Mud Cuckoo, in Chinese we call it "Ni Gugu", is a traditional little clay sculpture in Xunxian. It is also a little toy. It has gained its name from its two main characters. Firstly, it is made of clay. Secondly, it is a kind of whistle. People can produce hundreds of different sounds by blowing it. According to Tzu Chih T`ung Chien, the peasant uprising army in the last years of the Sui Dynasty fought against Sui troops on ancient LiYan city, also known as XunXian now. Durintg that great war, many officers and soldiers died. Some clever and skillful handymen used yellow clay to make some little clay figurine and clay horses to express their missing and sadness. This technique has come down from time immemorial. This is also the original source of Mud Cuckoo.
The following picture is about monkey. The left monkey who puts a hand over its mouth is aimed at telling us never to say something you should not say. The middle one who covers its eyes with two hands is aimed at telling us that never to see something you should not see. The right one covers his ears in order to tell us do not listen to some words we should not listen. We call these three monkeys "Three Nos Monkeys".
