diff options
| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:53:47 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:53:47 -0700 |
| commit | 2bcbd6435d936a0c65ff65e2ceaf61ae0857d07b (patch) | |
| tree | 9dc178c5bf85f3d589d8b40a92c0e87b0688708b | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h.zip | bin | 0 -> 1030104 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/18626-h.htm | 2844 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-001.jpg | bin | 0 -> 17561 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-006.jpg | bin | 0 -> 13498 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-011.jpg | bin | 0 -> 13758 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-016.jpg | bin | 0 -> 20538 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-017.jpg | bin | 0 -> 10904 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-021.jpg | bin | 0 -> 9349 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-022.jpg | bin | 0 -> 13057 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-027.jpg | bin | 0 -> 17158 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-028.jpg | bin | 0 -> 15097 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-032.jpg | bin | 0 -> 9306 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-033.jpg | bin | 0 -> 15917 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-034.jpg | bin | 0 -> 63047 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-039.jpg | bin | 0 -> 14199 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-044.jpg | bin | 0 -> 18878 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-045.jpg | bin | 0 -> 13752 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-049.jpg | bin | 0 -> 9622 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-050.jpg | bin | 0 -> 18855 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-055.jpg | bin | 0 -> 14147 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-056.jpg | bin | 0 -> 15355 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-060.jpg | bin | 0 -> 25257 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-061.jpg | bin | 0 -> 15585 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-065.jpg | bin | 0 -> 17142 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-066.jpg | bin | 0 -> 53909 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-069.jpg | bin | 0 -> 16673 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-070.jpg | bin | 0 -> 15402 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-075.jpg | bin | 0 -> 17339 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-080.jpg | bin | 0 -> 15785 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-081.jpg | bin | 0 -> 12274 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-086.jpg | bin | 0 -> 14521 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-091.jpg | bin | 0 -> 9822 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-092.jpg | bin | 0 -> 15799 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-096.jpg | bin | 0 -> 24632 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-097.jpg | bin | 0 -> 14806 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-098.jpg | bin | 0 -> 53379 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-102.jpg | bin | 0 -> 15712 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-107.jpg | bin | 0 -> 15381 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-108.jpg | bin | 0 -> 17619 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-113.jpg | bin | 0 -> 16972 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-117.jpg | bin | 0 -> 17187 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-120.jpg | bin | 0 -> 5738 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-fcover.png | bin | 0 -> 129427 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-fp.jpg | bin | 0 -> 49806 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626-h/images/illus-title.png | bin | 0 -> 71412 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626.txt | 2566 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 18626.zip | bin | 0 -> 36244 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 |
50 files changed, 5426 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/18626-h.zip b/18626-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..84d390f --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h.zip diff --git a/18626-h/18626-h.htm b/18626-h/18626-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0ff6e27 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/18626-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2844 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Tale of Major Monkey, by Arthur Scott Bailey + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + /*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ + <!-- + body {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + p {margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em;} + h1 {text-align: center; clear: both; font-size: 180%;} + h2 {text-align: center; clear: both; font-size: 120%;} + h3 {text-align: center; clear: both; font-size: 100%;} + table {margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; text-align: center;} + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} + hr.full {width:100%; margin-top:2em; margin-bottom: 2em;} + hr.major {width:75%; margin-top:2em; margin-bottom: 2em;} + hr.minor {width:30%; margin-top:0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } + .tnote {border: dashed 1px; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; + padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em; + font-size: 90% } + ins {text-decoration:none; border-bottom: thin dotted gray;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps} + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + .caption {font-size: 80%;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's The Tale of Major Monkey, by Arthur Scott Bailey + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Tale of Major Monkey + +Author: Arthur Scott Bailey + +Illustrator: Lawrence Brehm + +Release Date: June 19, 2006 [EBook #18626] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF MAJOR MONKEY *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-001" id="illus-001"></a> +<img src='images/illus-fcover.png' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<h1>The Tale of Major Monkey</h1> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-002" id="illus-002"></a> +<img src='images/illus-title.png' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<table width="420" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="" border="1"> + <col style="width:100%;" /> + <tr> + <td align="center"> + <span style="font-size: 230%; font-style:italic; font-variant:small-caps"><br />The</span><br /> + <span style="font-size: 230%; font-style:italic; font-variant:small-caps">Tale Of</span><br /> + <span style="font-size: 230%; font-style:italic; font-variant:small-caps">Major Monkey</span><br /><br /><br /> + <span style="font-size: 80%;">BY</span><br /> + <span style="font-size: 100%;">ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY</span><br /><br /> + <span style="font-size: 80%;">Author of</span><br /> + <span style="font-size: 100%;">THE CUFFY BEAR BOOKS</span><br /> + <span style="font-size: 100%;">SLEEPY-TIME TALES, ETC.</span><br /><br /><br /> + <span style="font-size: 80%;">Illustrations by</span><br /> + <span style="font-size: 120%;">Lawrence Brehm</span><br /><br /><br /> + <span style="font-size: 100%;">GROSSET & DUNLAP</span><br /> + <span style="font-size: 80%;">PUBLISHERS NEW YORK</span><br /><br /> + </td> + </tr> +</table> + +<hr class='major' /> + +<p style='text-align: center'>Copyright, 1919, by<br /> +GROSSET & DUNLAP<br /> +PRINTED IN U.S.A.</p> + +<hr class='major' /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 380px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-003" id="illus-003"></a> +<img src='images/illus-fp.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +<span class='caption'>"There's a Tiger inside this Tree!"</span> +</div> + +<hr class='major' /> + +<h2><a name="Contents" id="Contents"></a>Contents</h2> +<div class="smcap"> +<table border="0" width="500" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents"> +<col style="width:20%;" /> +<col style="width:70%;" /> +<col style="width:10%;" /> +<tr><td align="left">I</td><td align="left">Strange Whispers</td><td align="right"><a href="#I">1</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">II</td><td align="left">No 'Possum</td><td align="right"><a href="#II">6</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">III</td><td align="left">Getting Acquainted</td><td align="right"><a href="#III">11</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">IV</td><td align="left">Wanted—A Lodging</td><td align="right"><a href="#IV">16</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">V</td><td align="left">Meeting Major Monkey</td><td align="right"><a href="#V">22</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">VI</td><td align="left">Too Many Disputes</td><td align="right"><a href="#VI">28</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">VII</td><td align="left">The Major Has a Pain</td><td align="right"><a href="#VII">33</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">VIII</td><td align="left">A Secret</td><td align="right"><a href="#VIII">39</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">IX</td><td align="left">The Major Has a Plan</td><td align="right"><a href="#IX">45</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">X</td><td align="left">The New Army</td><td align="right"><a href="#X">50</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">XI</td><td align="left">War in the Woods</td><td align="right"><a href="#XI">56</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">XII</td><td align="left">Over and Under</td><td align="right"><a href="#XII">61</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">XIII</td><td align="left">The Major Hesitates</td><td align="right"><a href="#XIII">65</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">XIV</td><td align="left">Throwing Stones</td><td align="right"><a href="#XIV">70</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">XV</td><td align="left">The Retreat</td><td align="right"><a href="#XV">75</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">XVI</td><td align="left">The Major's Trouble</td><td align="right"><a href="#XVI">81</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">XVII</td><td align="left">Major Monkey Confesses</td><td align="right"><a href="#XVII">86</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">XVIII</td><td align="left">Planning a Journey</td><td align="right"><a href="#XVIII">92</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">XIX</td><td align="left">The Major's Scheme</td><td align="right"><a href="#XIX">97</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">XX</td><td align="left">A Fast Ride</td><td align="right"><a href="#XX">102</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">XXI</td><td align="left">A Sweet Tooth</td><td align="right"><a href="#XXI">108</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">XXII</td><td align="left">Caught!</td><td align="right"><a href="#XXII">113</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">XXIII</td><td align="left">The Major Goes South</td><td align="right"><a href="#XXIII">117</a></td></tr> +</table> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-004" id="illus-004"></a> +<img src='images/illus-001.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<h2>The Tale of Major Monkey</h2> + + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="I" id="I"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span> +<h2>I</h2><h3>Strange Whispers</h3> +</div> + +<p>The wild folk in Pleasant Valley were whispering strange stories to one +another. If the stories were true, they were most amazing. And if they +were merely made up to cause talk, certainly they succeeded.</p> + +<p>Perhaps if somebody less tricky than Peter Mink and Tommy Fox had +started these odd tales, the rest of the wild folk might have been +quicker to believe them.</p> + +<p>Anyhow, the news offered the best of excuses for gossip. And many of +the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> field- and forest-people repeated it so often that they almost began +to believe it themselves.</p> + +<p>All but old Mr. Crow. He declared stoutly that the whole thing was +nothing but a hoax.</p> + +<p>"You can't fool me!" he told people. But when they said that they had no +intention of trying to, he had to change his statement. "I mean"—he +explained—"I mean that neither Tommy Fox nor Peter Mink can fool me. +They can't make me believe that they've seen anybody hanging by his tail +in a tree-top."</p> + +<p>"Why not?" asked Mr. Crow's cousin, Jasper Jay.</p> + +<p>"<i>Becaws</i>——" said Mr. Crow. And then he corrected himself once more. +"Because," he replied, "no 'possum ever came so far North as this. I've +spent a good many winters in the South, and I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> ought to know. And +besides," he added, "although a 'possum can hang by his tail, there +never was one that could throw a stick or a stone. And I ought to know, +for I've spent a good many winters in the South, where the 'possums +live."</p> + +<p>Everybody had to admit that old Mr. Crow must know what he was talking +about. And people began to feel rather foolish when they realized how +near they had been to letting those two rascals—Peter Mink and Tommy +Fox—deceive them.</p> + +<p>As for old Mr. Crow, having persuaded his neighbors to his way of +thinking, he began to be more pleased with himself than ever. And he +spent a good deal of time sitting in a tall tree near the cornfield, +with his head on one side, hoping that his friends would notice how wise +he looked.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span></p> + +<p>He was engaged in that agreeable pastime one afternoon +when—<i>thump!</i>—something struck the limb on which he was perched.</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow gave a squawk and a jump. And then he glanced quickly toward +the ground.</p> + +<p>There was no one anywhere in sight. So Mr. Crow looked somewhat silly. +For a moment he had thought that Johnnie Green had thrown something at +him. But he saw at once that he was mistaken. Of course it could have +been nothing more than a dead branch falling.</p> + +<p>He settled himself again, trying to appear as if he hadn't been +startled, when—<i>plump!</i>—something gave him a smart blow on his back.</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow flopped hastily into a neighboring tree. And this time he +looked up instead of down.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> + +<p>At first he could see nothing unusual. And he had almost made up his +mind that something had fallen out of the sky, when a head showed itself +from behind a limb and a queer, wrinkled face peered at him.</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow did not recognize the face. It was an odd one. In fact, he +thought he had never seen an odder. But if he thought the face a queer +one, it was not half as peculiar as the stranger's actions.</p> + +<p>For, as Mr. Crow watched him, the stranger slipped into full view, +hanging by his tail and one hand from a limb, while with the other hand +he waved a red cap.</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow's mouth fell open. For a time he said never a word.</p> + +<p>And for him, that was quite out of the ordinary.</p> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-005" id="illus-005"></a> +<img src='images/illus-006.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="II" id="II"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> +<h2>II</h2><h3>No 'Possum</h3> +</div> + +<p>At first old Mr. Crow could scarcely believe his eyes. He stared and +stared. Certainly it was no 'possum that he saw. And yet the stranger +was hanging by his tail.</p> + +<p>There could be no doubt about that. Even as Mr. Crow watched him he +waved both hands at Mr. Crow, and swung by his tail alone.</p> + +<p>The old gentleman was terribly upset. During all the summers he had +spent in Pleasant Valley he had never seen any such person there before.</p> + +<p>For a moment Mr. Crow was worried<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> about himself. He wondered if he was +not ill. He knew he had eaten a good deal of corn that day. And he half +hoped that that was the trouble—that perhaps he saw something that +wasn't really in the tree at all.</p> + +<p>Then he remembered the blow on his back. Had the queer person in the +tree-top struck him?... Mr. Crow grew angry.</p> + +<p>"Did you hit me?" he called.</p> + +<p>"I'm not sure," said the stranger. "But I <i>think</i> I did, for I saw you +jump."</p> + +<p>"Then you threw something at me!" Mr. Crow screamed.</p> + +<p>"Oh, no!" the other replied. "I didn't throw anything at you, sir. I +merely dropped something on your back."</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow choked. Perhaps it was as well that he could not speak just +then. He coughed and spluttered and swallowed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> and swayed back and +forth, trying to get his breath. And he had begun, at last to feel +better, when—<i>biff!</i>—something struck him again and all but knocked +him over.</p> + +<p>The stranger gave a shrill whistle.</p> + +<p>"I <i>threw</i> something that time!" he jeered.</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow felt that he had been terribly insulted. He looked as +dignified as he could. And he would have turned his back on the +stranger—had he dared.</p> + +<p>While he was wondering whether he had better fly away, or stay and +quarrel with the rude person who had pelted him, the boorish stranger +leaped from the tall tree into the smaller one where Mr. Crow was +sitting. Then, dropping nimbly from limb to limb, with the help of his +hands and his feet and his tail, he stopped at last when he had reached +Mr. Crow's level.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p> + +<p>One thing was certain. The stranger was bold as brass. He looked Mr. +Crow up and down. And then he said:</p> + +<p>"You're a gay old bird! What's your name?"</p> + +<p>Now, no doubt some people would have been angry. But Mr. Crow rather +liked to be called gay, because he couldn't help looking solemn. And +most people knew he was very old. And everybody was aware he was a bird. +So he said hoarsely:</p> + +<p>"My name is Mister Crow—and please don't forget the <i>Mister</i>."</p> + +<p>The stranger put on his flat-topped red cap and touched the visor +smartly with his right hand, in a military manner.</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow couldn't help admiring the newcomer's clothes. He wore a +red coat trimmed with gold braid, and bright blue trousers.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span></p> + +<p>"That's a handsome suit that you have on," Mr. Crow observed. "I +shouldn't mind having one like it myself."