“It was this way,” explained Mappo. “I had not lived in the jungle very long before I was caught by some men who want monkeys to go around with the hand-organ players. I was put on a ship and brought to this country. There Tum Tum and I became good friends. He was also caught in the jungle and brought over on the ship. Then he went with a circus. I was there, too, for a while. But I ran away and met Squinty, the comical pig.”
“Why, I know him, too!” cried Flop Ear.
“You know many of my friends,” the merry monkey said. “I am glad to hear that. Well, after a while I was taken in by a nice family, and I have lived there ever since until yesterday, when I ran away again.”
“Why?” asked Flop Ear.
“Oh, I wanted to have some adventures. I grew tired of staying in one place so long, so I ran away to the woods, which are a little bit like those of the jungle where I used to climb from tree to tree. After a while I shall run back to the nice people with whom I lived, for I like them very much.”
“I liked the boy from whom I ran away,” said Flop Ear. “Still we animals were made to roam through the woods and over the fields. It is no fun to be shut up in a cage.”
“That’s right,” chattered Mappo, winding his long tail around his neck, as you might put a scarf about yours. “Still Tum Tum, the elephant, and Dido, the dancing bear, do not seem to mind being in the circus.”
“I guess that’s different,” said Flop Ear.
“Perhaps it is,” agreed Mappo.