They could not talk; if they could they would have said, “Go halves!”
The orange was nice and sweet; Fred did not wish to “go halves.” He turned away, for he did not like to be asked for that which he was not willing to give. The monkeys put their hands out for some of the oranges, but Fred looked the other way.
Fred should have looked at the monkeys, for the one nearest to him put out his long arm and snatched the orange from his hand. Fred tried to get it again. While he was doing so, the solemn monkey reached down and took the orange from his pocket. Fred did not think how near he was to the cage.
Fred began to cry. The laughing monkey had no orange. He was afraid of the solemn monkey, but he chased the one that had stolen the orange Fred was eating all over the cage. He got it at last.
Fred’s father bought two more oranges for him, and he did not go near the cages again.
MARY BLOOM.
“GO HALVES!”