</p> + +<p>The stranger seemed pleased. And he touched his cap again.</p> + +<p>"I'm afraid you can't have a suit like this," he said. "It's a +<i>uniform</i>—that's what it is. And, of course, a plain <i>Mister</i> like you +can't wear a uniform. But I wear one because I'm a soldier."</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow was disappointed. But he soon brightened up. Though he +wasn't a soldier himself, at least it was pleasant to know one. So he +decided to forget that he had been angry with the stranger.</p> + +<p>"What's your name?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Major Monkey," said the newcomer, knocking off his cap with one hand +and catching it with the other as it fell. "When you speak to me, please +don't forget the <i>Major</i>," he added.</p> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-006" id="illus-006"></a> +<img src='images/illus-011.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="III" id="III"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> +<h2>III</h2><h3>Getting Acquainted</h3> +</div> + +<p>Major Monkey and old Mr. Crow had a long talk. They got on famously +together, because the old gentleman liked to pry into other people's +affairs and the Major loved to talk about himself.</p> + +<p>In reply to Mr. Crow's questions, Major Monkey explained that he was a +great traveller. And having found himself in the village a few miles +away, he had taken a notion to see the surrounding country.</p> + +<p>"This is a delightful spot," the Major remarked. "And if your neighbors +are half as pleasant as you are, I think<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> I'll stay right here for the +present."</p> + +<p>Naturally, old Mr. Crow was flattered. He couldn't remember when anybody +had said he was pleasant.</p> + +<p>"I hope you will settle in Pleasant Valley," he told Major Monkey. "As +for the neighbors—well, you'll find them a queer lot, mostly."</p> + +<p>"What's the matter with them?" the Major asked him.</p> + +<p>Thereupon old Mr. Crow shook his head.</p> + +<p>"They're not at all like me," he replied slowly.</p> + +<p>"Of course, there's my cousin, Jasper Jay. He's not a bad sort—except +that he's rude, noisy, and a good deal of a rascal. But the +others—well, most of them are too greedy. If I didn't watch this +cornfield closely some of them wouldn't care if they didn't leave a +single kernel for anybody else."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Do you like corn?" the Major inquired.</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow swallowed once or twice before answering.</p> + +<p>"I can eat it," he said finally. "It keeps one alive, you know. But if +you've never had any, I advise you not to touch it."</p> + +<p>Major Monkey thanked him.</p> + +<p>"Don't mention it!" said Mr. Crow. "I'm delighted to be of help to a +stranger. And if there is anything else I can do, don't hesitate to call +on me."</p> + +<p>Major Monkey thanked him again. And then he said:</p> + +<p>"I'd like to get acquainted with all the neighbors—such as they are. +And I would suggest that you give a party and invite me and a lot of +people to come to it, so I can meet them."</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow bit his tongue. It struck<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> him that Major Monkey was just +the least bit too forward.</p> + +<p>"What about refreshments?" Mr. Crow asked him. "It's easy to see that +you don't know the neighbors. I can tell you that they have enormous +appetites—every one of them."</p> + +<p>"Oh! that's easily arranged," said Major Monkey. "Tell everybody to be +sure to have his refreshments before he comes to the party."</p> + +<p>"A good idea!" Mr. Crow exclaimed. With that difficulty removed he was +willing to give a party, for he quite liked the prospect of introducing +everybody to "his old friend, Major Monkey."</p> + +<p>"You're sure you don't know anybody in this valley except me?" Mr. Crow +asked. He didn't want to divide with anyone else the honor of being a +friend of anybody so imposing as the Major.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I haven't spoken to a soul but you," Major Monkey assured him.</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow said he was glad of that. And then he asked the Major to keep +out of sight until the time came for the party to begin.</p> + +<p>At first Major Monkey objected. And not until Mr. Crow promised to have +the party that very day—an hour before sunset—did he consent to hide +himself.</p> + +<p>"Where's a good place?" he asked Mr. Crow.</p> + +<p>"That tree is hollow," said Mr. Crow, pointing to the one in which he +had first seen the Major. "Just slip inside that hole there, about half +way up the trunk, and don't come out till I call you!"</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>Major Monkey scrambled back into the tall tree. And Mr. Crow watched him +narrowly until he was out of sight. Indeed, the old gentleman even +continued to stare at the hole after his friend had vanished inside it.</p> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-007" id="illus-007"></a> +<img src='images/illus-016.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-008" id="illus-008"></a> +<img src='images/illus-017.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="IV" id="IV"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> +<h2>IV</h2><h3>Wanted—A Lodging</h3> +</div> + +<p>Afterward old Mr. Crow had to admit that he must have been forgetful. He +had told Major Monkey to hide inside the hollow tree. And being a total +stranger in the neighborhood, of course the Major didn't know that an +owl lived there.</p> + +<p>So he entered the dark hole boldly. And soon he came dashing out of it +much faster than he had gone in, shrieking at the top of his voice.</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow was poised on a branch, as if he were waiting for +something. And he almost smiled as he looked at the Major and saw that +he was shaking. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> poor fellow's teeth were chattering, too.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter?" Mr. Crow called to him.</p> + +<p>"There's—there's a Tiger inside this tree!" Major Monkey stammered. "I +know it's a Tiger, for I saw his eyes."</p> + +<p>"Nonsense!" Mr. Crow exclaimed. And he burst into a loud <i>haw-haw</i>. +"It's nothing but an old Owl. I forgot all about him. A fine soldier you +are—afraid of an old Owl!"</p> + +<p>Major Monkey straightened his cap and looked as soldierly as he could.</p> + +<p>"You're mistaken, in a way," he told Mr. Crow. "I admit I was afraid. I +was <i>afraid I had frightened him</i>, waking him up so suddenly. So I +retreated."</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow stopped laughing and looked very thoughtful. It occurred to +him that Major Monkey was a somewhat slippery person. Certainly he could +slip<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> out of a hole about as easily as anybody Mr. Crow knew.</p> + +<p>"You'll have to find some other place for me to hide," the Major +announced. "I don't want to stay in this tree all day, for I shouldn't +like to disturb a gentleman's rest."</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow pondered for a few moments.</p> + +<p>"You see that old haystack?" he said at last, pointing across the +fields. "Go and burrow under that. And be back here exactly an hour +before sunset."</p> + +<p>Major Monkey saluted.</p> + +<p>"That suits me," he said. And then he turned and scurried down to the +ground, leaped quickly upon the fence, and galloped off along the +topmost rails.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Mr. Crow spent a very busy day inviting everybody to his party, to meet +his old friend, Major Monkey.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p> + +<p>"He's a famous soldier," Mr. Crow explained, when people asked him +questions. "And I hope you'll all wear your best clothes, because the +Major himself is very handsomely dressed. There's gold braid on his +coat, and on his cap, too."</p> + +<p>The old gentleman talked so much about the Major's uniform that a good +many of the neighbors thought that Mr. Crow ought to postpone his party +for a few days, until they could get Mr. Frog, the tailor, to make them +some new clothes.</p> + +<p>But Mr. Crow wouldn't listen to them.</p> + +<p>"No!" he said. "We mustn't wait. My friend the Major is a great +traveller. There's no knowing when he will take it into his head to move +on. And if you want to meet him there's no time like the present."</p> + +<p>Well, people were so busy getting ready for the party that there was a +great<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> flurry everywhere all day long—except at the haystack, where +Major Monkey was hiding. And even he did not have so dull a time as you +might suppose.</p> + +<p>Luckily, he had discovered a lone apple tree near-by. And being fond of +fruit he crept out of the haystack every few minutes and gathered +apples.</p> + +<p>What he could eat, he ate greedily. And what he couldn't he hid under +the stack.</p> + +<p>And on the whole, he had rather a pleasant time.</p> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-009" id="illus-009"></a> +<img src='images/illus-021.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-010" id="illus-010"></a> +<img src='images/illus-022.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="V" id="V"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> +<h2>V</h2><h3>Meeting Major Monkey</h3> +</div> + +<p>Everybody was prompt when the hour came for Mr. Crow's party. In fact, +everybody was ahead of time. Old Mr. Crow had talked so much about his +old friend Major Monkey and the Major's gold-braided uniform that people +simply couldn't wait to see the stranger and his fine clothes.</p> + +<p>There was just one difficulty: the Major himself was not on hand.</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow began to be terribly worried. But he tried not to let +anybody know that he was disturbed.</p> + +<p>"He'll be here soon," he said when<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> people asked him where Major Monkey +was. "I've never known my friend the Major to break an engagement. He's +a bit late—that's all. I only hope he isn't lost. You know he's a +stranger in these parts."</p> + +<p>Now, Mr. Crow was sitting in a tree, gazing toward the haystack in the +distance, where he had told the Major to hide. And he had hardly +finished speaking when a big red apple struck the tree just above his +head with a loud <i>smack</i> and broke into bits.</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow jumped. And so did everybody else. But before the party had +time to scatter, Major Monkey peeped from behind a neighboring tree and +uttered a piercing whistle.</p> + +<p>"Don't go, friends!" Mr. Crow cried to his companions. "Here he is now! +Here's Major Monkey himself.... That's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> only one of his jokes," he +added, for he noticed that some of his cronies appeared somewhat +nervous.</p> + +<p>Major Monkey drew nearer. His face bore a wide grin; while in his hand +he clutched another red apple, which he threatened playfully to throw at +the company.</p> + +<p>"Don't do that, Major!" Mr. Crow called. "You might get hungry, you +know. And if you do, you can eat that apple."</p> + +<p>Major Monkey touched his cap to Mr. Crow. He seemed to think that was +good advice, for he lowered the hand that held the apple.</p> + +<p>On hearing Mr. Crow's suggestion the whole company began to laugh. They +seemed to think that Mr. Crow was joking.</p> + +<p>"Who ever heard of anybody going<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> hungry at a party?" Fatty Coon +exclaimed. And turning to Mr. Crow, he asked him where the refreshments +were.</p> + +<p>The old gentleman seemed taken aback.</p> + +<p>"I declare," he gasped, "I forgot to tell you all to have your +refreshments before you came."</p> + +<p>"Isn't there going to be anything to eat?" Fatty Coon asked him +anxiously.</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow shook his head.</p> + +<p>"It really doesn't matter," he said, talking very fast. "You know, I +invited everybody to meet my old friend, Major Monkey. And here he is, +all ready to tell you about his travels. But first we'll have a little +music."</p> + +<p>It was now the Major's turn to look uneasy.</p> + +<p>"Music!" he echoed. "I hope you haven't gone and got a hand-organ!"</p> + +<p>"No—not that!" said Mr. Crow. "The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> Woodchuck brothers are going to +whistle for us."</p> + +<p>"Oh!" said the Major, who appeared much relieved. "I was afraid you had +a hand-organ. And I don't care for that sort of music. I've heard too +much of it on my travels."</p> + +<p>At a signal from Mr. Crow, the Woodchuck brothers stepped forward and +started to whistle a lively tune, called "Clover Blossoms." Being very +fond of clover blossoms, the musicians began whistling in a most +spirited fashion. But they had bad luck.</p> + +<p>Though he did not know the tune, Major Monkey insisted on whistling, +too. And all the company stopped up their ears, except Mr. Crow. He +stood the noise as long as he could. And then he ordered the whistlers +to stop. "What tune were you whistling?" he asked the Major.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span></p> + +<p>"It's called 'Banana Blossoms,'" Major Monkey explained. "You see, I'm +very fond of bananas."</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow laughed.</p> + +<p>"The two tunes don't go well together," he said. "So we won't have any +more music."</p> + +<p>And Fatty Coon cried that he was glad of that, because when people +whistled about things to eat it only made him hungrier than ever.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-011" id="illus-011"></a> +<img src='images/illus-027.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-012" id="illus-012"></a> +<img src='images/illus-028.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="VI" id="VI"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> +<h2>VI</h2><h3>Too Many Disputes</h3> +</div> + +<p>On the whole, Mr. Crow's party would have been a great success if it +hadn't been for Peter Mink and Tommy Fox.</p> + +<p>As soon as Major Monkey showed himself, after throwing the apple at Mr. +Crow, those two began whispering slyly together. And when the Major +climbed a tree and hung from a limb by his tail they both jumped up and +said to Mr. Crow:</p> + +<p>"We saw Major Monkey before you ever did!"</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow promptly flew into a rage.</p> + +<p>"You did not!" he squalled.</p> + +<p>"Yes, we did!" they declared. "We<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> told people several days ago that we +had seen a stranger hanging by his tail; and nobody believed us because +you said it wasn't possible. You said nobody but a 'possum could do +that, and that no 'possum ever came as far north as Pleasant Valley."</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow was very angry. Although he knew that Tommy and Peter were +speaking the truth, he did not care to hear it. Certainly there was no +use of <i>his</i> denying what they said. But an idea popped into his head.</p> + +<p>"Which of you saw the Major first?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"I did!" they both bawled at the same time. And then followed a terrible +dispute: <i>"You didn't! I did! I did! You didn't!"</i></p> + +<p>Now, that was exactly what Mr. Crow wanted. He had started Peter Mink +and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> Tommy Fox to quarreling. "They'll never agree," Mr. Crow cried. +"Let's ask Major Monkey to settle the dispute! Let's leave it to him!" +And turning to his friend, the Major, Mr. Crow said: "Which of these two +sharp-nosed rascals did you see first?"</p> + +<p>Major Monkey took a bite out of his apple while he looked closely at +Peter Mink and Tommy Fox.</p> + +<p>"I never saw either of them until I came to this party," he declared. +"And then I saw both at the same time, because they were whispering +together."</p> + +<p>"There!" Mr. Crow shouted to the whole company. "You hear what my old +friend the Major says?"</p> + +<p>Tommy Fox and Peter Mink stopped quarreling.</p> + +<p>"You didn't ask the Major the proper question!" they objected. "We +never<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> said <i>he</i> saw <i>us</i> at all! We said——"</p> + +<p>But Mr. Crow waved them aside.</p> + +<p>"If you aren't too hungry," he muttered to Major Monkey, "I'd suggest +that you let fly with that red apple."</p> + +<p>The Major was only too willing. With deadly aim he flung the apple at +Peter Mink and Tommy Fox. First it hit Peter on the nose, and then it +bounced off and struck Tommy on <i>his</i> nose.</p> + +<p>And then the party came to an end in an awful uproar. For Peter and +Tommy were very angry. Those that could fly flew away in a great hurry. +And those that could run scampered quickly out of sight. As for the +soldier, Major Monkey, he climbed a tree and hung by his tail from a +limb, where he swung backwards and forwards and made faces at Tommy Fox +and Peter Mink until their rage was terrible to see.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span></p> + +<p>Mr. Crow did not desert his friend the Major. He remained in a tree +near-by, to watch the fun. And there's no telling how long it would have +lasted had not Major Monkey pulled himself suddenly up on a limb and +laid a hand across the front of his red coat. There was a look of pain +upon his face.</p> + +<p>"What's the matter?" Mr. Crow asked him. "Are you wounded?" he inquired. +Knowing that the Major was a soldier, he could think of nothing but a +wound that would make him act as he did.</p> + +<p>"I—I'm not sure," Major Monkey replied. "It may be that I've eaten too +many apples."</p> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-013" id="illus-013"></a> +<img src='images/illus-032.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-014" id="illus-014"></a> +<img src='images/illus-033.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="VII" id="VII"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> +<h2>VII</h2><h3>The Major Has a Pain</h3> +</div> + +<p>The party had come to an end; nobody was left except old Mr. Crow and +his friend Major Monkey.</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow himself was fast growing sleepy, for it was almost dark. And he +wanted to fly home and go to bed. But he hardly felt that he ought to +leave just then.</p> + +<p>There was no doubt that the Major was in great pain. He kept one hand +pressed against the lowest button of his short red coat. His cap was +awry. And his wrinkled face showed a careworn and anxious look.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span></p> + +<p>"How many apples have you eaten to-day?" Mr. Crow asked his friend.