Mappo, the Merry Monkey / His Many Adventures

ittle monkey boy. It was in a far-off country, where this little monkey lived, so far th

was named Choo, and the other Chaa, and one brother was called Jacko, and the other Bumpo. They were funny names, but then,

y adventures. And I am going to tell you some of the wonderful things that happened to Mappo, while he l

n at the beginni

to Mappo. Lots of creatures live in trees. There are birds, and squirrels, and katydids. Of course they do not stay in the trees

had been playing down on the ground with his brothers and sisters. And, while they were down playing a

" yelled Mappo, in the queer,

them. He was almost too late, for the tiger nearly caught Mappo by the tail. But the little monkey boy m

tiger to chase us!" said Mapp

en nice. After this you children had better stay in

fun on the grou

er were still waiting to catch one of her little ones. "But, Mappo, you and your brothers

el much faster up in the trees. For there is a hand on the end of each monkey's four limbs, and his curly tail is as good as another hand for grasping branches. So y

onkeys, once the five-handed creatures are up among the leaves. And monkeys can travel a long way through the forest without

ed Mappo of his mother, in monkey talk.

waiting and hiding. You and Jacko and Bumpo, and Choo and Ch

it will be. We have learned to swing by our tails, and

r husband had been teaching the children the differe

ee in front of their home, and waited fo

s of a tree, twined together, over a sort of platform, or floor, of dried branches. About all the hous

here they lived. It was always hot and warm-sometimes too warm. There was never any snow or ice, but, instead, just rain

but that was about all. The rest of the time they jumped about in the trees, looking for thing

appo. "Let's go down on the ground again, and get

hich they liked very much, when the tiger came along and frightene

appo, looking through the leaves, and see

a," said Choo, one of

s good as she can that the tige

nt to mind, and be careful, any

and by his tail. He was almost to the ground, and Jacko and Bumpo were following

s got back to their tree-house not a second too soon. The tiger snapped

attered Mrs. Monkey, as she jumped out of the house. She had been ins

ne," said Mappo, who was trembl

t," said Bump

there," added Jack

just sit down, all of you, and don't you dare stir out of this tree until I tell you to. I'll

e had very sharp eyes, and though the patches of sunlight through the jungle leaves hid the bad cr

er children. "The tiger may lay in wait for him. I'd better let

chattering talk. You would not have understood what she said, even if you had

hat the mother of Mappo was saying, and th

is a tiger hiding down under

after another, they began to shout. It was a warning they shouted-a warning to Mr. Monkey

mile or more. It was their way of telephoning to Mappo's papa. Monkeys cannot really telephone, you kn

r monkey, farther off, would take up the cry, and so on until

e tree-house to look for some bananas for his family-as soon

ok after my family. But I'll be careful. I hope M

stayed up in the high trees the tiger could not very wel

es. They had no idea, now, of going down on the ground to play-

le chap, always laughing, shouting, running about or playing some tri

hought it was a fly, and put up his paw to brush it away. Mappo pulled the tree branch away just in ti

et hold of him!" and again he brushed w

hard that the next time he tried to tickle Jacko, Mappo'

aced after his brother. Up through the tree, nearly to the top, went the two mo

caught Mappo

go!" begg

p tickling me

Mappo, trying to pull his ta

o say for sure, be

pretty hard o

e good! I won't tickle y

house. But Mappo was not done with his jokes. He scrambled down faster than did Jacko, and finally

mma, the tiger's g

I fooled you!" laughed Ma

the two monkey boys were having lots of fun i

too, Choo and Chaa! You'll have time to practice a little bit before you

alking about him, and sending a warning all through the jung

t going to be, Ma

oon see,"

wn, shaggy thing, about as big as a small football. Have you

it, Mamma?"

s he tried to climb under a

!" he

ping his head, though it did not hurt him very muc

o, for he was looking at the big, round, br

o, for he and his brothers and sisters were

na," said Mrs. Monke

nd nuts to the tree-house, and had said they were cocoanuts. The little monkeys had not been all

w getting large enough to have some for your meals, and so

oanut was whit

some you may have seen. Inside this soft covering is the round nut, and inside that round nut is the white meat. Now, Mappo, you

ws. Then, with his fingers, he tried to pull it apart. But he could not do it.

can open it!" e

do it,"

gave a jump over toward Mappo, and once m

d, rubbing the sore

looking for some hole in it through which he could p

open it," sai

it, you may all have a turn. But it is a good lesson to know how to open a cocoa

tearing at the hard

d. Then he happened to look up in the tree, and he saw w

ave it!"

oint he soon had torn a hole in the outer hus

it!" he

yet," said Bumpo. "How are yo

ole, but he could not. All of a sudden the nut sli

arted to climb down after th

iger!" cried Jacko.