The Man with the Yellow Hat

This week marked the birthday of Hans Augusto Reyersbach (H.A. Rey), creator of Curious George, the adorable little monkey you’d probably kick across the room if you ever crossed paths with him. What, no H.A. Rey fans? No monkey kickers? Me neither.

My problem isn’t with George. My daughter likes him. He’s a nuisance, but a harmless one for the most part. Nor do I have a problem with Rey himself. He wrote a series of beloved children’s tales. That doesn’t automatically qualify him for sainthood, but maybe it’s a start. One could do worse.

My concern is with one of Rey’s’ creations, this “Man with the Yellow Hat,” the person who takes care of George. There are so many unanswered questions. He doesn’t just wear a yellow hat; his entire wardrobe is yellow, his car is yellow, and he plays the tuba. How does he support himself? The two of them live in a penthouse apartment, but he also owns a house in the country. Where does he get his money? Strangest fact of all, he lives with a monkey. The dude has problems.

I’m concerned that one day he snaps and serves the members of his band tiny skewers of an unidentified meat vaguely reminiscent of chicken, but gamier. “Where’s George?” the trombonist may ask, expecting to see the happy little fellow bouncing around.

A sly grin born from hidden knowledge appears on his face. “He’s-“ He takes his time. “-being a good little monkey.”

No one knows what that means, but no one questions him either. They go back to their skewers, which lay delicately upon a pile of basmati rice, and conversation continues.

There’s a lot of sadness under the overly wide brim of his yellow hat. I hope he gets some help soon. Who goes around kicking monkeys? Not you, I hope.