</p> + +<p>"I haven't the slightest idea," the Major answered. "After I had +finished two dozen I lost count."</p> + +<p>"My goodness!" Mr. Crow exclaimed. "It's no wonder you're ill.... We'll +hurry over to the pasture and see Aunt Polly Woodchuck, the herb doctor. +<i>She'll</i> know what to do for you."</p> + +<p>Major Monkey was more than willing. So they set out at once. The Major +travelled through the tree-tops where he could, while Mr. Crow flew +slowly, alighting now and then to wait for his friend to overtake him.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span>In a little while they came to the pasture. And Major Monkey was glad to +find Aunt Polly at home.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 380px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-015" id="illus-015"></a> +<img src='images/illus-034.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +<span class='caption'>Aunt Polly Woodchuck Offered Him an Apple</span> +</div> + +<p>She was a wise old lady. She knew right away, without being told, that +it was Major Monkey—and not Mr. Crow—that was ill.</p> + +<p>"You're in pain," she remarked to the Major. "I knew it the moment I set +eyes on you."</p> + +<p>Major Monkey moaned faintly.</p> + +<p>"I hope you'll give me something to make me feel better," he wailed.</p> + +<p>"I will," Aunt Polly Woodchuck promised. And putting her hand inside a +basket that she carried on her arm, she drew forth a red apple. "Here!" +she said, "eat this!"</p> + +<p>Major Monkey drew back.</p> + +<p>"No!" he groaned. "I don't want any more apples. I've had too many +already."</p> + +<p>Aunt Polly Woodchuck shot a triumphant look at Mr. Crow.</p> + +<p>"I thought so," she said. And she dropped the red apple back into her +basket.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> "Now," she went on, turning again to the Major, "I should like +to ask whether you're fond of corn."</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow stepped forward quickly.</p> + +<p>"I object!" he cried. "The less said about corn, the better!"</p> + +<p>Aunt Polly Woodchuck hastened to explain that she meant no offense to +anyone.</p> + +<p>"I merely wondered," she said, "whether you gave your guests corn to eat +at your party."</p> + +<p>"Certainly not!" Mr. Crow exploded. "Certainly not!" And he glared at +the old lady as if to say: "Change the subject—for pity's sake!"</p> + +<p>"You're a stranger in these parts, I take it," Aunt Polly said, turning +once more to Major Monkey. "No doubt you've been used to eating +different food from what you get hereabouts."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span></p> + +<p>"That's so," the Major admitted. "I've been living mostly on boiled +rice, with a baked potato now and then."</p> + +<p>"Ah! Cooked food!" said Aunt Polly. "And if you had that sort of fare, +you must have been living with <i>men</i>."</p> + +<p>The Major looked uneasy.</p> + +<p>"I don't care to talk about my past," he murmured. "Just you give me +something to warm my stomach a bit. That's all I ask of you."</p> + +<p>Well, Aunt Polly Woodchuck handed him some peppermint leaves.</p> + +<p>"Chew these," she directed him. "And if you don't feel better to-morrow +I'll lose my guess."</p> + +<p>Major Monkey put the leaves into his mouth and made a wry face.</p> + +<p>"Haven't you a lump of sugar to make this dose taste better?" he asked +her.</p> + +<p>"There!" Aunt Polly cried. "You've<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> been fed by <i>men</i>! I knew it all the +time."</p> + +<p>Major Monkey made no comment on her remark. And settling his cap firmly +on his head he said that he must be going.</p> + +<p>So he and Mr. Crow went off.</p> + +<p>"Where are you going to spend the night?" Mr. Crow asked him as soon as +they were out of Aunt Polly's hearing.</p> + +<p>"That haystack is a good place," said the Major. "I believe I'll live +there as long as I stay in Pleasant Valley."</p> + +<p>"It's not far from the farmhouse," Mr. Crow observed. "Perhaps you could +steal—er—I mean <i>find</i> a little cooked food there now and then."</p> + +<p>"That's an idea," Major Monkey told him. But he did not explain whether +he thought it a good one or not.</p> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-016" id="illus-016"></a> +<img src='images/illus-039.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="VIII" id="VIII"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> +<h2>VIII</h2><h3>A Secret</h3> +</div> + + +<p>When Major Monkey awoke the following morning his pain had left him. +Creeping from the haystack where he had slept, he cast longing eyes at +the red apples in the tree near-by. But he remembered his trouble of the +evening before. And he remembered likewise what Mr. Crow had said about +"finding" something to eat at the farmhouse.</p> + +<p>But for some reason the Major wanted to avoid Farmer Green's house. To +be sure, he would have enjoyed sitting down with the family at the +breakfast table. But he was afraid something might prevent<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> his leaving +after he had eaten.</p> + +<p>Luckily Major Monkey was a person who could usually find a way out of +any difficulty. And now he made up his mind that a light meal of eggs +was the very thing he needed in order to begin the day right. So he went +straight to the woods and climbed the first tree he came to—a pine tree +just beyond the fence.</p> + +<p>There Major Monkey found exactly what he was looking for. In a warbler's +nest, a dozen feet from the ground, he beheld five speckled eggs.</p> + +<p>The owners of the nest were not at home. But knowing that one or the +other would soon return, the Major did not care to linger long over +their treasures.</p> + +<p>He noticed that one of the eggs was bigger than the others.</p> + +<p>"Really there are too many eggs here for this small nest," the Major +said to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> himself. "If I take the big one I'll be doing the owners a +favor."</p> + +<p>So he picked up the big egg, and holding it carefully in one hand he +hurried away.</p> + +<p>When he had put some distance between himself and the nest, Major Monkey +stopped to enjoy his breakfast. He was just on the point of opening the +egg, when who should come up but old Mr. Crow.</p> + +<p>The Major quickly hid his breakfast behind his back.</p> + +<p>"Good morning!" said Mr. Crow. "I hope you are feeling better to-day."</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes—thank you!" said Major Monkey. "I'm quite well again."</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow's sharp eyes pierced him through and through.</p> + +<p>"What are you holding behind you?" he asked bluntly.</p> + +<p>The Major saw that he was caught.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span></p> + +<p>"It's my breakfast," he confessed, giving Mr. Crow a quick glance at +what was in his hand. "I—I found it," he said. "Wasn't I lucky?"</p> + +<p>"A bird's egg!" Mr. Crow exclaimed disapprovingly. "What kind is it?"</p> + +<p>"It's nothing but a Warbler's egg," Major Monkey replied.</p> + +<p>The old gentleman smiled knowingly. And feeling more comfortable, Major +Monkey opened his hand and gave Mr. Crow a good look at his prize.</p> + +<p>"That's too big for a Warbler's egg!" Mr. Crow cried.</p> + +<p>"I found it in a Warbler's nest," Major Monkey insisted.</p> + +<p>"Were there any more like this one in the nest?" Mr. Crow asked.</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes!" the Major answered.</p> + +<p>"Were they as big as this egg?" Mr. Crow inquired.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span></p> + +<p>Major Monkey explained that they were not.</p> + +<p>"Just as I supposed!" the old gentleman exclaimed. "This isn't a +Warbler's egg. It's a Cowbird's egg. And you've done that Warbler family +a good turn by taking it out of their nest.</p> + +<p>"I know Mrs. Cowbird," he went on. "She's too lazy to bring up her own +children. So she sneaks through the woods and lays her eggs in other +folk's nests.... I must tell of this," Mr. Crow added. "People will +think very kindly of you when they hear what you have done."</p> + +<p>But Major Monkey begged him not to mention the matter to anyone.</p> + +<p>He pleaded so hard that at last Mr. Crow consented to keep the affair a +secret between them. And Mr. Crow couldn't help thinking that Major +Monkey was one of the most modest people he had ever met.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span></p> + +<p>Then the Major opened the egg with great skill, and ate its contents +without spilling a drop.</p> + +<p>"Now," he said, "now I'm ready for business."</p> + + + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-017" id="illus-017"></a> +<img src='images/illus-044.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-018" id="illus-018"></a> +<img src='images/illus-045.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="IX" id="IX"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> +<h2>IX</h2><h3>The Major Has a Plan</h3> +</div> + +<p>"What is your business, if I may ask?" Mr. Crow inquired of Major +Monkey.</p> + +<p>"Lately I've been spending my time travelling," the Major replied. "But +you know I'm a soldier. And while I'm in Pleasant Valley I intend to +form an army."</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow looked somewhat worried when he heard that.</p> + +<p>"I hope you aren't going to guard the cornfield!" he said hastily.</p> + +<p>Major Monkey set his fears at rest.</p> + +<p>"We'll let Farmer Green do that," he said with a wink. "This is what +we'll do:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> we'll band ourselves together and we'll fight any strangers +that come to Pleasant Valley to live."</p> + +<p>"That's not a bad plan," Mr. Crow remarked. "But it's lucky for you that +you didn't form the army before you got here yourself—else we'd have +had to fight <i>you</i>."</p> + +<p>"Of course!" Major Monkey agreed. "But trust me not to make such a +mistake as that."</p> + +<p>"Who's going to be in the army?" Mr. Crow wanted to know.</p> + +<p>"Everybody!" the Major answered, with a wave of the hand that took in +the whole valley.</p> + +<p>For as long as a minute old Mr. Crow was very thoughtful.</p> + +<p>"I shall not care to be in it unless I can be a general," he announced +at last.</p> + +<p>"Why, certainly!" said Major Monkey.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> "Certainly you shall be a general, +Mr. Crow."</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow swelled himself up and looked as important as he could.</p> + +<p>"Get everybody to come to the edge of the woods, near the pasture, early +to-morrow morning," Major Monkey commanded.</p> + +<p>"Aren't you going to do any of the work?" Mr. Crow demanded. "I thought +generals didn't have to do anything except look wise."</p> + +<p>"It's easier for you to get about than it is for me. But as soon as we +have our army together I'll take entire charge of it," Major Monkey +informed him.</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow was satisfied. After all, it wouldn't really be <i>work</i>, he told +himself, to fly around and tell the people the news. In fact, the more +he thought about the plan the better he liked it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span></p> + +<p>So he bade Major Monkey good-by and hurried away.</p> + +<p>When Mr. Crow had flown out of sight the Major rolled over and over on +the ground. And then he climbed a tree and swung by his tail from a +limb, while he made an odd, chuckling sound.</p> + +<p>"A <i>general</i>!" he said. "<i>General Crow!</i> Why he never wore a uniform in +all his life!"</p> + +<p>On the following morning the field-and forest-folk began gathering at +the edge of the woods near the pasture almost before it was light. And +when Major Monkey left his snug bed in the haystack and went to the +meeting-place he found an eager throng waiting for him.</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow was flitting about, talking in a loud voice, and ordering +people around to his heart's content.</p> + +<p>"Silence!" Major Monkey commanded,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> as soon as he arrived. Mr. Crow +opened his mouth to speak. But Major Monkey cut him off short.</p> + +<p>"The first thing a soldier has to learn is to <i>obey</i>," he barked.</p> + +<p>"But I'm a <i>general</i>!" Mr. Crow protested.</p> + +<p>"Well, these are <i>general</i> orders; so you'll have to obey 'em," said +Major Monkey glibly.</p> + +<p>And poor old Mr. Crow didn't know what to say to that.</p> + +<p>But he couldn't help looking rather grumpy.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-019" id="illus-019"></a> +<img src='images/illus-049.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-020" id="illus-020"></a> +<img src='images/illus-050.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="X" id="X"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> +<h2>X</h2><h3>The New Army</h3> +</div> + +<p>"Now, then—fall in!" Major Monkey shouted to the whole company of +field-and forest-folk.</p> + +<p>But nobody had the slightest idea what he meant.</p> + +<p>"You don't suppose he expects us to fall in the brook, do you?" Tommy +Fox asked his nearest neighbor. If there was anything that Tommy +disliked, it was getting his feet wet.</p> + +<p>Major Monkey soon saw that nobody knew what to do.</p> + +<p>"Form a long line, two deep!" he directed.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p> + +<p>And then there was trouble, because everyone wanted to be in the front +rank (as Major Monkey called it) in order to see everything.</p> + +<p>After a good deal of jostling and squirming on the part of the company, +and much loud talk on the part of Major Monkey, the new army at last +stood stretched out in a double line along the pasture-fence.</p> + +<p>Major Monkey seemed much pleased as he walked up and down in front of +his soldiers. And then he happened to glance up.</p> + +<p>There was Mr. Crow, perched on a limb over his head.</p> + +<p>"Here, you!" the Major shouted. "Didn't you hear me say 'Fall in?'"</p> + +<p>"Certainly!" said Mr. Crow. "But I'm a general, you know."</p> + +<p>"Well, what of that?" the Major<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> snapped. "So are all these people +generals! You didn't think—did you?—that I'd have anybody in my army +that wasn't at least a general?"</p> + +<p>For a wonder, Mr. Crow said never a word. He was angry. But he didn't +want to be left out of the army. So he decided that he had better obey. +And he flapped down and took his place just in front of the front rank.</p> + +<p>"You mustn't stand there!" Major Monkey said to him severely. "You're +late falling in. There's no place left for you. So you'll have to stand +behind all the others."</p> + +<p>That was just a little more than old Mr. Crow could bear.</p> + +<p>"I'll do nothing of the sort!" he squawked. "And I must say that this is +shabby treatment to receive from an old friend."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span></p> + +<p>Major Monkey certainly didn't want any trouble right at the beginning. +So he hastened to soothe Mr. Crow's wounded feelings.</p> + +<p>"Look here," he said to the old gentleman, "if I were you I shouldn't +care to be a common general."</p> + +<p>"What else can I be?" asked Mr. Crow with a hopeful gleam in his eye.</p> + +<p>"You can be the cook," the Major suggested. "There are dozens of +generals; but you'd be the only cook, you see."</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow rather liked that idea.</p> + +<p>"I accept your offer," he said somewhat stiffly. And then he marched +down the line and took his place behind it.</p> + +<p>Major Monkey breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad that the trouble had +proved no worse. And now he turned once more to inspect the crowd of +generals that was to make up his army.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Here, you!" he said suddenly, pointing to a brownish gentleman at one +end of the front rank. "What's your name?"</p> + +<p>"Rusty Wren!" was the meek reply.</p> + +<p>"Don't stick your tail up in the air like that!" Major Monkey cried. +"You're spoiling the looks of the whole army."</p> + +<p>Rusty Wren replied that it was very hard for him to keep his tail down +for longer than a few moments at a stretch.</p> + +<p>"I don't believe I'll be in the army," he announced. "Probably my wife +is wondering where I am this moment. So I'm going home." And thereupon +he flew away toward Farmer Green's dooryard, where he lived.</p> + +<p>"Well, we're rid of <i>him</i>, anyhow," said Major Monkey. And then he +noticed something else that wasn't as it should have been.</p> + +<p>"Here, you!" he called to Peter Mink.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> "Pull in your neck! It's too +long! It sticks out and spoils the looks of the whole army."</p> + +<p>Now, Peter Mink was a rude fellow. And he made such a rude reply that +Major Monkey discharged him on the spot.</p> + +<p>"Go away!" he cried. "We don't want any rowdies in our army."</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-021" id="illus-021"></a> +<img src='images/illus-055.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-022" id="illus-022"></a> +<img src='images/illus-056.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="XI" id="XI"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> +<h2>XI</h2><h3>War in the Woods</h3> +</div> + +<p>Although Major Monkey had ordered him out of the army, Peter Mink +declared that he wasn't going till he was ready to leave.</p> + +<p>"Very well," said the Major easily. "You may stay here; and we'll go."</p> + +<p>But Peter Mink was an obstinate fellow. The moment the army started to +move, he went along with it. And what was worse, he insisted on walking +right behind Major Monkey, and trying to strut just as the Major did.</p> + +<p>Some of the generals couldn't help snickering. And of course Major +Monkey<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> couldn't overlook such behavior.</p> + +<p>"Order in the ranks!" he shouted as fiercely as he knew how.</p> + +<p>The generals stopped tittering at once. For a minute or two everybody +marched on in silence. And then the cry, "Halt!" rang suddenly out.</p> + +<p>The generals all stopped. Major Monkey stopped, too. And his face seemed +more wrinkled than ever as he looked every general in the face.</p> + +<p>Naturally, that took some time, for there were several dozens of them.</p> + +<p>"Who shouted 'Halt?'" the Major asked at last.</p> + +<p>But nobody knew. At least, nobody answered. And there was a good deal of +low talking and craning of necks. For some reason or other, everybody +peered at Peter Mink. But he stared straight ahead in the most innocent +fashion.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span></p> + +<p>Major Monkey said nothing more. But he walked behind the army and picked +up a stick.