by James Abell, March 2025
In the north west region of India where the hills become steep and force themselves upwards into the sky to meet the white mountains that meet the heavens, a legend unfolds.
The monkey tribe in these parts at some point in time decided to construct a temple to pay respect to the old Gods. The Gods who granted them more intelligence.
The Gods had long left this area. They only left some of their transparent jewels behind.
The monkeys decided to use these jewels to make a temple to remember the old Gods.
The monkeys worked in a group day and night.
They found an inscription to help them make the temple, using the jewels, earth and wood to make an ever expanding beehive like temple. The language was unknown to them, it was the language of the old Gods. However, they could understand the pictures.
Many of the monkeys said that this structure looked like the dwelling places of the old gods who lived packed together like the ants or bees where their chaos annoyed mother nature. This was one of the reasons why the old Gods disappeared from these parts.
The temple would grow over the years.
Due to the clean water and animals and food nearby the monkeys would start to settle here and come down from the trees. This would be the start of a monkey empire in these parts that would span far into the future!
The monkeys continue to build to this day…
A fallen sign on the ground that the monkeys cannot read shows the language of the old Gods, perhaps scholars in the future will be able to interpret what it means –
“ बंदर त्वरित बुद्धिमत्ता अनुसंधान संस्थान हिमाचल प्रदेश, स्थापित २०५५ “
Simian accelerated intelligence research facility, Himachal Pradesh province, established 2055
END
Story and illustrations by James Abell (c) March 2025
Further Reading
How Long Does It Take for Plastics to Decompose?
Waste Warriors: Tackling the Waste Crisis in the Indian Himalayas
Primate Intelligence: What Makes Monkeys So Smart?
Himachal Pradesh: The Land of Gods
Some Of My Science Fiction Illustrations For Other Stories