There are those who do not believe in mistakes, for them everything happens for a reason. This view is seldom shared by anyone who has asked a bear for directions or a monkey to put up shelves.

It is definitely not shared by anyone who has gazed in puzzlement at the crypt which crowns the very top of the House of Monkeys and the House of Bears.

The reason for this crypt appearing at the top of the building rather than its usual position at the base of the foundations is usually given as an absent minded builder holding the plans upside down but some people claim to have seen a smile cross Red Mamba’s features when the crypt is mentioned and they wonder if she may not have had something to do with the odd placement of the crypt.

But of course no one would be so ill-mannered as to ask someone as gracious and beloved as Red Mamba if the rumours about the smile were correct.

Given that the crypt was there it seemed only proper to put it to some kind of use. The question of what use led to weeks of debates. There was a strong push by a section of the monkeys for the crypt to be given over to lounging, lazing, lying around and other languorous pastimes. However the climb to the roof was long and exhausting so the monkeys decided to lounge around somewhere more convenient.

A leading bear proposed that the crypt be used for cake related experiments to see if little cakes were more or less delicious at high altitudes. This was a serious research project which demanded consideration but the crypt was rather small for a research team of bears and all the little cakes that would be needed.

While the pondering carried on without much progress finally a young bear and even younger monkey proposed that the crypt should be made into an observatory, complete with telescope.

The House of Monkeys and the House of Bears carefully looked over the proposal – the bears decided that cakes could be eaten as part of astronomical viewing so they were happy and the monkeys decided that if anyone wanted to climb all the way up there then good luck to them.

All that was needed now was the telescope … (To be continued)