</p> + +<p>"Forward, march!" he commanded then. And as the army moved on, he +continued to walk in the rear, just behind old Mr. Crow.</p> + +<p>Soon the cry, "Halt!" sounded again. And as soon as he heard it, Major +Monkey threw his stick with great force and caught Peter Mink neatly in +the back of his head. Peter Mink toppled over where he stood.</p> + +<p>"There!" Major Monkey remarked. "He won't bother us any more to-day." +And before the army had stopped gasping, he marched it forward again, +leaving Peter Mink stretched upon the ground.</p> + +<p>Some of the generals objected, and said that they thought that Peter +Mink ought to be looked after.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span></p> + +<p>But Major Monkey told them that they were in the army, and that it was +<i>war</i>, and they must expect even worse things to happen.</p> + +<p>Now, Jimmy Rabbit was a tender-hearted chap. He couldn't bear the +thought of leaving even a rascal like Peter Mink wounded and alone.</p> + +<p>"I think you ought to send the cook back to take care of him," Jimmy +told Major Monkey.</p> + +<p>At that, Mr. Crow—who was the cook—spoke up and said that he was going +to stay with the army.</p> + +<p>"I don't see," he said, "how you could get along without me. An army +without a cook is as good as lost."</p> + +<p>Major Monkey promptly agreed with Mr. Crow.</p> + +<p>"Certainly we mustn't get lost," he said. "If we were lost, the enemy +never could<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> find us. And we might wander about in the woods for years +and years."</p> + +<p>His remarks made some of the generals a bit uneasy. And one of them—a +soldier called Billy Woodchuck—announced that he would have to be +leaving.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-023" id="illus-023"></a> +<img src='images/illus-060.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-024" id="illus-024"></a> +<img src='images/illus-061.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="XII" id="XII"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> +<h2>XII</h2><h3>Over and Under</h3> +</div> + + +<p>When Billy Woodchuck talked about leaving the army, Major Monkey became +greatly excited. He muttered something under his breath about +<i>deserters</i>, and <i>shooting them at sunrise</i>. And he strutted up to Billy +Woodchuck and asked him what he meant by quitting the army without +permission.</p> + +<p>Though Billy Woodchuck hung his head, he insisted that he must go home.</p> + +<p>"I have an engagement," he explained, "to stand guard in the +clover-patch, while my father and some other old gentlemen feast on +clover-tops."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Are they expecting an attack?" Major Monkey inquired, pricking up his +ears.</p> + +<p>"Of course not!" said Billy Woodchuck. "They're not <i>expecting</i> one, or +they would stay safe at home. But you never can tell what old dog Spot +is going to do. My father and his friends would be disappointed if I +didn't come. They would be angry, too. And just as likely as not I'd be +put to bed an hour before sunset. So I shall go home now, whether you +give me leave or not."</p> + +<p>"Then I'll give you leave—if that's the case," said Major Monkey. "I +can't have anybody disobeying orders; so I'll give you leave. And I'll +dismiss the army until to-morrow.... The last man over the fence will be +shot at sunrise," he added. It seemed as if he was determined to shoot +somebody, anyhow.</p> + +<p>Well, everyone turned and ran like the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> wind. Naturally, nobody wanted +to be last, after what Major Monkey had said.</p> + +<p>It looked, for a few moments, as if the whole army was going to cross +the fence at the same instant. But Billy Woodchuck was so unlucky as to +step into a hole. He fell head over heels. And by the time he had picked +himself up and reached the fence all the rest were safe on the other +side of it.</p> + +<p>Things looked very dark for Billy Woodchuck—especially when Major +Monkey grinned horribly at him between the rails and said:</p> + +<p>"Too bad, my boy! But this is war, you know.... Please don't forget the +time! To-morrow, at sunrise!"</p> + +<p>Billy Woodchuck's heart sank. He wished he had never joined the army. +And then an idea came to him. It was such a simple one that it is a +wonder he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> hadn't thought of it instantly. Instead of going <i>over</i> the +fence, to everybody's surprise he squirmed <i>under</i> it. And everybody was +vastly relieved. Even Major Monkey appeared to be delighted.</p> + +<p>"I'm afraid"—he said with a smile—"I'm afraid we'll have to shoot the +rest of the army at sunrise, for they went over the fence last."</p> + +<p>But Mr. Crow spoke up and said: "Nonsense! The rest of us went over +<i>first</i>!"</p> + +<p>Major Monkey had to admit that that was true. And he showed plainly that +he was disappointed. Although he did not look the least bit cruel, it +was clear that he had looked forward to shooting—and the more the +merrier.</p> + +<p>"It's really a great pity," he said, "that we can't have a shot at +somebody."</p> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-025" id="illus-025"></a> +<img src='images/illus-065.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="XIII" id="XIII"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> +<h2>XIII</h2><h3>The Major Hesitates</h3> +</div> + + +<p>Major Monkey's army soon became known far and wide. Its fame reached +beyond Pleasant Valley, to the other side of Blue Mountain. And a good +many persons who had been in the habit of making excursions into the +valley now and then began to think that it was a good place to avoid.</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow had a good deal to do with spreading the news. He took +several long trips, just to tell people that the army was ready—and +eager—to fight all strangers.</p> + +<p>In fact, the Major said he wished Mr.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> Crow would mind his own affairs. +For how was the army ever going to fight, if all the enemies kept out of +its way?</p> + +<p>All the generals began to tell one another that Major Monkey was a very +brave soldier. And certainly he <i>said</i> nothing to change their opinion +of him. He was always telling how much he liked to fight, and +complaining that he was only wasting his valuable time in Pleasant +Valley.</p> + +<p>In a way the Major was right. And probably there never would have been +the least trouble if Johnnie Green and his friends hadn't happened to +have a picnic in the woods on the same day and in the same spot that the +Major had chosen to call his generals together.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span></p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 380px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-026" id="illus-026"></a> +<img src='images/illus-066.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +<span class='caption'>"You're a Sneak-Thief!" Jasper Jay said.</span> +</div> + +<p>Of course, the Major couldn't drill his soldiers with Johnnie Green and +a half-dozen other boys on hand to watch. So the generals lurked behind +trees and wished that the picnickers would go away.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile Major Monkey himself sulked in the tree-tops, hidden high up +among the leafy branches, where nobody would be likely to spy him. He +watched the boys while they ate their luncheon, which they devoured as +soon as they reached the picnic grove. And then he looked on while they +played games—hide-and-seek, and duck-on-the-rock, and follow-my-leader, +and ever so many others.</p> + +<p>Now and then old Mr. Crow flew up and tried to talk with Major Monkey. +But the Major had very little to say. And at last Mr. Crow lost all +patience with him.</p> + +<p>"Are you going to sit here all day and do nothing?" Mr. Crow demanded.</p> + +<p>"S-sh!" Major Monkey said. "Do be quiet! Do you want them to hear you?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I don't care if they hear me," Mr. Crow cried. "It's plain to me that +these boys will stay here all day if they're not driven away."</p> + +<p>"No doubt!" Major Monkey agreed, as he plucked a tender shoot off the +tree and ate it. "But what can we do?"</p> + +<p>"Do!" said Mr. Crow. "What's the army for—I'd like to know—if not to +fight?"</p> + +<p>Major Monkey's wrinkled face seemed somewhat pale.</p> + +<p>"Quite true!" he agreed again. "But I'm not sure we're strong enough to +do anything against these ruffians down below. I'm not sure that I can +depend on the army in a pinch."</p> + +<p>To the Major's great alarm, Mr. Crow squalled with rage.</p> + +<p>"You've insulted me!" he shrieked. And he made such a commotion that +Major<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> Monkey scampered off, beckoning to Mr. Crow to follow him.</p> + +<p>Just as they left, a stone came crashing through the leaves, thrown by +some boy who had noticed Mr. Crow's hoarse cries.</p> + +<p>And that made Major Monkey run all the faster.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-027" id="illus-027"></a> +<img src='images/illus-069.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-028" id="illus-028"></a> +<img src='images/illus-070.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="XIV" id="XIV"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> +<h2>XIV</h2><h3>Throwing Stones</h3> +</div> + + +<p>Major Monkey never stopped running until he had gone so far that the +voices of the picnickers reached him only faintly.</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow, who had followed him closely, began to think that the +Major was frightened. But he knew he must be mistaken when Major Monkey +came to a halt and said: "Now we can talk without disturbing anybody."</p> + +<p>So Mr. Crow repeated that in his opinion the Major had insulted him.</p> + +<p>"You've just the same as said that I'm a poor soldier!" he declared.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span></p> + +<p>Major Monkey told him that it was not so.</p> + +<p>"It's the <i>generals</i> that I can't trust," he explained. "But you are +different. You're the cook, you remember. In the midst of a fight, you +wouldn't be expected to cook."</p> + +<p>"Then my part would be to do nothing at all?" Mr. Crow inquired.</p> + +<p>"Exactly!" Major Monkey cried. "And I've no doubt that you'd be a great +success."</p> + +<p>Old Mr. Crow always liked praise. And of course the Major's remark +pleased him. It made him all the more eager, too, to see the army attack +Johnnie Green and his friends.</p> + +<p>"Let's go back," said Mr. Crow, "and drive those boys out of the picnic +grove!"</p> + +<p>But Major Monkey shook his head.</p> + +<p>"I don't want to lose my army," he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> said. "And besides we haven't any +guns."</p> + +<p>"You can throw stones, can't you?" Mr. Crow asked him.</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes!" said the Major.</p> + +<p>"Well, then—if I were you I'd get some stones down by the brook and go +straight back to the grove and hurl them at the enemy."</p> + +<p>He said so much more that at last Major Monkey yielded. And a little +later he crept back through the tree-tops with all the stones he could +carry.</p> + +<p>Hidden high above the heads of the picnic party, Major Monkey gave +several short whistles. "The attack!" he whispered to old Mr. Crow, who +had returned with him to see the fun.</p> + +<p>"Hullo!" Johnnie Green shouted, stopping short in the midst of a game of +leapfrog. "Who's up there?" And he peered into the greenery above.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p> + +<p>Nobody seemed to know the answer to his question. Certainly there was +nobody missing from the picnic party.</p> + +<p>"I wonder if it's Red Head!" said Johnnie. "You remember he said he +couldn't come because he had work to-day. But he must have sneaked over +here ahead of us and climbed a tree."</p> + +<p>The words were scarcely out of Johnnie Green's mouth when a small stone +plunged down from the trees and struck one of his great toes. Being +barefooted, Johnnie Green let out a yell.</p> + +<p>"Ouch!" he cried. "It's Red Head! There's no doubt about it."</p> + +<p>If anybody else had any doubts, they faded quickly when a small shower +of stones descended.</p> + +<p>"Stop that!" the boys began to shout. "Come down!" And they threatened +Red Head with terrible punishments.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span></p> + +<p>Of course, Major Monkey was delighted. He knew that his army of generals +could see—and hear—everything. And after he had thrown his last stone +he felt so bold that he slipped down upon a lower limb, which gave him a +better view of the picnic ground.</p> + +<p>One of the boys caught a glimpse of a queer figure above him. And with a +shriek he turned and fled.</p> + +<p>His companions looked at him in wonder. And Johnnie Green couldn't +imagine what had happened, when his staring eyes beheld the Major +hanging from a bough over his head.</p> + +<p>"It's a monkey!" Johnnie Green gasped. "Where in the world could he have +come from?"</p> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-029" id="illus-029"></a> +<img src='images/illus-075.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="XV" id="XV"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> +<h2>XV</h2><h3>The Retreat</h3> +</div> + + +<p>Major Monkey quite enjoyed the amazement of the picnickers. And he did +two very odd things, for the commander of an army: first he took off his +red cap and made a low bow to Johnnie Green and his mates; and next he +swung off the limb of the tree and hung by his tail and one hand.</p> + +<p>The boys whooped with delight.</p> + +<p>"Let's catch him!" Johnnie Green cried. And then he shouted to the boy +who had run away, and who stood a good, safe distance off, looking back +and wondering what was going on. "Hi, Bill!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> It's a monkey!" Johnnie +bellowed.</p> + +<p>Bill came running back at top speed.</p> + +<p>"We're going to catch him," said Johnnie Green.</p> + +<p>"How're we going to do that?" asked the boy who had been frightened and +run away and come back.</p> + +<p>Nobody answered him, for at that moment one of the youngsters flung a +butternut at the Major, who caught the missile deftly and shot it back +again.</p> + +<p>A howl of delight from the ground below greeted the Major's ears.</p> + +<p>"Let's stone him!" somebody cried.</p> + +<p>But Johnnie Green said, "No! We don't want to hurt him. We'll climb the +tree and get him."</p> + +<p>His friends agreed that that was the better way, after all. And one +after another they began to shin up the tree where Major Monkey was +still cutting his queer<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> capers. The boys had no sooner started to climb +after him than the Major gave a shrill whistle. He was calling for help. +But there was not a general in sight anywhere.</p> + +<p>He could see not a single one of his whole army, except the cook, old +Mr. Crow. And even he flapped away to a neighboring tree-top. As Mr. +Crow remarked afterward, since he had to do nothing, he thought he could +do it much better if he wasn't too near.</p> + +<p>Major Monkey began to chatter. And Mr. Crow always declared that the +Major trembled.</p> + +<p>There is no doubt that he was alarmed. He scrambled to the very top of +the tree, while the boys went up, up, up—until at last Major Monkey +gave a scream and jumped into another—and smaller—tree, the top of +which was far below him.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span></p> + +<p>He plunged, sprawling, through the leafy boughs until he managed to +seize a branch and steady himself. Then he was off like a squirrel. And +long before the boys had reached the ground again Major Monkey was far +away in the woods.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>Mr. Crow took good care not to lose sight of Major Monkey. And when the +Major at last stopped, panting, and slipped down to the ground to have a +drink out of the brook, old Mr. Crow promptly joined him.</p> + +<p>"Aha!" said Mr. Crow. "<i>You</i> were scared. <i>You</i> ran away!"</p> + +<p>The Major wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and looked at Mr. Crow +uneasily.</p> + +<p>"I <i>came</i> away—yes!" he said.</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow snorted.</p> + +<p>"A fine soldier you are!" he cried<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> scornfully. "You aren't brave enough +to lead an army. I should think you'd be ashamed."</p> + +<p>Major Monkey seemed pained. He said it hurt him to have Mr. Crow say +such cruel things.</p> + +<p>"It's plain," said he, "that you don't know much about an army, in spite +of all I've tried to teach you. Of course I had to leave. I'm the leader +of the army; and I must keep out of danger. So when the generals failed +to come to my rescue when I whistled for help there was nothing I could +do except retreat."</p> + +<p>For a long time Mr. Crow was silent.</p> + +<p>"You were scared, anyway," he remarked at last.</p> + +<p>"I wasn't!" the Major protested.</p> + +<p>"You were!" said Mr. Crow. "You were! You were! You were!"</p> + +<p>Of course he was very ill-mannered.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> But Major Monkey was too polite to +tell him so. Instead, he picked up a smooth stone out of the brook and +threw it at Mr. Crow's head.</p> + +<p>The old gentleman hopped aside just in time. And without waiting to +dispute any further, he tore off as fast as he could go.</p> + +<p>"Now who's scared?" Major Monkey called after him.</p> + +<p>But old Mr. Crow did not stop to answer.</p> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-030" id="illus-030"></a> +<img src='images/illus-080.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-031" id="illus-031"></a> +<img src='images/illus-081.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="XVI" id="XVI"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> +<h2>XVI</h2><h3>The Major's Trouble</h3> +</div> + + +<p>After Major Monkey fled from Johnnie Green and his friends in the picnic +grove, his generals declared that they wanted no leader that ran away +from the enemy. And since they couldn't agree on anyone else to take the +Major's place, they disbanded.</p> + +<p>So Major Monkey lost his army. But the loss did not seem to trouble him +greatly. He was almost too cheerful. And his neighbors even claimed that +his spirits rose higher each day.</p> + +<p>There is no doubt that the Major felt very gay. He was fast losing the +lean and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> hungry look he had had when he first appeared in Pleasant +Valley. And he became freer than ever as to manners.</p> + +<p>Nobody else could go about the woods with any comfort, because one never +knew when he would have to dodge a stone. For Major Monkey liked nothing +better than making a body jump—unless it was bowling someone over when +he failed to jump soon enough.