Curious George

Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys is a 1939 children's short story written and illustrated by German-Brazilian author H.A. Rey. It is the first story to include Rey's now-famous character, Curious George. When it was first published in France, Cecily's original name was Rafi; Raffy when it was first published in the UK. But when it appeared in the US the character was renamed Cecily

The man with the yellow hat captures a monkey called George in the jungle. They sail aboard a ship for a big city and George falls into the sea while imitating some birds. He is rescued and the ship finally puts into port. The man goes home with George but the monkey plays with the telephone and inadvertently calls the fire station, and is unfortunately taken to jail. Luckily, he escapes jail. Later, he tries to grab a balloon from a vendor, but takes the entire bunch and sails away high into the sky. The wind dies down and George descends, landing on a traffic signal. The man rescues him, buys all the balloons from the vendor, and takes George and the balloons to the zoo, George's new home.

The book picks up where the first book ends. George is living in the zoo, but escapes. He enters a restaurant and eats a pot of spaghetti. The cook makes him wash the dishes. He does a splendid job and the cook takes him to a friend who gives him a job as a window washer at an apartment building. George discovers a room being painted and gives it a jungle theme but the painters chase him and he breaks his leg falling from a fire escape. He recovers in the hospital, but tampers with a bottle of ether and is overcome by the fumes. The man with the yellow hat and a nurse waken him with a cold shower. George's story is made into a movie and the book ends with George watching the film in a theater with his friends.

The man with the yellow hat buys George a bicycle. He helps a newspaper boy with his route, but makes boats of the newspapers and sets them adrift in a stream. He runs into a rock, damaging the bike's front wheel. Workers with an animal show fix the wheel and George joins the show. He is given a bugle to play. He is told not to feed the ostrich but the bird gets the bugle lodged in his throat. The workers retrieve it, but George is fired. A baby bear escapes and climbs a tree. George rescues him by lowering him to the ground in the newspaper bag. For his heroism, George is reinstated in the show. He rides his bike and plays the bugle. He is a great success, and is allowed to keep the bugle.

One day, George is left alone at his house, and of course he is curious. As he is looking out the window he sees a tiny house he wants to explore. Curious George jumps out the window, crawls over a fence and makes his way to the small house he sees. Inside the house are many bunny rabbits, and George accidentally lets one out. He struggles for a bit but finally is able to get the bunny back into the house. As he is walking back, he sees a man fishing and wants to join. As George is trying to fish, he falls in and a neighbor boy named Bill comes to help him as he gets out of the water. Bill is very friendly and wants to show George his new kite. George loves the kite and Bill trusts George to watch the kite while he leaves to get his bicycle. Of course, George is curious so he begins to fly the kite. At first he thinks it will be OK but soon the kite takes off, along with George. Curious George flies high up in the sky, and has to be rescued by the Man in the Yellow Hat in a helicopter. He returns the kite to Bill who then rewards George with his very own pet bunny from the bunny house he explored in the beginning of the book.

Readers learn the alphabet along with George as the man in the yellow hat teaches the curious monkey how to read.

George and the man with the yellow hat assemble a jigsaw puzzle but George swallows a puzzle piece. At the hospital, George is taken to the operating room and the jigsaw piece is removed. George later has ice cream, and cheers the children in the ward with his antics. George takes a wild ride in a wheelchair, crashes into the meal cart, and is sent soaring into the air. A sad little girl in the children's ward laughs for the first time. George is discharged, and at home he opens a package sent by his nurse. It contains the puzzle piece. He puts it into the jigsaw puzzle and the picture is complete.

George misses her family, so she decides to pay them a visit. But when reaper boss Rube hears of George's sentimental journey, he forbids her from making it again. Despite the warning, George can not stop herself from going home... Until she discovers the price the dead pay for hanging on to their past. Strapped for money, George, under her new alias Mildred, takes a dreary office job at the Happy Time temp agency, the same place she briefly worked while she was alive, and she has to put up with her overbearing and officious supervisor Dolores Herbig. At the Lass' household, the family prepares to have their picture taken, but Joy cannot cope with George not being around for it, and Reggie continues to avoid talking about her feelings as she tries to make spiritual contact with George. Elsewhere, George also deals with back-to-back souls to reap at a rural gas station which involves a large, caged bear. As Mason goes to painful lengths to nab more souls, Betty takes a more casual approach, and Roxy continues to settle on her no-nonsense hard-line approach.

The man with the yellow hat captures a monkey called George in the jungle. They sail aboard a ship for a big city and George falls into the sea while imitating some birds. He is rescued and the ship finally puts into port. The man goes home with George but the monkey plays with the telephone and inadvertently calls the fire station, and is unfortunately taken to jail. Luckily, he escapes jail. Later, he tries to grab a balloon from a vendor, but takes the entire bunch and sails away high into the sky. The wind dies down and George descends, landing on a traffic signal. The man rescues him, buys all the balloons from the vendor, and takes George and the balloons to the zoo, George's new home.