Monkeying around

Recently in class we were talking about daily/habitual activities and chores. One of my students, Ra’afat was giving a little speech about how he helped his parents from a very young age. “...When I am six, everyday I ride my monkey to the well, for getting the water...” He was right in the middle of a speech but I just couldn’t let that one go, “Wait.. WHAT? Hold on.. your MONKEY?! You rode a monkey to the well? To get water? Whatttt. A Monkey? Seriously? Seriously.”
He goes “oh yes teacher, I rode the monkey everyday, every day!”
I go, “uh.. okaaaay. Sure.” And I gave a quizzical look to the rest of the class. They all nodded solemnly and assured me that yes, indeed he did ride a monkey, many of them had as was common in some outlying villages. Ra’afat gave me a little triumphant look as in, see teacher! Everyone is corroborating my story! Sweet, sweet victory! And then he continued on, describing how helpful he was to his family, and how, as he got older he eventually outgrew the monkey and just walked to the well- at this comment I accidently let out a derisive snort, like no shit Ra’afat, unless you were riding Koko the giant gorilla, I suspect you “outgrew your monkey” pretty dang quickly.

Awhile later in a bit of a tourettic outburst (outbursts that are growing more and more frequent as my brain is further addled by such a surfeit of time toiling under the blistering Yemeni sun. Palms, you know what I’m talking about. Mom, think chicken noise) I made an OOH-OOH-AHH-AHH noise and flung my arms about in a little spontaneous monkey dance. They were like “WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!” or, more accurately, “OOOH TEACHER! WHAT YOU DOINGK?”
“Ummm… that was a monkey, duh.”
And they go, “that’s a monkey?! Well then what was Ra’afat riding?!”

Later ra’afat told me he had six people check his paper before he gave his speech, and monkey made it to the bitter end. Listen, it's called a donkey.