</p> + +<p>In time the forest-folk grew quite weary of that sport. And they began +to tell one another that something would have to be done to put an end +to Major Monkey's stone-throwing.</p> + +<p>But nobody could suggest any way to cure Major Monkey of his unpleasant +habit. And at last Mr. Crow went to Aunt Polly Woodchuck and asked her +if she couldn't give the Major an herb of some sort to eat, which would +make him<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> stop wanting to pelt every head he saw.</p> + +<p>But Aunt Polly replied that it wasn't possible.</p> + +<p>"The trouble with Major Monkey," she said, "is that he eats too much as +it is. And if I gave him still more food he would only throw more stones +at you."</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow exclaimed that he didn't want that to happen.</p> + +<p>"Then you'll have to make the Major eat less," said Aunt Polly +Woodchuck. "On what sort of fare is he living at present?" she inquired.</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow answered that he wasn't quite sure, but he thought Major Monkey +fed for the most part on cowbirds' eggs.</p> + +<p>Aunt Polly Woodchuck shook her head.</p> + +<p>"That's not possible," she cried. "There aren't enough Cowbirds' eggs in +Pleasant Valley to make anybody so fat as the Major is getting. Unless +I'm mistaken,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> he's taking the eggs of a good many others besides +Cowbirds."</p> + +<p>Mr. Crow became greatly excited.</p> + +<p>"Then he's a thief!" he squawked. "Major Monkey is an egg thief!" And he +flapped away across the pasture in a fine rage, to tell everybody what +Aunt Polly Woodchuck had said.</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>A little later in the day Major Monkey began to notice that a good many +of his neighbors looked at him very coldly. The birds, especially, +glared at him as if they were actually angry. And wherever he went they +set up a loud twittering. Some of them even flew at his head and tried +to peck him as they darted past.</p> + +<p>At first he couldn't imagine what was the matter. But before the day was +done Jasper Jay let him know what made the bird people angry.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span></p> + +<p>"You're a sneak-thief!" Jasper told the Major bluntly. "We've found at +last what makes you so fat. You've been stealing eggs from every nest in +the woods!"</p> + +<p>"Tut! Tut!" said Major Monkey. "When a lazy Cowbird lays an egg in +somebody else's nest, the owner ought to be grateful to me for taking +the egg out and eating it."</p> + +<p>"It's not that," Jasper Jay replied. "The trouble is, you've taken all +kinds of eggs."</p> + +<p>"Well, well!" said Major Monkey. "To be sure, I may have made a mistake +now and then. But what's an egg or two, more or less, when one has a +half-dozen of them?"</p> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-032" id="illus-032"></a> +<img src='images/illus-086.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="XVII" id="XVII"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> +<h2>XVII</h2><h3>Major Monkey Confesses</h3> +</div> + +<p>Major Monkey seemed surprised when Jasper Jay told him that there wasn't +a bird family in the whole valley that felt it could spare a single egg.</p> + +<p>"Of course," said Jasper, "nobody cares how many Cowbirds' eggs you eat. +The Cowbirds are pests. They are too lazy to build nests of their own. +And no respectable bird family likes to have a loutish young Cowbird to +bring up with their own children. But you have gone too far. You have +been stealing eggs right and left. And the time has come for us to put a +stop to your thieving."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span></p> + +<p>A number of Jasper Jay's bird neighbors had gathered around him and +Major Monkey while they talked. And they all spoke up and said in good, +loud tones that Major Monkey was a villain—and worse.</p> + +<p>Anyone might think that for once the Major would have acted the least +bit ashamed. But he did not. He had not even the grace to say that he +was sorry for making a few "mistakes."</p> + +<p>Instead, he stuck his red cap on one side of his head and began dancing +something that might have been a jig if it had been faster.</p> + +<p>His actions made all the birds very angry. And some of them exclaimed +that there was no reason to make merry, so far as they could see.</p> + +<p>Major Monkey promptly stopped dancing and looked grieved.</p> + +<p>"Perhaps you would dance, too, if you<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> had just had a good meal of +eggs," he remarked.</p> + +<p>A shriek went up from his listeners. And old Mr. Crow exclaimed loudly: +"Put him out! Put Major Monkey out!"</p> + +<p>But nobody made a move. And Major Monkey turned to Mr. Crow and said:</p> + +<p>"What's wrong? Have I said something I shouldn't?"</p> + +<p>"Said!" the old gentleman echoed. "You've not only <i>said</i> a terrible +thing; you've <i>done</i> a still worse one! For you've just been stealing +eggs again—and you can't deny it."</p> + +<p>A great clamor arose all at once.</p> + +<p>"Hear! Hear!" Mr. Crow's friends cried.</p> + +<p>And Major Monkey had hard work to make himself heard.</p> + +<p>"Whose eggs do you think I've been eating?" he asked Mr. Crow.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span></p> + +<p>Not knowing the exact answer to the question, Mr. Crow pretended not to +hear it at all. But he looked so slyly at the Major that the Major +himself was not deceived. He winked at Mr. Crow and shied a pebble at +him.</p> + +<p>"I'll tell you, old boy!" the Major cried. "I've been eating hens' +eggs."</p> + +<p>"Hens' eggs!" everybody repeated after him. "Hens' eggs! Where do you +get 'em?"</p> + +<p>"At Farmer Green's henhouse, of course," the Major answered. "I've been +going there regularly for some time. I find that the eggs are bigger +than any I can find in the woods."</p> + +<p>"It's no wonder he's getting fat," Jasper Jay murmured as he gazed at +Major Monkey.</p> + +<p>"You'll have to stop eating so much," Mr. Crow told the Major solemnly.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> +"Aunt Polly Woodchuck says that the reason you throw so many stones is +because you overeat and feel in too high spirits."</p> + +<p>Major Monkey looked disgusted when he heard that speech.</p> + +<p>"Aunt Polly Fiddlesticks!" he jeered. "She doesn't know what she's +talking about. Why, the more eggs I eat, the more time I must spend at +the henhouse. And while I'm there I can't throw stones here, can I?"</p> + +<p>Everybody had to agree with the Major. At least, everybody but Mr. Crow +remarked that what he said seemed true.</p> + +<p>"Now, friends," said Major Monkey at last, "if there have been any eggs +missing from your nests lately you can't blame me."</p> + +<p>"Then whom can we blame?" somebody cried.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I'd hate to say," was Major Monkey's answer. But since he looked +straight at Mr. Crow as he spoke, most of the company could not help +thinking that the old gentleman was the thief, after all. And when he +flew into a rage they felt quite sure he was guilty.</p> + +<p>"We always knew Mr. Crow was an old rascal!" they exclaimed.</p> + +<p>And so Mr. Crow took himself off. But he soon recovered his good +spirits. He was used to being called names. And to tell the truth, he +had taken a few eggs now and then—when he thought no one was watching.</p> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-033" id="illus-033"></a> +<img src='images/illus-091.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-034" id="illus-034"></a> +<img src='images/illus-092.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="XVIII" id="XVIII"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> +<h2>XVIII</h2><h3>Planning a Journey</h3> +</div> + + +<p>After they learned that Major Monkey was in the habit of going to Farmer +Green's henhouse for eggs, the wild folk began to have a better opinion +of him once more. So long as he didn't steal birds' eggs they were +willing to overlook his stone-throwing—if he didn't throw too many.</p> + +<p>Somehow they never seemed to think of Farmer Green's loss. Or if they +did, no doubt they thought that he had so many eggs that he wouldn't +mind losing a few now and then.</p> + +<p>So it happened that Major Monkey<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> found everybody most agreeable—except +old Mr. Crow, who never felt the same toward him again.</p> + +<p>But Major Monkey did not let Mr. Crow's gruffness trouble him. He had so +many other cronies that he frequently remarked that he had never spent a +pleasanter summer.</p> + +<p>"I've decided"—he told Jolly Robin one day, when he stopped in the +orchard to eat an apple—"I've decided to stay right here in Pleasant +Valley for the rest of my life."</p> + +<p>"My gracious!" Jolly Robin exclaimed. "Then you don't mind cold +weather."</p> + +<p>Major Monkey asked him what he meant. And it surprised him to learn that +all winter long deep snow lay upon the ground, and cold winds blew, and +fierce storms often raged.</p> + +<p>Though it was a hot summer's day,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> Major Monkey shivered at the mere +mention of such things. And he pulled his red cap further down upon his +head.</p> + +<p>"If that's the case," he said, "I certainly don't want to spend the +winters here.... I don't see how you manage to live through them."</p> + +<p>Jolly Robin laughed merrily. "Bless you!" he cried. "I don't stay here +the year 'round. As soon as it begins to grow chilly I go South, where +it's warm."</p> + +<p>Now, Major Monkey looked worried when he heard about the bitter winters +in Pleasant Valley. His queer face had screwed itself into even more +wrinkles than it usually wore. But as soon as Jolly Robin spoke of going +to a warmer place, the Major brightened at once.</p> + +<p>"I'm going South too!" he cried. "And if you've no objection we'll +travel together."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span></p> + +<p>Jolly Robin said that nothing would please him more.</p> + +<p>"I shall be glad to go with you—if my wife doesn't object," he assured +the Major.</p> + +<p>"Oh! She won't mind," said Major Monkey. "She can go with us. We'll make +up a party.... She'll be lucky to go anywhere with such a famous +traveller as I am."</p> + +<p>Jolly Robin said somewhat doubtfully that he hoped Mrs. Robin would +accept their plan. And then he dashed Major Monkey's high hopes by +remarking, "Of course, we always fly when we go South."</p> + +<p>The Major's face fell. He looked careworn and unhappy again.</p> + +<p>"I don't know how to fly," he faltered. "But if you'll fly low, and +slowly enough, perhaps I can run through the tree-tops fast enough to +keep up with you. I hope<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> it isn't a long trip," he added somewhat +anxiously.</p> + +<p>"It's about a thousand miles," Jolly Robin told him.</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 272px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-035" id="illus-035"></a> +<img src='images/illus-096.jpg' alt='272' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-036" id="illus-036"></a> +<img src='images/illus-097.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="XIX" id="XIX"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> +<h2>XIX</h2><h3>The Major's Scheme</h3> +</div> + + +<p>"I never can run a thousand miles through the tree-tops," Major Monkey +told Jolly Robin in a tone of great disappointment. "I don't see how I +can spend the winter in the South; and I certainly don't want to stay +here, if it's as cold as you say." The poor Major looked so glum that +Jolly Robin was sorry for him.</p> + +<p>"Can't you get a ride?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"I could ride a horse, if I had one," Major Monkey replied.</p> + +<p>"That's not a bad idea," Jolly Robin said. "But I'm afraid you'd have +trouble<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> finding a horse. Farmer Green would scarcely care to spare one +of his horses for so long a trip."</p> + +<p>"Well, I could ride a dog," said Major Monkey. "There's that dog at the +farmhouse—old Spot, as you call him. Surely Farmer Green wouldn't mind +if I rode <i>him</i> away, for he's nothing but a nuisance."</p> + +<p>"Why don't you ask Farmer Green?" Jolly Robin suggested.</p> + +<p>But Major Monkey shook his head.</p> + +<p>"No!" he said. "No! I don't want to do that yet. Before I speak to +Farmer Green I prefer to make sure that old dog Spot is <i>easy to ride +on</i>."</p> + +<p>Jolly Robin looked puzzled. His mouth fell open. And for a few moments +he stared at Major Monkey without saying a word.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span></p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 380px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-037" id="illus-037"></a> +<img src='images/illus-098.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +<span class='caption'>The Man Began to Sing a Merry Song</span> +</div> + +<p>When he finally spoke, it was to ask Major Monkey how he was going to +find out what he wanted to know about old dog Spot.</p> + +<p>"There's only one way," said Major Monkey. "There's only one way; and +that's <i>to ride him and see</i>."</p> + +<p>Jolly Robin thought what a bold fellow Major Monkey was. He entirely +forgot the Major's flight from the picnic grove. Riding a dog was such a +feat as Jolly Robin himself would never, never attempt. And he was sure +that if Major Monkey really undertook it there could be no doubt of his +bravery.</p> + +<p>"How do you know"—Jolly asked the Major timidly—"how do you know that +old dog Spot will let you ride him?"</p> + +<p>"Don't you worry about that!" Major Monkey cried lightly, as he +swaggered along a limb of the apple tree where they were talking. "Leave +that to me."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span></p> + +<p>And Jolly Robin thought what a stout heart beat beneath Major Monkey's +red coat, and how fine it was to be one of his friends.</p> + +<p>"I should like to see you when you first ride old Spot," said Jolly +Robin.</p> + +<p>"Delighted, I'm sure!" Major Monkey cried.</p> + +<p>"And I hope you've no objection to my bringing my wife along, too."</p> + +<p>Major Monkey was not so sure that he would care to have Mrs. Robin for +an onlooker.</p> + +<p>"Women are likely to be timid," he remarked. "They sometimes scream at +the wrong time. And if your wife happened to cry out just as I was about +to drop on old Spot's back, he might jump. And that would spoil +everything."</p> + +<p>Jolly Robin decided that Major Monkey knew best.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p> + +<p>"We'll keep this affair a secret," he whispered.</p> + +<p>The Major nodded.</p> + +<p>"And now"—Jolly Robin asked him—"now where and when are you going to +ride old Spot?"</p> + +<p>Shutting his eyes tightly, Major Monkey wrinkled his low forehead until +Jolly Robin began to fear that he was in great pain.</p> + +<p>"Are you ill?" Jolly asked him.</p> + +<p>"No!" said the Major. "I was only thinking. And it seems to me that the +other end of the orchard, toward the farmhouse, would be the best place +to begin my ride.... As for the time," he added, "that will be when old +Spot happens to come that way."</p> + +<p>"I'll be there, whenever that may be," Jolly Robin assured him.</p> + + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-038" id="illus-038"></a> +<img src='images/illus-102.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="XX" id="XX"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> +<h2>XX</h2><h3>A Fast Ride</h3> +</div> + + +<p>For once Mrs. Robin had reason to complain that her husband did not do +his share of the work. Jolly Robin <i>would</i> spend most of his time at the +further end of the orchard, talking with "that good-for-nothing Major +Monkey," to use Mrs. Robin's own words.</p> + +<p>Whenever she flew over to speak to her husband, the Major was most +polite to her, never failing to take off his cap and ask after her +health. But Mrs. Robin had little to say to him. She had, however, a +great deal to say to Jolly Robin. But no matter how much she urged him +to stop<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> idling and come home and help her look after their big family, +Jolly insisted that he and the Major "had business to attend to."</p> + +<p>At last, when Mrs. Robin gave up in despair, Jolly began to feel +somewhat uncomfortable. And he tried to get Major Monkey to go and ask +old dog Spot to come to the orchard, instead of waiting there +uncertainly for days and days.</p> + +<p>But Major Monkey would not consent to such a move. He was quite firm.</p> + +<p>"I don't want to <i>ask</i> old Spot to give me a ride," he explained.</p> + +<p>"Then how do you ever expect to get one?" Jolly asked him anxiously.</p> + +<p>"Oh, there's a way!" was the Major's mysterious reply. And that was all +he would say.</p> + +<p>The longer Jolly Robin waited to see the fun, the more excited he +became, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> the more Major Monkey seemed to enjoy himself.</p> + +<p>"Old dog Spot ought to be here soon," the Major kept saying. "I can see +him now. No! I'm mistaken."</p> + +<p>Jolly Robin had so many disappointments that one morning when the Major +cried out that at last old Spot was actually crawling through the fence, +and would be in the orchard in about a minute and a half, Jolly couldn't +believe him.</p> + +<p>It was true, nevertheless. To Jolly's delight, old dog Spot came darting +in and out among the apple trees, with his nose close to the ground. He +was following a trail made by Tommy Fox, who had visited the henhouse +the night before. And he was so intent on what he was doing that never +once did he glance up into the apple trees, where Major Monkey and Jolly +Robin were watching him.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span></p> + +<p>Major Monkey dropped quickly down to a low-hanging limb. And as luck had +it, Tommy Fox's trail led old dog Spot right under the tree where the +Major waited, hanging gracefully by his tail and one hand.</p> + +<p>As old Spot passed below him, Major Monkey loosened his hold on the limb +and dropped squarely upon old Spot's back.</p> + +<p>The moment he landed, the Major dug his fingers into Spot's long fur and +hung on grimly. And at the same instant old dog Spot leaped high into +the air and let out a frenzied yelp.</p> + +<p>Jolly Robin was glad that his wife was not present, for he knew that the +sight, and the sound too, could not have failed to terrify her.</p> + +<p>Old Spot seemed almost out of his mind. For a few moments the poor +fellow tore about the orchard in wide circles,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> hoping in vain that he +might shake that strange load off his back.