I’m Jennifer Earp-Adamson, great-great-grand niece of Wyatt Earp. My Great-grandfather, Ira E. Welker, a School Administrator, published this parable in The Gleamer periodical in Kansas back in February 1942 (Vol. XV). I think it’s worth sharing again today because it hits home about what it takes to keep our country strong. As a proud American, I want your readers to think about this simple story and what it means for us right now, with all the changes, arguments about elections, schools not teaching enough about our history, and folks feeling divided. Freedom doesn’t just last on its own. We have to work at it. I hope this reminds your patriotic readers to keep adding fuel to the fire in our time.
The parable unfolds as follows:
Once upon a time two scientists decided to specialize in monkeys. They studied everything available on the subject of monkeys. They accumulated volumes of information and in the course of time they became authorities on monkeys. Their studies led them into great research, experiment, and discovery.
One day one of the scientists got a new idea. He proposed that they go to Africa and there study monkeys in their natural habitat. They spent six months studying monkeys in the jungles; they were preparing to return when one said, “Let us stay a little longer and try another experiment. Let us, by the help of natives, cut down an acre of timber in the jungle and make a great pile of it; when it is dry, we shall set it on fire and then watch the monkeys.”
The other said, “That is a fine idea,” so they set about the task and when the time came to fire the huge pile, one scientist climbed a tall tree on the north side and the other a tall tree on the south side. The fire had a great attraction for the monkeys. Hundreds of them came to the bright light; big, little, old, and young were there. Many of the big ones lay down by the fire and went to sleep, while the younger ones played leap frog and raced about. All of them seemed to enjoy the warmth and the light and had an enjoyable evening. When the fires burned low, the monkeys slowly went back into the jungle and hid themselves in the dense forest.
The scientists came down and compared notes; one reported that he had observed the happy time the monkeys had and how some played and some rested and all peacefully.
The other scientist said, “I observed that when the fires were low none of the monkeys put any wood on the fire; none of them attempted to keep the fires burning.“
What Uncle Ira meant is plain, but serious. The fire stands for the big ideas our founding fathers started, democracy, freedom, and love of country, that they fought and sacrificed to create. The scientists are like the teachers, leaders, and folks who first light that fire, the way schools used to teach kids to love the flag and our country. But the monkeys are like too many of us regular people: we love sitting by the warmth and light of freedom, enjoying the good life it gives us, but when it starts to die down, we don’t bother to throw on more wood. That would require effort and sacrifice. We instead just walk away, and leave it for the next guy. But if nobody keeps the fire going, it goes out, and then we end up in darkness, ignorance, and maybe even losing it all to something worse.
In 2026, this feels so real with all the fighting in politics, fewer people voting or getting involved, and threats from places that don’t value freedom like we do. Social media stirs up more division, and too many folks just sit back and watch instead of doing something. We’re acting like those monkeys, enjoying what we have but not stepping up to keep it alive by getting involved, pushing for better education about our history, and showing real patriotism again.
This story is a call to do better. Let’s teach our kids to stand tall and salute the Stars and Stripes with real pride, stand up for the things that make America special, and keep watch so the fire stays strong. That’s the only way we’ll pass on the greatest symbol of liberty to the ones coming after us, as we have reached our nation’s 250-year anniversary.
Thank you for printing this. I believe my Great-grandfather Ira is smiling down on all of us.
Jennifer Earp-Adamson
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