W. W. Jacobs may have brought the long-running image to English (You can listen here), but where did his material originate? I did not have much luck with that question, but it seems clear that simian trophies [scroll down; may be gruesome] remain attractive and problematic where our furry avatars remain. I have to confess unease at the implied necessity of white people telling poor Africans what to do, especally since as near as I can make out, it's the elites what likes the eats: "The consumers of Bushmeat are logging and mining company employees, the urban 'elite' such as government officials and members of the clergy, restaurants and local markets, as well as villagers, and ex-patriates and restaurants in western countries. For many 'elite' the meat is not simply a source of protein, but is considered a delicacy. They share these delicacies with their visiting friends from abroad, who in turn 'export' the meat to their countries and introduce their friends in turn to the Bushmeat." This is not an agendafilter post. I idly stuck the image of "The Monkey's Paw" to the bushmeat pics (which inevitably feature ape hands) I'd come across in Nat G and other places. These images are unaccountably absent in Google image search. The links are a snapshot of what I trawled up in my nets of shimmering tickypip bits. Did Jacobs invent the idea? Do his story and descendants play a role in today's trade? Can you obtain a monkey paw in your town? Inquiring monkeys want to know.