrilled. The monkey is fine with the director/actor and then he gets handed off to … A LITTLE GIRL!! Eric said you could tell that the monkey was not thrilled but he continued on without a problem. Then the little girl jumped up onto a bed and this startled the monkey and he freaked! Of course the little girl also freaked. (Eric thought perhaps the monkey bit or scratched the little girl.) The owner of the monkey rushed on stage and took the monkey away and the play went on. (Eric caught part of this with his camera but I don’t have the pics yet.)
Olivia was of coursed thrilled and horrified at the same time. Kind of like when she watches Scooby Doo.
Now the thing to remember is everyone was ok.
Later that evening after Eric told me about the monkey incident, we are talking about other things and I turn to Eric and just ask – so what was the best part of the play?? And then add – When the monkey attacked the little girl?? Now I know that what happened is not really funny but yet it is funny because really did anyone truly believe that this would work out OK??? I mean really half the people who went to the play and knew about the monkey went to see what would happen with the monkey. At least half of the people who went from my family went for that reason.