"Perhaps it's a fire," suggested Jacko, as he looked to see if any of his red color had come off on his napkin, but it hadn't, I am glad to say.
"Oh, if it's a fire, let's run and see it!" cried Jumpo, getting out of his chair. "Maybe they'll let us squirt some water on the blaze."
"Silly monkey chaps!" cried Mamma Kinkytail, as she laughed at them, "that is not a fire bell, that is the school bell, for school starts to-day, and you must hurry or you will be late."
"Oh, dear! School!" cried Jacko, making a funny face.
"Oh, me! Oh, my!" said Jumpo. "Have we got to go to school?"
"To be sure," answered their mamma. "Vacation and play time is over, and you must be at your lessons. Hurry now, there go Sammie and Susie Littletail, and Sammie has on a new suit."
"Yes, and there go the Bushytail brothers," added Jumpo as he saw two squirrel boys hurrying past while the school bell rang louder and louder.
"Oh, come on, let's go. We'll have some fun!" cried Jacko, and before you knew it he was hanging by his tail from the front door bell knob, and the next moment he had scrambled down the tree trunk and was running after the squirrels and rabbits.
"You've forgotten your books!" called his mamma.
"Never mind, I'll take them," said Jumpo, kindly, so, picking up his own books and those of his brother, he wound his long tail about them, and down he scrambled from the little house in the tree, and soon he, too, was running to school, while the bell went on ringing.