Baako the monkey

Baako the monkey

“Come Baako.” says his master. Baako the monkey follows his master back to the camel as the caravan starts to leave. The caravan always confused Baako. He always wondered why the traders traveled in groups across the desert like that. The caravan leaves, making it’s way towards the great trading city of Timbuktu, away from the Niger River.

The Caravan enters Timbuktu at daybreak. Baako jumps up and down with glee as the camel rides into the city. He jumps off the camel with a smile on his face and looks at the beautiful city as some of the people walk toward a building where there are four towers at each corner. He feels the wall of the building, not realizing it is made of dried mud. The Mosque towers over Baako. There are wood poles sticking out the sides.

Puzzled, Baako follows them in and climbs the rafters on the roof to watch.

The people inside get down on their knees and places the tip of their foreheads on the mats under them. They must be praying. baako thinks to himself. He had never seen this type though. He overhears one of the people say “Islam”. That must be their religion. Bored, Baako runs to the market.

In the bag of a merchant trader he notices something shiny reflecting the sun’s light.

Baako follows the trader in hope of seeing what it is. The trader sets up a stand and lays his items on the table. Baako looks at the beautiful gold jewelry in wonder. Next to it However, there is a white colored substance. He takes some in his paw and licks. Yuck he thinks, salt.

    That is when he notices it. The one thing he desires...Bananas. Baako runs to them as fast as he can and before he knows it, he is in a cage. Baako shrieks in fright. “Shut up monkey.” the trader says. The trader brings the cage over to his buddy and places him under the table. Baako is so confused. He shakes the bars in an angry rage.

    He hears a weird sound coming from the outside. Yelling! he hears yelling! He busts the bars open and runs out to see what is happening. It had been a week since the ruler Sonni Ali took over Timbuktu and yet he could not find his master or the caravan, which make Baako very sad.

Baako goes to the market place and tries to find the bananas, but they’re gone.

Baako freaks out. Destroying the stand making the trader yell. He looks for berries or nuts but there is none. Baako vaguely remembers how sonni ali had taken all the goods in the city. He goes back in the city where trade continues as normal.

    Baako once again looks at the fruit stand but there are still no bananas and no master. Meanwhile, his master is searching for him all over the city, while trading his goods. He looks at various stands to find goods to trade for. He looks at crates full of fruit being unpacked and put on a stand. He walk to the bananas and offers the man beads. He picks up the bunch and there is something else pulling on it. The master looks up. “ Baako!” the master exclaims.

Baako leaps into his master's arms and so Baako and his master live happily ever with a giant bunch of bananas.


                    The End