My brother and I stand back and look happily on the now half finished monkey cage. There’s a good week before the cage has to be completed. My brother stands back in his working clothes, dusty from the dust generated from sanding down the timbers of the cage. He took many days to meticulously paint, made harder by the cold winter winds as he has to work outdoors.
He is very committed to the project, it’s taken him several months to achieve a life like cage, the play it is for wants and demands a sense of reality about the props he constructs. The director will travel up tomorrow to inspect his work. We both know he will be impressed as he has used my brother in many of his earlier productions.
Knowing the cage has to be strong enough to hold a child, care has been taken to realise such a factor in the construction. The cage when finished will travel to its theatre, protected from the weather, which this time of year is often unkind to anything exposed to it.
The children involved in the production, Roald Dahl’s ‘The Twits’, will be excited when they see the precision that has gone into the construction of their prop.
production in May
autumn oranges painted
all for a good show
Written for: http://haibunthinking.wordpress.com/2014/04/15/haibun-thinking-week-13-april-15th-2014/
Morpethroad 
Great haibun. I was totally engaged with the story.
Thanks Suzanne I appreciate your comment.
Great haibun but what exactly is a monkey cage for? Presumably not real monkey’s?
If you look at the last sentence of the haibun you’ll see it was for a play version of Ronald Dahl’s “the Twits”. My brother is a builder of stage props. Thanks Justine for reading and your comment.
I don’t think I read the twits. My son is studying Mr Dahl next term 🙂
I LOVE the twits and have the entire collection of R. Dahl’s books to read to my children. The Twits is hilarious after witches which was made into a rather amusing movie… *smiling just thinking about it*
The monkey cage is great! Wish I was closer so that I could actually view the production! (and take the kids)
ML
x
The production was last year and went very well. This year in September he is building props for the little mermaid, again taking over the shed and a bit of the yard as well, I may have to post photos to show you this as they are going to be huge props.
If you do have photo’s I would be very grateful 🙂
xx
I’ll see what I can find.
#YAY thank you 🙂
Your stories are always engaging. I could see the brother working on the cage and the feel was like he was making the cage for an old fashion street performance.
An excellent prop. It sounds like it was a great production 🙂
Thanks so much Al. He makes amazing props. And yes it was a great production.
Fantastic 🙂
Oh my goodness, it’s going to be amazing! The kids will love it. I was a huge Roald Dahl fan as a child (in fact I still am) and The Twits always made me laugh a lot!
I’m not familiar with Dahl’s The Twits, I will have to read them myself as it sounds like a fun read. Really well done Haibun Michael.
Thank you Jackie, the twits is a fun read. You’ll enjoy them I am sure.
this is great. I love The Twits. My granddaughter, who is five, got bored with picture books so they started on Raold Dahl’s books. The Twits brought up some hilarious interactions about my husband’s beard.
It’s it great when the books we want to read to our gkids resonate with them. Thanks so much for your comment Belinda.
🙂 cheers
Your usual clever and well written creation, Sir ST2.
AnElephant very much enjoys this piece.
Thank you good sir, the pleasure is mine.
A colourful story to match the pic my friend 🙂
Thank you so much Jenny.
What a great haibun, the story seems so grounded in reality and loved the photo too which added more depth to the whole story.
Thanks Georgia, my brother is a clever fellow.
So, this is based on fact…my compliments to your brother!
aloha Michael. an excellent tribute to a terrific craftsman. well done. very cool that your brother’s work provides spin off inspiration. fun. aloha.
Thanks Rick appreciate your comment.
Cool craftsmanship! What a fun business to be part of. Great haibun writing.
Hi Brenda, thanks so much for reading. He is a clever man. The little mermaid is his next show to build for.
That’s a classic. Should be lots of scope for color. 🙂
Yes and not only that most of my backyard!!!! It’s going to be a big job for him.
LOL So you live together? Next door?
No he lives a few streets away but his workshop in at the back of my house.
Now that seems better for him than for you! LOL
I own our our old family home and years ago he built his workshop when my dad was alive so it’s part of my place now.
That’s very dear. How great to have family so close.