Spirit houses

In many countries in Asia people believe that there are spirits everywhere. If the spirits like you they are kind to you. If you upset the spirits they may cause bad things to happen to you.

When people build a house, they do not want the spirits to live with them so they build a little house just for the spirits. If the spirits are happy in their little house they do not come into the people's house. To make sure that the spirits are happy people often bring food and leave it for them to eat. And they burn incense so that it smells nice for the spirits. Usually when they come back home the food is still there.

The spirit house you see in the picture belongs to my neighbours, Uan's family. They often leave fruit and vegetables for the spirits when they go to work.

One day I saw the monkey on their verandah. It was eating a banana. 'Where did she get that banana?' I wondered. 'Did someone give it to her?' But there was no one home.

Another day it was carrying a sweet potato up to the roof and once again I wondered where it had got it.

Then I realized—the monkey thinks the food in the spirit house is for it. When the family come home they see that the food is gone and they think the spirits have eaten it. They don't see the monkey because they are out at work or school.

Maybe that is a very clever monkey and it goes to spirit houses in many homes in the village. Perhaps that is why it is a little bit fat.

I hope the spirits don't mind.

love from Grandpa