</p> + +<p>But he soon saw that his rider clung to him like a burr. And wheeling +suddenly, Spot shot like a streak out of the orchard and flew across the +meadow.</p> + +<p>Just before he disappeared behind a high knoll Major Monkey turned his +face over his shoulder and looked behind. Then, holding on with one +hand, with the either he waved his red cap at Jolly Robin.</p> + +<p>The next moment Jolly saw the Major and his strange steed no more.</p> + +<p>"They headed straight for the river!" Jolly exclaimed. And he felt so +worried about his friend the Major that though he went home at once, his +wife complained that his mind wasn't on his work and that he was more +bother than help to her.</p> + +<p>Some time later Major Monkey limped<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> back to his home in the haystack, +dripping wet. His fine coat was torn. And he had lost his red cap.</p> + +<p>When Jolly Robin saw him he asked the Major if he had had a good ride.</p> + +<p>"Well," said Major Monkey, "it was a good one; but it was <i>too fast</i>. If +I started to travel south on old dog Spot's back I'd reach my journey's +end before you had gone half way."</p> + +<p>"Dear me!" said Jolly Robin. "Then we can't travel together after all."</p> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-039" id="illus-039"></a> +<img src='images/illus-107.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-040" id="illus-040"></a> +<img src='images/illus-108.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="XXI" id="XXI"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> +<h2>XXI</h2><h3>A Sweet Tooth</h3> +</div> + + +<p>After his ride on old dog Spot, Major Monkey went to the henhouse for +eggs even oftener than he had gone before.</p> + +<p>Perhaps he had become fonder of eggs. Or perhaps he had become bolder. +Anyhow, he noticed that old dog Spot gave him a wide berth. Whenever old +Spot saw him he tucked his tail between his legs and ran, yelping, into +the house.</p> + +<p>Now, Johnnie Green soon discovered that something—or somebody—was +frightening old Spot almost every day. And having nothing else to do one +morning, he made up his mind that he would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> watch and see what happened. +So he climbed to the cupola on top of the big barn. And there he stayed +for a long time, keeping a sharp eye on old Spot as he wandered about +the farm buildings.</p> + +<p>It was a good while before anything happened. But Johnnie Green did not +mind that. He had brought plenty of cookies to munch. And he pretended +that he was a sailor in the crow's nest of a ship, on the lookout for a +sail.</p> + +<p>After a while he almost forgot what he was really doing. He was leaning +far out of the cupola, shading his eyes with one hand, and stuffing a +cookie into his mouth with the other, and gazing off across the meadow, +when all at once he heard old Spot yelping.</p> + +<p>That sound brought Johnnie to his senses. And glancing down, he saw Spot +tearing across the barnyard, making for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> the woodshed door in great +bounds. And behind him, perched on the roof of the henhouse, Johnnie saw +a familiar figure.</p> + +<p>"It's the monkey again!" Johnnie Green cried. And he clambered quickly +to the ground.</p> + +<p>But when he reached the henhouse Major Monkey had fled. Johnnie could +see his red coat flickering among the leaves in the orchard. But he knew +it was useless to follow.</p> + +<p>Although Major Monkey was aware that Johnnie Green had seen him again, +he did not stop visiting the henhouse. To be sure, he became somewhat +more wary. He never went inside the henhouse for eggs without first +looking around carefully, to make sure that Johnnie Green wasn't +watching him. And for a time the Major kept an eye out for traps.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span></p> + +<p>He saw nothing of the sort anywhere. But one day when he leaped to the +window-sill of the henhouse he was delighted to find a lump of maple +sugar, which some one had carelessly left there.</p> + +<p>At least, that was what the Major supposed. And with something a good +deal like a chuckle he ate the dainty greedily. It was the first bit of +sugar he had tasted since he came to Pleasant Valley. And Major Monkey +was very fond of sweets.</p> + +<p>Johnnie Green, or his father, or the hired man seemed all at once to +grow terribly careless with maple sugar. The Major hardly ever visited +the henhouse without finding a lump somewhere. And if his liking for +eggs hadn't brought him thither daily, his taste for sugar would have +been enough to make him continue his visits.</p> + +<p>At last there came a day when Major<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> Monkey discovered a thick pitcher +on the henhouse floor. A chain was looped through its handle and nailed +to the wall.</p> + +<p>The Major grinned when he saw the chain.</p> + +<p>"They don't want this pitcher to run away," he said to himself.</p> + +<p>Being of a most curious turn of mind, he looked into the pitcher. And +then he promptly thrust in a hand.</p> + +<p>There was a good-sized lump of sugar inside. And Major Monkey's fingers +closed upon it greedily.</p> + +<p>His queer face wrinkled with annoyance when he found that he could not +withdraw his hand. Empty, it could easily have slipped through the mouth +of the pitcher. But with the sugar clutched in it, his hand stuck fast.</p> + + +<hr class="major" /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-041" id="illus-041"></a> +<img src='images/illus-113.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="XXII" id="XXII"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> +<h2>XXII</h2><h3>Caught!</h3> +</div> + +<p>Though Major Monkey tugged and tugged, he couldn't pull his hand out of +the pitcher.</p> + +<p>To be sure, if he had let go of the lump of maple sugar he might have +withdrawn his hand easily enough.</p> + +<p>But the Major loved sweets too dearly to loosen his hold on any such +toothsome morsel—except to pop it into his mouth.</p> + +<p>So he struggled and fretted. He even tried to break the pitcher by +knocking it against the floor.</p> + +<p>It might as well have been made of iron, it was so strong. And the +Major<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> only succeeded in hurting his own hand.</p> + +<p>Of course he made a great racket. And the hens, who had become used to +his more stealthy visits, began to flutter and squawk. They made such an +uproar at last that Major Monkey wanted to hurl the pitcher at them. But +he couldn't do that, with his hand stuck inside it. And besides, the +pitcher was chained fast to the wall of the henhouse.</p> + +<p>And right there lay the Major's greatest trouble. If the pitcher hadn't +been fastened he would have run off on three legs, to the woods, where +he might have tried in peace and quiet to get at the sugar inside it.</p> + +<p>On the whole, Major Monkey spent a most unhappy quarter of an hour in +the henhouse. And the worst moment of all came when the window dropped +with a loud bang.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span></p> + +<p>Then the sound of steps on the threshold made the Major turn his head.</p> + +<p>There stood Farmer Green with a broad smile on his face, and Johnnie +Green with his mouth wide open and his eyes bulging.</p> + +<p>And with them was a dark-skinned man, short, and with rings in his ears, +and a bright neckerchief tied about his throat.</p> + +<p>"Aha-a!" cried the little man. "Look-a da monk! He greed-a boy!" And +picking Major Monkey up in his arms, jug and all, he patted him fondly, +saying, "Ah-a! Bad-a boy! He run-a da way from da ol' man, no?"</p> + +<p>Then—for a soldier—Major Monkey did a strange thing. He began to +whimper. But there is no doubt that he was weeping because he was glad, +and not because he was sorry.</p> + +<p>The little, dark man was his master.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span></p> + +<p>And the Major was very, very fond of him. He knew, suddenly, that he had +missed the little man sadly while he roamed about Pleasant Valley.</p> + +<p>Though Johnnie Green was staring straight at him, Major Monkey clung to +his captor and held his wrinkled face close to the little man's cheek.</p> + +<p>"He sorra now!" the little man said to Johnnie Green.</p> + +<p>"What's his name?" Johnnie inquired.</p> + +<p>"Jocko!" said Major Monkey's master. "Dat nice-a name, eh?"</p> + +<p>Johnnie Green thought that it was. And Major Monkey himself appeared to +like the sound of it. It was a long time since he had heard it. No one +had called him "Jocko" since that day—weeks before—when he had run +away from his master, the organ-grinder, in the village.</p> + +<hr class='major' /> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-042" id="illus-042"></a> +<img src='images/illus-117.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<div style='margin: auto; text-align: center; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="XXIII" id="XXIII"></a> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> +<h2>XXIII</h2><h3>The Major Goes South</h3> +</div> + +<p>Out of one of his pockets the hand-organ man pulled a stout collar, from +which dangled a long, thin chain. And Major Monkey made no protest when +his master buckled the collar about his neck.</p> + +<p>To tell the truth, the Major appeared to like being a captive. He was +enjoying, especially, the maple sugar which the hand-organ man had +turned out of the pitcher for him.</p> + +<p>At the farmhouse, a little later, Major Monkey went through all his +tricks for Johnnie Green and the rest of the family. Though he had once +told Mr. Crow that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> he never wanted to hear the sound of a hand-organ +again, the music that his master ground out while he himself capered +about seemed to him the sweetest he had ever heard.</p> + +<p>Of the Major's audience, the most astonished of all sat, unnoticed, in a +tree in the dooryard and listened and looked on as if he could scarcely +believe his eyes.</p> + +<p>This one was Jolly Robin. And when, at length, the organ-grinder looped +the long chain over his arm, slung the organ over his back, and went +toiling up the road, with Major Monkey perched on top of the hand-organ, +Jolly Robin had a very queer feeling. He flew down and alighted upon +Farmer Greene's fence and trilled a quavering good-by. Major Monkey +stood up and made a low bow to him. "He's going South, after all!" Jolly +Robin said to himself. If that was so, old dog Spot<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> must have been glad +of it. Anyhow, he dashed out of the dooryard and ran a little way up the +road, growling and barking, and telling Major Monkey exactly what he +thought of him.</p> + +<p>The Major seemed to enjoy old Spot's farewell. He danced up and down, +and pulled back his arm, as if to throw something at Spot. But he +changed his mind. He had a red apple, which Johnnie Green had given him. +And instead of wasting it on old dog Spot, the Major took a bite out of +it then and there.</p> + +<p>Old Spot had trotted back to the farmhouse, looking very brave, in spite +of the scolding Johnnie Green gave him. And Major Monkey was busily +engaged with his apple, when he heard a sound that made him look up.</p> + +<p>"<i>Caw! Caw!</i>" It was old Mr. Crow, whose keen eyes had caught sight of +the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> hand-organ man plodding along with his precious load. Major Monkey +whistled. And just for a moment, as he watched Mr. Crow sailing lazily +overhead, he almost wished that he hadn't been quite so fond of sugar. +For he knew that he could no longer wander through Pleasant Valley +wherever his fancy led him.</p> + +<p>But the hand-organ man began singing a merry song. And Major Monkey +liked it so well that before he had gone a mile he wouldn't have turned +back for anything. Now that his play-time had come to an end, he was +eager to journey on, wherever his master might take him.</p> + +<p>For Major Monkey—as he had told Mr. Crow in the beginning—was a great +traveller.</p> + +<div class='figcenter' style='width: 300px; padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em;'> +<a name="illus-043" id="illus-043"></a> +<img src='images/illus-120.jpg' alt='' title='' /><br /> +</div> + +<hr class='full' /> + +<div class='tnote'><h3>Transcriber's Notes</h3> +<p>1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards.</p> +<p>2. List of books relocated to after title page.</p> +<p>3. Typographic errors corrected in original:<br/> + p. 38 whether he he to whether he ("whether he thought it a good one")<br/> + p. 48 musn't to mustn't ("we mustn't get lost")<br/> + p. 58 mits to mitts ("pair of black mitts")<br/> + p. 119 friend' to friend's ("in her friend's eyes")<br/> +</p> +</div> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Tale of Major Monkey, by Arthur Scott Bailey + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF MAJOR MONKEY *** + +***** This file should be named 18626-h.htm or 18626-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/8/6/2/18626/ + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + +*** END: FULL LICENSE *** + + + +</pre> + +</body> +</html> + diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-001.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-001.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..dfe52f1 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-001.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-006.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-006.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..1bf6e4e --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-006.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-011.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-011.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..146270f --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-011.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-016.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-016.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..34bf554 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-016.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-017.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-017.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..5d5fb33 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-017.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-021.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-021.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3d4b27b --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-021.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-022.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-022.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..e70af86 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-022.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-027.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-027.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..6f58fbb --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-027.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-028.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-028.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..7e4c60b --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-028.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-032.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-032.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..babb5d0 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-032.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-033.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-033.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..4d34aae --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-033.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-034.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-034.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d24a2b4 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-034.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-039.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-039.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..1080958 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-039.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-044.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-044.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..91764d1 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-044.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-045.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-045.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..f29d5f6 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-045.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-049.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-049.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..804ef58 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-049.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-050.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-050.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..606e17d --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-050.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-055.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-055.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..57fb96f --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-055.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-056.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-056.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..e9218fe --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-056.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-060.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-060.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..e2762d1 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-060.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-061.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-061.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..2e12a50 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-061.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-065.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-065.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3b420a2 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-065.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-066.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-066.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..4b2eecf --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-066.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-069.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-069.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..24f4bb9 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-069.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-070.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-070.