- The Monkey
Infobox short story |
name = The Monkey
author =Stephen King
country =United States
language = English
genre = Horrorshort story
published_in = "Skeleton Crew "
publication_type = Magazine
publisher =
media_type = Print (Periodical )
pub_date = November 1980
preceded_by =
followed_by ="The Monkey" is a
short story byStephen King , first published in "Gallery" magazine in 1980. It was significantly revised and published in King's anthology "Skeleton Crew " in 1985.Plot Summary
The story centers on a cymbal banging monkey toy that is possessed by an evil spirit. Every time the monkey claps its little cymbals together, a nearby living thing dies. The monkey is found in a family's attic in an old toy chest by a group of children, unknowing that their father was tormented by the monkey years ago, when it worked its lethal magic on his family and friends. The father takes the monkey and throws it in the lake in his backyard. At the end of the story is an excerpt of a newspaper article, which talks about hundreds of dead fish floating in the lake.
imilar stories
"
The X-Files " episode "Chinga", scripted by Stephen King, deals with a cursed doll and bears similarities to "The Monkey". This doll, which deals out suffering in much the same way as the monkey, also finds itself sinking to the bottom of a lake at the end of the episode.The film "
The Devil’s Gift " is very similar to "The Monkey," leading many to believe that the filmmakers plagiarized the story. [cite web |url=http://www.theflagship.net/coldspot/d/devilsgift.html |title=Reviews of "The Devil's Gift" |accessdate=2007-11-07 |last= |first= |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=The Cold Spot] "The Devil's Gift" was later re-edited as the second story in the film "Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders ", which was featured on the television series "Mystery Science Theater 3000 ".In "
Supernatural " episode "Home" the monkey is shown and makes noise when something bad is happeningSee also
*
Cymbal-banging monkey toy References
External links
* [http://www.horrorking.com/skeleton.html#The_Monkey The story at HorrorKing.com]
* [http://www.StephenKing.com/ King's official website]
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