| 'Why, I am Mappo, the merry monkey,' was the answer. |
"Ha, so you are a monkey?" asked Squinty. "But what do you mean by a circus?"
"That's a circus," answered Mappo, pointing with one paw through a hole in the bush, at the queer animals, and the red, gold and green wagons. "That is, it will be a circus when they put up the big tent, and all the people come. Didn't you ever see a circus?"
"Never," answered Squinty. "Did you ever ride in a balloon?"
"Never," answered Mappo.
"Well, then we are even," said Squinty. "Now you tell me about a circus, and I'll tell you about the balloon."
"Well," said the monkey, "a circus is a big show in a tent, to make people laugh. There are clowns, and animals to look at. I am one of the animals, but I ran out of my cage when the door flew open."
"Why did you run away?" asked Squinty.
"Oh, I got tired of staying in a cage. And I was afraid the big tiger might bite me. I'll run back again pretty soon, before they miss me. Now you tell me about your balloon ride."
So Squinty told the merry monkey all about running away, and learning tricks, and having a ride in the queer basket.