THE SCENE: Were it not for the misguided actions of some “country bumpkin”, we could all have been spending our leisure hours enjoying the antics of dog-monkey hybrids.
THE TEXT: Again in our time a bitch near here had a litter by a monkey and produced puppies which were ape-like in front but more like a dog behind. When the warden of the soldier’s quarters saw them, he was amazed at these prodigies of nature. Their deformed and hybrid bodies revolted this country bumpkin. He killed the whole lot of them out of hand with a stick. His master was very annoyed when he learned what had happened, and the man was punished.
– Journey Through Wales, Gerald of Wales, 12th Century AD
