Return of the prodigal monkey

A man, Thomas Wolfe tells us, can drown in Brooklyn. Now we know that an 8-inch toy monkey can get lost there, as well. Lost, and now found. A New York couple are overjoyed to be reunited with their beloved stuffed monkey, Bongo, who they raised like a son for a decade before becoming separated from him en route to a Brooklyn restaurant. The distraught couple papered their neighborhood with fliers seeking his return, and Saturday their prayers were answered. Luis Barreto, who found Bongo sitting atop a parking meter, returned him to his anxious parents after learning of their frantic search.

"I never gave up hope — I prayed, meditated, and now he’s with us again," said Bonni Marcus, 47.