"Not a bit of it!" roared the bear in a laughing voice. "I'm the jolliest trained bear you ever saw. I wouldn't hurt even a trolley car," and with that he did another dance, and sang such a funny song that Jacko and Jumpo burst out laughing.
"Eat you!" cried the bear. "I never thought of such a thing. You see I work for a man who makes me do tricks all day long. So I never get any time for studying. But today I ran away and took my book with me. I'm studying up to be a cook, you see, and I want to learn how to make popcorn balls, so I won't have to buy any," and then he stood on one toenail and cracked a nut in his teeth.
Well, of course, Jacko and Jumpo were glad they weren't going to be eaten up, and when the trained bear heard there were other pupils in the woods he went with the monkeys to where the rest of the animal children were and did for them all his tricks, and some more besides. Then the bear had to go back home, and so did the pupils and the owl teacher, and I guess you have to go to bed.
Now I'm going to tell you next about the Kinkytails playing hide and go seek—that is, if the postage stamp doesn't stick on my spectacles so I can't see the gold fish jumping over the snail's back.
STORY IX
THE KINKYTAILS AT HIDE AND SEEK
It was a rainy Saturday, and if there is anything worse than that I'd like to know it. You see you don't have to go to school, and you have all day to play, but when it rains—why, what can you do? Just answer me that, if you please. Ha! I knew you couldn't.
Well, that's exactly how it was with Jacko and Jumpo Kinkytail, as they stood at the window of the little house up in the tree and looked at the rain drops splashing against the glass.
"Oh, dear!" cried Jumpo.