"What's the matter?" asked his mother.
"It—it's tickling me!" he exclaimed. "Oh—there it is!"
As he spoke a funny little wrinkled black face, followed by a little brown furry body and a long tail, scrambled out from under Laddie's buttoned coat and sat on his shoulder.
"Oh, look!" cried Rose.
"It's a black pussy with a long tail!" cried Violet.
"No, it isn't!" Russ exclaimed. "It's a monkey! That's what it is! A monkey!"
"A monkey!" repeated Mrs. Bunker. "Why, so it is. Oh, Laddie boy! where did you get a monkey?"
Laddie put up his hand to stroke the funny little creature, which seemed to like it, crouching down on Laddie's shoulder and nestling close to him. The monkey was not much larger than a cat.
"Where'd you get it?" repeated the children's mother.
"Have they got any more? Can I get one?" cried Russ. "I'll go and find some peanuts!"