I am a primatologist who spends twelve hours most days in the company of a thirteen year old chimpanzee named Bow. I am also an editor with Inverted-A Press.
Bow is a teenager now. He is fourteen going on fifteen. Even though he knows all about our Christmas traditions and looks forward to having the tree up each year with Christmas carols playing, and even though he understands all about gifts, he just doesn't get that excited about the whole thing, anymore.
It is no secret that Bow gets a new blanket as a Christmas present each year. He has become a bit blasé about all this.
That's why the moment he knew what it was, he stopped working at opening the present.
Bow rested for a while from unwrapping then started at it again, and even when the blanket was completely unwrapped, he spent some time ignoring it, with his back to the Christmas present
Eventually, Bow warmed up to his new blanket.
Soon he had wrapped himself in the blanket and was walking all around the pen dressed that way.
I put all these clips together for your amusement in this musical number,
Every time the delivery lady comes by, Bow hides in the corner, moving the potty aside to make room for himself.
"I can see you," she says. "I can see you there, you and your blanket. Do you want to come out and say hi to me?"
Bow has different routines with different people. He does not do this with everyone, but that is how he behaves with the delivery lady. Yesterday, after she had coaxed him to come out, he started moving toward her, with his blanket, almost in slow motion. For a chimpanzee who is usually so fast with every movement, it was remarkable how excruciatingly slow he was.
"You're moving like a sloth," she said. "Do you know what a sloth is?"
Bow did not answer, but he kept approaching the grid of the front door to the inner pen in slow motion. Then when he got there, he examined the lady's shoes, felt her fingers through the hole in the grid and looked as if he wanted to kiss her hand.
"Your blanket isn't in good shape, is it?" she asked. "But he's getting a new blanket, isn't he?" she said, turning to me.
"Yes, but it's a surprise."
"Is it under the tree?"
"No. I haven't put it there yet."
"Oh, can he see the tree from there?"
"Sure."
Then she and Bow went back to interacting together, but soon she had to leave.
I didn't really think much of this exchange until much later in the day when Bow took my had and spelled: יש לי שמיכה חדשה
"I have a new blanket."
I answered: "Yes, how did you know?" ? כן איך ידעת
He spelled: הדודה אמרה
"The lady said."
When I told him he could not have his new blanket till Christmas, he got a little mad and tried to tear up what remained of his old blanket. But he soon calmed down and went back to appreciating the blanket that he's got.
Anyway, the surprise is blown. Bow knows exactly what he's getting for Christmas. I mean, he always gets a blanket for Christmas, so it's not really that much of a surprise. But now he knows I've already gotten it for him, and it is hidden somewhere in the house.
That's why I tell people: "Don't talk to me, talk to Bow." If they forget and start talking to me, they end up saying things -- and I end up saying things -- that Bow wasn't intended to know, and we all tend to forget that even when it's not addressed to him, Bow is still listening. And he still understands.
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