“I know I am a little larger than a monkey,” said Beckie, “but I can do tricks. I learned them from some circus animals, when my brother Neddie and I ran away with a bear named George. At first I thought you meant the bear George.”
“No, my monkey was named George, too,” said the hand-organ man. “But let me see you do some tricks.”
So Beckie danced around in the woods, and played soldier, as she had seen the bear George do, and she climbed a tall tree and then she stood on her hind paws and begged like a little poodle dog, and the man exclaimed:
“Why, that’s just fine! Now we’ll have a little music!”
So he played a jolly tune and Beckie did more tricks. Then the man said:
“Will you come with me for a while, little bear girl, and do tricks for the people while I play? In that way I may get some pennies, even if I have no monkey.”
“Yes, I will come with you for a little while,” said Beckie, “but I can not stay very long, for my mamma expects me home with the yeast cake.”
So Beckie went with the hand-organ man, down to the city where he played. And such nice tricks as the little bear girl did! The hand-organ man said she was better than his monkey, and I guess the boys and girls who saw Beckie climb a telegraph pole thought so too. Anyhow, the man got lots of pennies, which Beckie took up in his cap, passing it around in her paws.
Then it was time for her to go home, but the hand-organ man was sorry to have her leave him.
“Maybe I’ll help you again some day,” said Beckie.