"Oh, but those are my chestnuts," said the squirrel. "I have gathered them to eat during the winter. I'm sure you wouldn't want to take them away from me."
"No, indeed," said the red monkey politely. "I didn't know they were yours."
"Then I'll show you where there are a lot more," said the squirrel gentleman, "and you can gather them for yourself." The squirrel took the monkey boy to another place in the woods, and oh! what a pile of chestnuts were there. Jacko called for Jumpo as hard as he could, but the green monkey didn't come.
"Perhaps he has found some nuts for himself," thought Jacko. "Very well, I'll gather these, and wait until he comes."
But Jumpo was having quite an adventure by himself, and I'll tell you about it. He walked along and along, after Jacko had left him, but he couldn't find even a last year's chestnut burr, and he felt quite badly about it. Then, all of a sudden he heard a voice singing. And this was the song:
"Dear little dollie go fast asleep,
Mamma is here, so don't cry or weep.
Stand on your toes—wiggle your nose,
Then I will dust all the rooms as I sweep.
"See the blue lion a-switching his tail,
Hear how he roars inside the milk pail.
The elephant, dear, will flap his big ear,
And then the old babboon will go for a sail."
"Well, did you ever hear the like of that!" exclaimed Jumpo. "I'd better look out. There must be a whole circus over there. But I don't see how a dollie can wiggle her nose, nor how a lion can roar inside a milk pail, nor yet why the old babboon should want to go sailing. I'd better go back home while I have the chance. That may be the burglar fox singing."
But the green monkey took one peep through the bushes, and there he saw Susie Littletail, the little rabbit girl, rocking her dollie in a hammock made from a grape vine, and it was Susie who had been singing the funny song. Just as she started on the forty-'leventh verse Jumpo came out from where he was hiding, and exclaimed:
"Why, Susie Littletail! How glad I am to see you! What are you doing here?"