Naughty Jocko by Louisa May Alcott
A young boy named Neddy encounters a distressed monkey, Jocko, who is being mistreated by a cruel music man. Neddy and his aunt, Jane, rescue Jocko, nursing him back to health. Jocko quickly becomes a source of amusement and chaos in their household. As Neddy introduces Jocko to the neighborhood, the monkey's mischievous nature leads to a series of comedic disasters. Jocko wreaks havoc in a store, throwing candy and causing mayhem, which results in Neddy feeling ashamed and responsible for the damage. Despite his antics, Neddy struggles to discipline Jocko, finding it hard to stay angry at the playful creature. Jocko's mischief escalates as he disrupts family meals, terrorizes the household staff, and even frightens a group of ladies during a sewing circle. Each incident showcases Jocko's playful yet troublesome character, leading to increasing frustration for Aunt Jane, who contemplates returning him to the music man. Ultimately, Jocko's curiosity leads to his demise when he gets caught in a trap. The family feels relieved, as the chaos he brought had become overwhelming. Neddy learns a valuable lesson about responsibility and behavior, realizing that one mischievous creature is enough for their home. The story concludes with a reminder of Jocko's impact on Neddy's character development, as Aunt Jane uses the memory of the monkey to guide Neddy's future actions.
By Louisa May Alcott · First published 1854 · Genre: Children's Literature, Fiction, Humor · 3,580 words
First lines
"A music-man! a music-man! Run quick, and see if he has got a monkey on his organ," cried little Neddy, running to the window in a great hurry one day.
What this Textopian page supports
Naughty Jocko is listed on Textopian as a short story by Louisa May Alcott, dated 1854 CE.
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- Work type: Short story
- Author: Louisa May Alcott
- Date: 1854 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Children's Literature, Fiction, Humor, Animal Fiction, Adventure
- Length: 3,580 words
- Structure: 1 section, 48 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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Genres
- Children's Literature — The story is aimed at a young audience, featuring a child protagonist and a mischievous monkey, with themes of playfulness and moral lessons.
- Fiction — The narrative is a fictional tale that explores the adventures and mischief of a monkey and a boy.
- Humor — The antics of Jocko and the reactions of the characters provide comedic elements throughout the story.
- Animal Fiction — The story centers around a monkey, anthropomorphizing animal behavior and emotions.
Tags
Children's Literature · Coming-of-Age Story · Family Drama · Friendship · Growing Up · Humor · Juvenile Fiction · Literary Fiction · Moral Lesson · Naughty Behavior · Novel · Realistic Fiction