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..5e71dbb --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-070.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-075.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-075.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..47cbda6 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-075.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-080.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-080.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..a00efc5 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-080.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-081.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-081.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..881f940 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-081.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-086.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-086.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..097bc4d --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-086.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-091.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-091.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..ad4d6f7 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-091.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-092.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-092.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..2f2966a --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-092.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-096.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-096.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..1cf2e8d --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-096.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-097.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-097.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..a5e732e --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-097.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-098.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-098.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..1c4ee94 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-098.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-102.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-102.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..aba6ec3 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-102.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-107.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-107.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..41e2969 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-107.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-108.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-108.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..9b61c0b --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-108.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-113.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-113.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..e6269fc --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-113.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-117.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-117.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..0aee9da --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-117.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-120.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-120.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..1e541c3 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-120.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-fcover.png b/18626-h/images/illus-fcover.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..7811a2f --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-fcover.png diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-fp.jpg b/18626-h/images/illus-fp.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..2672e03 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-fp.jpg diff --git a/18626-h/images/illus-title.png b/18626-h/images/illus-title.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..26b8d85 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626-h/images/illus-title.png diff --git a/18626.txt b/18626.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d8c9ab6 --- /dev/null +++ b/18626.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2566 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Tale of Major Monkey, by Arthur Scott Bailey + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Tale of Major Monkey + +Author: Arthur Scott Bailey + +Illustrator: Lawrence Brehm + +Release Date: June 19, 2006 [EBook #18626] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF MAJOR MONKEY *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + +The +Tale Of +Major Monkey + +BY +ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY + +Author of +THE CUFFY BEAR BOOKS +SLEEPY-TIME TALES, ETC. + +Illustrations by +Lawrence Brehm + +GROSSET & DUNLAP +PUBLISHERS NEW YORK + + + + +Copyright, 1919, by +GROSSET & DUNLAP +PRINTED IN U.S.A. + + + + +[Illustration: "There's a Tiger inside this Tree!"] + + + + +CONTENTS + +I Strange Whispers 1 +II No 'Possum 6 +III Getting Acquainted 11 +IV Wanted--A Lodging 16 +V Meeting Major Monkey 22 +VI Too Many Disputes 28 +VII The Major Has a Pain 33 +VIII A Secret 39 +IX The Major Has a Plan 45 +X The New Army 50 +XI War in the Woods 56 +XII Over and Under 61 +XIII The Major Hesitates 65 +XIV Throwing Stones 70 +XV The Retreat 75 +XVI The Major's Trouble 81 +XVII Major Monkey Confesses 86 +XVIII Planning a Journey 92 +XIX The Major's Scheme 97 +XX A Fast Ride 102 +XXI A Sweet Tooth 108 +XXII Caught! 113 +XXIII The Major Goes South 117 + + + + +The Tale of Major Monkey + +I + +Strange Whispers + + +The wild folk in Pleasant Valley were whispering strange stories to +one another. If the stories were true, they were most amazing. And if +they were merely made up to cause talk, certainly they succeeded. + +Perhaps if somebody less tricky than Peter Mink and Tommy Fox had +started these odd tales, the rest of the wild folk might have been +quicker to believe them. + +Anyhow, the news offered the best of excuses for gossip. And many of +the field- and forest-people repeated it so often that they almost +began to believe it themselves. + +All but old Mr. Crow. He declared stoutly that the whole thing was +nothing but a hoax. + +"You can't fool me!" he told people. But when they said that they had +no intention of trying to, he had to change his statement. "I mean"--he +explained--"I mean that neither Tommy Fox nor Peter Mink can fool me. +They can't make me believe that they've seen anybody hanging by his +tail in a tree-top." + +"Why not?" asked Mr. Crow's cousin, Jasper Jay. + +"_Becaws_----" said Mr. Crow. And then he corrected himself once more. +"Because," he replied, "no 'possum ever came so far North as this. +I've spent a good many winters in the South, and I ought to know. And +besides," he added, "although a 'possum can hang by his tail, there +never was one that could throw a stick or a stone. And I ought to +know, for I've spent a good many winters in the South, where the +'possums live." + +Everybody had to admit that old Mr. Crow must know what he was talking +about. And people began to feel rather foolish when they realized how +near they had been to letting those two rascals--Peter Mink and Tommy +Fox--deceive them. + +As for old Mr. Crow, having persuaded his neighbors to his way of +thinking, he began to be more pleased with himself than ever. And he +spent a good deal of time sitting in a tall tree near the cornfield, +with his head on one side, hoping that his friends would notice how +wise he looked. + +He was engaged in that agreeable pastime one afternoon +when--_thump!_--something struck the limb on which he was perched. + +Mr. Crow gave a squawk and a jump. And then he glanced quickly toward +the ground. + +There was no one anywhere in sight. So Mr. Crow looked somewhat silly. +For a moment he had thought that Johnnie Green had thrown something at +him. But he saw at once that he was mistaken. Of course it could have +been nothing more than a dead branch falling. + +He settled himself again, trying to appear as if he hadn't been +startled, when--_plump!_--something gave him a smart blow on his back. + +Old Mr. Crow flopped hastily into a neighboring tree. And this time he +looked up instead of down. + +At first he could see nothing unusual. And he had almost made up his +mind that something had fallen out of the sky, when a head showed +itself from behind a limb and a queer, wrinkled face peered at him. + +Mr. Crow did not recognize the face. It was an odd one. In fact, he +thought he had never seen an odder. But if he thought the face a queer +one, it was not half as peculiar as the stranger's actions. + +For, as Mr. Crow watched him, the stranger slipped into full view, +hanging by his tail and one hand from a limb, while with the other +hand he waved a red cap. + +Old Mr. Crow's mouth fell open. For a time he said never a word. + +And for him, that was quite out of the ordinary. + + + + +II + +No 'Possum + + +At first old Mr. Crow could scarcely believe his eyes. He stared and +stared. Certainly it was no 'possum that he saw. And yet the stranger +was hanging by his tail. + +There could be no doubt about that. Even as Mr. Crow watched him he +waved both hands at Mr. Crow, and swung by his tail alone. + +The old gentleman was terribly upset. During all the summers he had +spent in Pleasant Valley he had never seen any such person there +before. + +For a moment Mr. Crow was worried about himself. He wondered if he was +not ill. He knew he had eaten a good deal of corn that day. And he +half hoped that that was the trouble--that perhaps he saw something +that wasn't really in the tree at all. + +Then he remembered the blow on his back. Had the queer person in the +tree-top struck him?... Mr. Crow grew angry. + +"Did you hit me?" he called. + +"I'm not sure," said the stranger. "But I _think_ I did, for I saw you +jump." + +"Then you threw something at me!" Mr. Crow screamed. + +"Oh, no!" the other replied. "I didn't throw anything at you, sir. I +merely dropped something on your back." + +Mr. Crow choked. Perhaps it was as well that he could not speak just +then. He coughed and spluttered and swallowed and swayed back and +forth, trying to get his breath. And he had begun, at last to feel +better, when--_biff!_--something struck him again and all but knocked +him over. + +The stranger gave a shrill whistle. + +"I _threw_ something that time!" he jeered. + +Old Mr. Crow felt that he had been terribly insulted. He looked as +dignified as he could. And he would have turned his back on the +stranger--had he dared. + +While he was wondering whether he had better fly away, or stay and +quarrel with the rude person who had pelted him, the boorish stranger +leaped from the tall tree into the smaller one where Mr. Crow was +sitting. Then, dropping nimbly from limb to limb, with the help of his +hands and his feet and his tail, he stopped at last when he had +reached Mr. Crow's level. + +One thing was certain. The stranger was bold as brass. He looked Mr. +Crow up and down. And then he said: + +"You're a gay old bird! What's your name?" + +Now, no doubt some people would have been angry. But Mr. Crow rather +liked to be called gay, because he couldn't help looking solemn. And +most people knew he was very old. And everybody was aware he was a +bird. So he said hoarsely: + +"My name is Mister Crow--and please don't forget the _Mister_." + +The stranger put on his flat-topped red cap and touched the visor +smartly with his right hand, in a military manner. + +Old Mr. Crow couldn't help admiring the newcomer's clothes. He wore a +red coat trimmed with gold braid, and bright blue trousers. + +"That's a handsome suit that you have on," Mr. Crow observed. "I +shouldn't mind having one like it myself." + +The stranger seemed pleased. And he touched his cap again. + +"I'm afraid you can't have a suit like this," he said. "It's a +_uniform_--that's what it is. And, of course, a plain _Mister_ like you +can't wear a uniform. But I wear one because I'm a soldier." + +Old Mr. Crow was disappointed. But he soon brightened up. Though he +wasn't a soldier himself, at least it was pleasant to know one. So he +decided to forget that he had been angry with the stranger. + +"What's your name?" he asked. + +"Major Monkey," said the newcomer, knocking off his cap with one hand +and catching it with the other as it fell. "When you speak to me, +please don't forget the _Major_," he added. + + + + +III + +Getting Acquainted + + +Major Monkey and old Mr. Crow had a long talk. They got on famously +together, because the old gentleman liked to pry into other people's +affairs and the Major loved to talk about himself. + +In reply to Mr. Crow's questions, Major Monkey explained that he was a +great traveller. And having found himself in the village a few miles +away, he had taken a notion to see the surrounding country. + +"This is a delightful spot," the Major remarked. "And if your +neighbors are half as pleasant as you are, I think I'll stay right +here for the present." + +Naturally, old Mr. Crow was flattered. He couldn't remember when +anybody had said he was pleasant. + +"I hope you will settle in Pleasant Valley," he told Major Monkey. "As +for the neighbors--well, you'll find them a queer lot, mostly." + +"What's the matter with them?" the Major asked him. + +Thereupon old Mr. Crow shook his head. + +"They're not at all like me," he replied slowly. + +"Of course, there's my cousin, Jasper Jay. He's not a bad sort--except +that he's rude, noisy, and a good deal of a rascal. But the +others--well, most of them are too greedy. If I didn't watch this +cornfield closely some of them wouldn't care if they didn't leave a +single kernel for anybody else." + +"Do you like corn?" the Major inquired. + +Mr. Crow swallowed once or twice before answering. + +"I can eat it," he said finally. "It keeps one alive, you know. But if +you've never had any, I advise you not to touch it." + +Major Monkey thanked him. + +"Don't mention it!" said Mr. Crow. "I'm delighted to be of help to a +stranger. And if there is anything else I can do, don't hesitate to +call on me." + +Major Monkey thanked him again. And then he said: + +"I'd like to get acquainted with all the neighbors--such as they are. +And I would suggest that you give a party and invite me and a lot of +people to come to it, so I can meet them." + +Old Mr. Crow bit his tongue. It struck him that Major Monkey was just +the least bit too forward. + +"What about refreshments?" Mr. Crow asked him. "It's easy to see that +you don't know the neighbors. I can tell you that they have enormous +appetites--every one of them." + +"Oh! that's easily arranged," said Major Monkey. "Tell everybody to be +sure to have his refreshments before he comes to the party." + +"A good idea!" Mr. Crow exclaimed. With that difficulty removed he +was willing to give a party, for he quite liked the prospect of +introducing everybody to "his old friend, Major Monkey." + +"You're sure you don't know anybody in this valley except me?" Mr. +Crow asked. He didn't want to divide with anyone else the honor of +being a friend of anybody so imposing as the Major. + +"I haven't spoken to a soul but you," Major Monkey assured him. + +Mr. Crow said he was glad of that. And then he asked the Major to keep +out of sight until the time came for the party to begin. + +At first Major Monkey objected. And not until Mr. Crow promised to +have the party that very day--an hour before sunset--did he consent to +hide himself. + +"Where's a good place?" he asked Mr. Crow. + +"That tree is hollow," said Mr. Crow, pointing to the one in which he +had first seen the Major. "Just slip inside that hole there, about +half way up the trunk, and don't come out till I call you!" + +Major Monkey scrambled back into the tall tree. And Mr. Crow watched +him narrowly until he was out of sight. Indeed, the old gentleman even +continued to stare at the hole after his friend had vanished inside +it. + + + + +IV + +Wanted--A Lodging + + +Afterward old Mr. Crow had to admit that he must have been forgetful. +He had told Major Monkey to hide inside the hollow tree. And being a +total stranger in the neighborhood, of course the Major didn't know +that an owl lived there. + +So he entered the dark hole boldly. And soon he came dashing out of it +much faster than he had gone in, shrieking at the top of his voice. + +Old Mr. Crow was poised on a branch, as if he were waiting for +something. And he almost smiled as he looked at the Major and saw that +he was shaking. The poor fellow's teeth were chattering, too. + +"What's the matter?" Mr. Crow called to him. + +"There's--there's a Tiger inside this tree!" Major Monkey stammered. "I +know it's a Tiger, for I saw his eyes." + +"Nonsense!" Mr. Crow exclaimed. And he burst into a loud _haw-haw_. +"It's nothing but an old Owl. I forgot all about him. A fine soldier +you are--afraid of an old Owl!" + +Major Monkey straightened his cap and looked as soldierly as he could. + +"You're mistaken, in a way," he told Mr. Crow. "I admit I was afraid. +I was _afraid I had frightened him_, waking him up so suddenly. So I +retreated." + +Old Mr. Crow stopped laughing and looked very thoughtful. It occurred +to him that Major Monkey was a somewhat slippery person. Certainly he +could slip out of a hole about as easily as anybody Mr. Crow knew. + +"You'll have to find some other place for me to hide," the Major +announced. "I don't want to stay in this tree all day, for I shouldn't +like to disturb a gentleman's rest." + +Mr. Crow pondered for a few moments. + +"You see that old haystack?" he said at last, pointing across the +fields. "Go and burrow under that. And be back here exactly an hour +before sunset." + +Major Monkey saluted. + +"That suits me," he said. And then he turned and scurried down to the +ground, leaped quickly upon the fence, and galloped off along the +topmost rails. + + * * * * * + +Mr. Crow spent a very busy day inviting everybody to his party, to +meet his old friend, Major Monkey. + +"He's a famous soldier," Mr. Crow explained, when people asked him +questions. "And I hope you'll all wear your best clothes, because the +Major himself is very handsomely dressed. There's gold braid on his +coat, and on his cap, too." + +The old gentleman talked so much about the Major's uniform that a good +many of the neighbors thought that Mr. Crow ought to postpone his +party for a few days, until they could get Mr. Frog, the tailor, to +make them some new clothes. + +But Mr. Crow wouldn't listen to them. + +"No!" he said. "We mustn't wait. My friend the Major is a great +traveller. There's no knowing when he will take it into his head to +move on. And if you want to meet him there's no time like the +present." + +Well, people were so busy getting ready for the party that there was a +great flurry everywhere all day long--except at the haystack, where +Major Monkey was hiding. And