JACKO AND THE PEANUTS
One day Jumpo Kinkytail, the little green monkey, was ill with the sniffle-snuffles and could not go to school. I don't know whether it was because he had missed his lesson the day before, or because he waded through a mud-puddle on his way home, and got his feet wet that made him sniffle. Anyhow Dr. Possum came and gave him some bitter medicine.
It was so bitter that Jumpo made a funny face like two sour oranges and a piece of lemon pie all rolled up together. And his brother Jacko laughed, which didn't make Jumpo feel any better.
"Humph! I don't laugh when you are ill," said Jumpo, twisting up his face like a crooked doughnut.
"I'm sorry, but really I couldn't help it," said Jacko, as he got ready to go off to school. "You do make the funniest faces, Jumpo. But I'll tell the teacher you can't come to class, and I'll ask her what lesson you are to study. Then I'll bring home your books."
"Oh, you needn't bother," said Jumpo quickly. "I—I guess I'm not sick enough for that. Just tell teacher that I can spell cow now. I know better than to begin it with a 'K.'" For that is the lesson Jumpo had missed the day before he was taken ill.
Well, Jacko started for school, and on the way all the other animal children asked him where his little green brother was.
"I'm very sorry," said Bully No-Tail, the frog, when he had heard what was the trouble. "I like Jumpo because he is the same color I am, and tomorrow I'm going to bring him some green grapes so he can play marbles with them in bed."
"That will be nice," said Jacko. Then he got to school and told the teacher about Jumpo. Of course the owl lady was also sorry for the little sick monkey, and she wrote him a nice note on a piece of white cocoanut, so that after Jumpo had read it he could eat the cocoanut—that is, when he was well enough.
Pretty soon it was time for school to be out, and Jacko hurried home to be with his sick brother.