Minnie"s face was flushed with her unusual exercise, but in a few minutes she grew very pale, until her mother became alarmed. After a few drops of lavender, however, she said she felt better, and that if Frank would tell her a story she should be quite well.
"That I will," exclaimed the boy, eagerly. "I know a real funny one; you like funny stories--don"t you?"
"Yes, when they"re true," answered Minnie.
"Well, this is really true. A man was hunting, and he happened to kill a monkey that had a little baby on her back. The little one clung so close to her dead mother, that they could scarcely get it away. When they reached the gentleman"s house, the poor creature began to cry at finding itself alone. All at once it ran across the room to a block, where a wig belonging to the hunter"s father was placed, and thinking that was its mother, was so comforted that it lay down and went to sleep.
"They fed it with goat"s milk, and it grew quite contented, for three weeks clinging to the wig with great affection.
"The gentleman had a large and valuable collection of insects, which were dried upon pins, and placed in a room appropriated to such purposes.
"One day, when the monkey had become so familiar as to be a favorite with all in the family, he found his way to this apartment, and made a hearty breakfast on the insects.
"The owner, entering when the meal was almost concluded, was greatly enraged, and was about to chastise the animal, who had so quickly destroyed the work of years, when he saw that the act had brought its own punishment. In eating the insects, the animal had swallowed the pins, which very soon caused him such agony that he died."
"I don"t call the last part funny at all," said Minnie, gravely.
"But wasn"t it queer for it to think the wig was its mother?" asked the boy, with a merry laugh. "I don"t think it could have had much sense to do that."
"But it was only a baby monkey then, Harry."
"How did it happen," inquired Mrs. Lee, "that Jacko got away from you?"
"He watched his chance, aunty, and twitched the chain away from Minnie.
Now he"s done it once, he"ll try the game again, I suppose, he is so fond of playing us tricks."
And true enough, the very next morning the lady was surprised at a visit from the monkey in her chamber, where he made himself very much at home, pulling open drawers, and turning over the contents, in the hope of finding some confectionery, of which he was extremely fond.
"Really," she exclaimed to her husband, "if Jacko goes on so, I shall be of cook"s mind, and not wish to live in the house with him."
CHAPTER IV.
THE MONKEY IN CHURCH.
One day, Jacko observed nurse washing out some fine clothes for her mistress, and seemed greatly interested in the suds which she made in the progress of her work.
Watching his chance, he went to Mrs. Lee"s room while the family were at breakfast one morning, and finding some nice toilet soap on the marble washstand, began to rub it on some fine lace lying on the bureau. After a little exertion, he was delighted to find that he had a bowl full of nice, perfumed suds, and was chattering to himself in great glee, when Ann came in and spoiled his sport.
"You good for nothing, mischievous creature," she cried out, in sudden wrath, "I"ll cure you of prowling about the house in this style."
Giving him a cuff across his head with a shoe, "Go back to your cage, where you belong."
"Jacko is really getting to be very troublesome," remarked the lady to her husband. "I can"t tell how much longer my patience with him will last."
"Would Minnie mourn very much if she were to lose him?" asked Mr. Lee.
"I suppose she would for a time; but then she has so many pets to take up her attention."
Just then the child ran in, her eyes filled with tears, exclaiming,--
"Father, does Jacko know any better? Is he to blame for trying to wash?"
Mr. Lee laughed.
"Because," she went on, "I found him crouched down in his cage, looking very sorry; and nurse says he ought to be ashamed of himself, cutting up such ridiculous capers."
"I dare say he feels rather guilty," remarked Mr. Lee. "He must be taught better, or your mother will be tired of him."
When her father had gone to the city, Minnie looked so grave that her mother, to comfort her, took the book and read her some stories. A few of them I will repeat to you.
"A lady was returning from India, in a ship on board of which there was a monkey. She was a very mild, gentle creature, and readily learned any thing that was taught her. When she went to lie down at night, she made up her bed in imitation of her mistress, then got in and wrapped herself up neatly with the quilt. Sometimes she would wrap her head with a handkerchief.
"When she did wrong, she would kneel and clasp her hands, seeming earnestly to ask to be forgiven."
"That"s a good story, mamma."
"Yes, dear; and here is another."
"A gentleman boarding with his wife at a hotel in Paris had a pet monkey, who was very polite. One day his master met him going down stairs; and when the gentleman said "good morning," the animal took off his cap and made a very polite bow.
""Are you going away?" asked the owner. "Where is your pa.s.sport?" Upon this the monkey held out a square piece of paper.
""See!" said the gentleman; "your mistress" gown is dusty."
"Jack instantly took a small brush from his master"s pocket, raised the hem of the lady"s dress, cleaned it, and then did the same to his master"s shoes, which were also dusty.
"When they gave him any thing to eat, he did not cram his pouches with it, but delicately and tidily devoured it; and when, as frequently occurred, strangers gave him money, he always put it in his master"s hands."
"Do you think, mamma, I could teach Jacko to do so?" inquired Minnie, eagerly.
"I can"t say, my dear; and indeed I think it would be hardly worth the pains to spend a great deal of time in teaching him. He seems to learn quite fast enough by himself. Indeed, he is so full of tricks, and so troublesome to cook in hiding her kitchen utensils, I am afraid we shall have to put him in close confinement."
"I had rather uncle Frank would carry him back to Africa," sighed the child. "He would be so unhappy."
"Well, dear, I wouldn"t grieve about it now. We must manage somehow till uncle Frank comes, and then perhaps he can tell us what to do. Now I"ll read you another story."
"A monkey living with a gentleman in the country became so troublesome that the servants were constantly complaining."
"That seems similar to our case," said the lady, smiling, as she interrupted the reading.
"One day, having his offers of a.s.sistance rudely repulsed, he went into the next house by a window in the second story, which was unfortunately open. Here he pulled out a small drawer, where the lady kept ribbons, laces, and handkerchiefs, and putting them in a foot-tub, rubbed away vigorously for an hour, with all the soap and water there were to be found in the room.
"When the lady returned to the chamber, he was busily engaged in spreading the torn and disfigured remnants to dry.
"He knew well enough he was doing wrong; for, without her speaking to him, he made off quickly and ran home, where he hid himself in the case of the large kitchen clock.