even he did not have so dull a time as +you might suppose. + +Luckily, he had discovered a lone apple tree near-by. And being fond +of fruit he crept out of the haystack every few minutes and gathered +apples. + +What he could eat, he ate greedily. And what he couldn't he hid under +the stack. + +And on the whole, he had rather a pleasant time. + + + + +V + +Meeting Major Monkey + + +Everybody was prompt when the hour came for Mr. Crow's party. In fact, +everybody was ahead of time. Old Mr. Crow had talked so much about his +old friend Major Monkey and the Major's gold-braided uniform that +people simply couldn't wait to see the stranger and his fine clothes. + +There was just one difficulty: the Major himself was not on hand. + +Old Mr. Crow began to be terribly worried. But he tried not to let +anybody know that he was disturbed. + +"He'll be here soon," he said when people asked him where Major Monkey +was. "I've never known my friend the Major to break an engagement. +He's a bit late--that's all. I only hope he isn't lost. You know he's a +stranger in these parts." + +Now, Mr. Crow was sitting in a tree, gazing toward the haystack in the +distance, where he had told the Major to hide. And he had hardly +finished speaking when a big red apple struck the tree just above his +head with a loud _smack_ and broke into bits. + +Mr. Crow jumped. And so did everybody else. But before the party had +time to scatter, Major Monkey peeped from behind a neighboring tree +and uttered a piercing whistle. + +"Don't go, friends!" Mr. Crow cried to his companions. "Here he is +now! Here's Major Monkey himself.... That's only one of his jokes," he +added, for he noticed that some of his cronies appeared somewhat +nervous. + +Major Monkey drew nearer. His face bore a wide grin; while in his hand +he clutched another red apple, which he threatened playfully to throw +at the company. + +"Don't do that, Major!" Mr. Crow called. "You might get hungry, you +know. And if you do, you can eat that apple." + +Major Monkey touched his cap to Mr. Crow. He seemed to think that was +good advice, for he lowered the hand that held the apple. + +On hearing Mr. Crow's suggestion the whole company began to laugh. +They seemed to think that Mr. Crow was joking. + +"Who ever heard of anybody going hungry at a party?" Fatty Coon +exclaimed. And turning to Mr. Crow, he asked him where the +refreshments were. + +The old gentleman seemed taken aback. + +"I declare," he gasped, "I forgot to tell you all to have your +refreshments before you came." + +"Isn't there going to be anything to eat?" Fatty Coon asked him +anxiously. + +Mr. Crow shook his head. + +"It really doesn't matter," he said, talking very fast. "You know, I +invited everybody to meet my old friend, Major Monkey. And here he is, +all ready to tell you about his travels. But first we'll have a little +music." + +It was now the Major's turn to look uneasy. + +"Music!" he echoed. "I hope you haven't gone and got a hand-organ!" + +"No--not that!" said Mr. Crow. "The Woodchuck brothers are going to +whistle for us." + +"Oh!" said the Major, who appeared much relieved. "I was afraid you +had a hand-organ. And I don't care for that sort of music. I've heard +too much of it on my travels." + +At a signal from Mr. Crow, the Woodchuck brothers stepped forward and +started to whistle a lively tune, called "Clover Blossoms." Being very +fond of clover blossoms, the musicians began whistling in a most +spirited fashion. But they had bad luck. + +Though he did not know the tune, Major Monkey insisted on whistling, +too. And all the company stopped up their ears, except Mr. Crow. He +stood the noise as long as he could. And then he ordered the whistlers +to stop. "What tune were you whistling?" he asked the Major. + +"It's called 'Banana Blossoms,'" Major Monkey explained. "You see, I'm +very fond of bananas." + +Old Mr. Crow laughed. + +"The two tunes don't go well together," he said. "So we won't have any +more music." + +And Fatty Coon cried that he was glad of that, because when people +whistled about things to eat it only made him hungrier than ever. + + + + +VI + +Too Many Disputes + + +On the whole, Mr. Crow's party would have been a great success if it +hadn't been for Peter Mink and Tommy Fox. + +As soon as Major Monkey showed himself, after throwing the apple at +Mr. Crow, those two began whispering slyly together. And when the +Major climbed a tree and hung from a limb by his tail they both jumped +up and said to Mr. Crow: + +"We saw Major Monkey before you ever did!" + +Mr. Crow promptly flew into a rage. + +"You did not!" he squalled. + +"Yes, we did!" they declared. "We told people several days ago that we +had seen a stranger hanging by his tail; and nobody believed us +because you said it wasn't possible. You said nobody but a 'possum +could do that, and that no 'possum ever came as far north as Pleasant +Valley." + +Old Mr. Crow was very angry. Although he knew that Tommy and Peter +were speaking the truth, he did not care to hear it. Certainly there +was no use of _his_ denying what they said. But an idea popped into +his head. + +"Which of you saw the Major first?" he asked. + +"I did!" they both bawled at the same time. And then followed a +terrible dispute: _"You didn't! I did! I did! You didn't!"_ + +Now, that was exactly what Mr. Crow wanted. He had started Peter Mink +and Tommy Fox to quarreling. "They'll never agree," Mr. Crow cried. +"Let's ask Major Monkey to settle the dispute! Let's leave it to him!" +And turning to his friend, the Major, Mr. Crow said: "Which of these +two sharp-nosed rascals did you see first?" + +Major Monkey took a bite out of his apple while he looked closely at +Peter Mink and Tommy Fox. + +"I never saw either of them until I came to this party," he declared. +"And then I saw both at the same time, because they were whispering +together." + +"There!" Mr. Crow shouted to the whole company. "You hear what my old +friend the Major says?" + +Tommy Fox and Peter Mink stopped quarreling. + +"You didn't ask the Major the proper question!" they objected. "We +never said _he_ saw _us_ at all! We said----" + +But Mr. Crow waved them aside. + +"If you aren't too hungry," he muttered to Major Monkey, "I'd suggest +that you let fly with that red apple." + +The Major was only too willing. With deadly aim he flung the apple at +Peter Mink and Tommy Fox. First it hit Peter on the nose, and then it +bounced off and struck Tommy on _his_ nose. + +And then the party came to an end in an awful uproar. For Peter and +Tommy were very angry. Those that could fly flew away in a great +hurry. And those that could run scampered quickly out of sight. As for +the soldier, Major Monkey, he climbed a tree and hung by his tail from +a limb, where he swung backwards and forwards and made faces at Tommy +Fox and Peter Mink until their rage was terrible to see. + +Mr. Crow did not desert his friend the Major. He remained in a tree +near-by, to watch the fun. And there's no telling how long it would +have lasted had not Major Monkey pulled himself suddenly up on a limb +and laid a hand across the front of his red coat. There was a look of +pain upon his face. + +"What's the matter?" Mr. Crow asked him. "Are you wounded?" he +inquired. Knowing that the Major was a soldier, he could think of +nothing but a wound that would make him act as he did. + +"I--I'm not sure," Major Monkey replied. "It may be that I've eaten too +many apples." + + + + +VII + +The Major Has a Pain + + +The party had come to an end; nobody was left except old Mr. Crow and +his friend Major Monkey. + +Mr. Crow himself was fast growing sleepy, for it was almost dark. And +he wanted to fly home and go to bed. But he hardly felt that he ought +to leave just then. + +There was no doubt that the Major was in great pain. He kept one hand +pressed against the lowest button of his short red coat. His cap was +awry. And his wrinkled face showed a careworn and anxious look. + +"How many apples have you eaten to-day?" Mr. Crow asked his friend. + +"I haven't the slightest idea," the Major answered. "After I had +finished two dozen I lost count." + +"My goodness!" Mr. Crow exclaimed. "It's no wonder you're ill.... +We'll hurry over to the pasture and see Aunt Polly Woodchuck, the herb +doctor. _She'll_ know what to do for you." + +Major Monkey was more than willing. So they set out at once. The Major +travelled through the tree-tops where he could, while Mr. Crow flew +slowly, alighting now and then to wait for his friend to overtake him. + +In a little while they came to the pasture. And Major Monkey was glad +to find Aunt Polly at home. + +[Illustration: Aunt Polly Woodchuck Offered Him an Apple] + +She was a wise old lady. She knew right away, without being told, that +it was Major Monkey--and not Mr. Crow--that was ill. + +"You're in pain," she remarked to the Major. "I knew it the moment I +set eyes on you." + +Major Monkey moaned faintly. + +"I hope you'll give me something to make me feel better," he wailed. + +"I will," Aunt Polly Woodchuck promised. And putting her hand inside a +basket that she carried on her arm, she drew forth a red apple. +"Here!" she said, "eat this!" + +Major Monkey drew back. + +"No!" he groaned. "I don't want any more apples. I've had too many +already." + +Aunt Polly Woodchuck shot a triumphant look at Mr. Crow. + +"I thought so," she said. And she dropped the red apple back into her +basket. "Now," she went on, turning again to the Major, "I should like +to ask whether you're fond of corn." + +Old Mr. Crow stepped forward quickly. + +"I object!" he cried. "The less said about corn, the better!" + +Aunt Polly Woodchuck hastened to explain that she meant no offense to +anyone. + +"I merely wondered," she said, "whether you gave your guests corn to +eat at your party." + +"Certainly not!" Mr. Crow exploded. "Certainly not!" And he glared at +the old lady as if to say: "Change the subject--for pity's sake!" + +"You're a stranger in these parts, I take it," Aunt Polly said, +turning once more to Major Monkey. "No doubt you've been used to +eating different food from what you get hereabouts." + +"That's so," the Major admitted. "I've been living mostly on boiled +rice, with a baked potato now and then." + +"Ah! Cooked food!" said Aunt Polly. "And if you had that sort of fare, +you must have been living with _men_." + +The Major looked uneasy. + +"I don't care to talk about my past," he murmured. "Just you give me +something to warm my stomach a bit. That's all I ask of you." + +Well, Aunt Polly Woodchuck handed him some peppermint leaves. + +"Chew these," she directed him. "And if you don't feel better to-morrow +I'll lose my guess." + +Major Monkey put the leaves into his mouth and made a wry face. + +"Haven't you a lump of sugar to make this dose taste better?" he asked +her. + +"There!" Aunt Polly cried. "You've been fed by _men_! I knew it all +the time." + +Major Monkey made no comment on her remark. And settling his cap +firmly on his head he said that he must be going. + +So he and Mr. Crow went off. + +"Where are you going to spend the night?" Mr. Crow asked him as soon +as they were out of Aunt Polly's hearing. + +"That haystack is a good place," said the Major. "I believe I'll live +there as long as I stay in Pleasant Valley." + +"It's not far from the farmhouse," Mr. Crow observed. "Perhaps you +could steal--er--I mean _find_ a little cooked food there now and then." + +"That's an idea," Major Monkey told him. But he did not explain +whether he thought it a good one or not. + + + + +VIII + +A Secret + + +When Major Monkey awoke the following morning his pain had left him. +Creeping from the haystack where he had slept, he cast longing eyes at +the red apples in the tree near-by. But he remembered his trouble of +the evening before. And he remembered likewise what Mr. Crow had said +about "finding" something to eat at the farmhouse. + +But for some reason the Major wanted to avoid Farmer Green's house. To +be sure, he would have enjoyed sitting down with the family at the +breakfast table. But he was afraid something might prevent his leaving +after he had eaten. + +Luckily Major Monkey was a person who could usually find a way out of +any difficulty. And now he made up his mind that a light meal of eggs +was the very thing he needed in order to begin the day right. So he +went straight to the woods and climbed the first tree he came to--a +pine tree just beyond the fence. + +There Major Monkey found exactly what he was looking for. In a +warbler's nest, a dozen feet from the ground, he beheld five speckled +eggs. + +The owners of the nest were not at home. But knowing that one or the +other would soon return, the Major did not care to linger long over +their treasures. + +He noticed that one of the eggs was bigger than the others. + +"Really there are too many eggs here for this small nest," the Major +said to himself. "If I take the big one I'll be doing the owners a +favor." + +So he picked up the big egg, and holding it carefully in one hand he +hurried away. + +When he had put some distance between himself and the nest, Major +Monkey stopped to enjoy his breakfast. He was just on the point of +opening the egg, when who should come up but old Mr. Crow. + +The Major quickly hid his breakfast behind his back. + +"Good morning!" said Mr. Crow. "I hope you are feeling better to-day." + +"Oh, yes--thank you!" said Major Monkey. "I'm quite well again." + +Mr. Crow's sharp eyes pierced him through and through. + +"What are you holding behind you?" he asked bluntly. + +The Major saw that he was caught. + +"It's my breakfast," he confessed, giving Mr. Crow a quick glance at +what was in his hand. "I--I found it," he said. "Wasn't I lucky?" + +"A bird's egg!" Mr. Crow exclaimed disapprovingly. "What kind is it?" + +"It's nothing but a Warbler's egg," Major Monkey replied. + +The old gentleman smiled knowingly. And feeling more comfortable, +Major Monkey opened his hand and gave Mr. Crow a good look at his +prize. + +"That's too big for a Warbler's egg!" Mr. Crow cried. + +"I found it in a Warbler's nest," Major Monkey insisted. + +"Were there any more like this one in the nest?" Mr. Crow asked. + +"Oh, yes!" the Major answered. + +"Were they as big as this egg?" Mr. Crow inquired. + +Major Monkey explained that they were not. + +"Just as I supposed!" the old gentleman exclaimed. "This isn't a +Warbler's egg. It's a Cowbird's egg. And you've done that Warbler +family a good turn by taking it out of their nest. + +"I know Mrs. Cowbird," he went on. "She's too lazy to bring up her own +children. So she sneaks through the woods and lays her eggs in other +folk's nests.... I must tell of this," Mr. Crow added. "People will +think very kindly of you when they hear what you have done." + +But Major Monkey begged him not to mention the matter to anyone. + +He pleaded so hard that at last Mr. Crow consented to keep the affair +a secret between them. And Mr. Crow couldn't help thinking that Major +Monkey was one of the most modest people he had ever met. + +Then the Major opened the egg with great skill, and ate its contents +without spilling a drop. + +"Now," he said, "now I'm ready for business." + + + + +IX + +The Major Has a Plan + + +"What is your business, if I may ask?" Mr. Crow inquired of Major +Monkey. + +"Lately I've been spending my time travelling," the Major replied. +"But you know I'm a soldier. And while I'm in Pleasant Valley I intend +to form an army." + +Old Mr. Crow looked somewhat worried when he heard that. + +"I hope you aren't going to guard the cornfield!" he said hastily. + +Major Monkey set his fears at rest. + +"We'll let Farmer Green do that," he said with a wink. "This is what +we'll do: we'll band ourselves together and we'll fight any strangers +that come to Pleasant Valley to live." + +"That's not a bad plan," Mr. Crow remarked. "But it's lucky for you +that you didn't form the army before you got here yourself--else we'd +have had to fight _you_." + +"Of course!" Major Monkey agreed. "But trust me not to make such a +mistake as that." + +"Who's going to be in the army?" Mr. Crow wanted to know. + +"Everybody!" the Major answered, with a wave of the hand that took in +the whole valley. + +For as long as a minute old Mr. Crow was very thoughtful. + +"I shall not care to be in it unless I can be a general," he announced +at last. + +"Why, certainly!" said Major Monkey. "Certainly you shall be a +general, Mr. Crow." + +Mr. Crow swelled himself up and looked as important as he could. + +"Get everybody to come to the edge of the woods, near the pasture, +early to-morrow morning," Major Monkey commanded. + +"Aren't you going to do any of the work?" Mr. Crow demanded. "I +thought generals didn't have to do anything except look wise." + +"It's easier for you to get about than it is for me. But as soon as we +have our army together I'll take entire charge of it," Major Monkey +informed him. + +Mr. Crow was satisfied. After all, it wouldn't really be _work_, he +told himself, to fly around and tell the people the news. In fact, the +more he thought about the plan the better he liked it. + +So he bade Major Monkey good-by and hurried away. + +When Mr. Crow had flown out of sight the Major rolled over and over on +the ground. And then he climbed a tree and swung by his tail from a +limb, while he made an odd, chuckling sound. + +"A _general_!" he said. "_General Crow!_ Why he never wore a uniform +in all his life!" + +On the following morning the field-and forest-folk began gathering at +the edge of the woods near the pasture almost before it was light. And +when Major Monkey left his snug bed in the haystack and went to the +meeting-place he found an eager throng waiting for him. + +Old Mr. Crow was flitting about, talking in a loud voice, and ordering +people around to his heart's content. + +"Silence!" Major Monkey commanded, as soon as he arrived. Mr. Crow +opened his mouth to speak. But Major Monkey cut him off short. + +"The first thing a soldier has to learn is to _obey_," he barked. + +"But I'm a _general_!" Mr. Crow protested. + +"Well, these are _general_ orders; so you'll have to obey 'em," said +Major Monkey glibly. + +And poor old Mr. Crow didn't know what to say to that. + +But he couldn't help looking rather grumpy. + + + + +X + +The New Army + + +"Now, then--fall in!" Major Monkey shouted to the whole company of +field-and forest-folk. + +But nobody had the slightest idea what he meant. + +"You don't suppose he expects us to fall in the brook, do you?" Tommy +Fox asked his nearest neighbor. If there was anything that Tommy +disliked, it was getting his feet wet. + +Major Monkey soon saw that nobody knew what to do. + +"Form a long line, two deep!" he directed. + +And then there was trouble, because everyone wanted to be in the front +rank (as Major Monkey called it) in order to see everything. + +After a good deal of jostling and squirming on the part of the +company, and much loud talk on the part of Major Monkey, the new army +at last stood stretched out in a double line along the pasture-fence. + +Major Monkey seemed much pleased as he walked up and down in front of +his soldiers. And then he happened to glance up. + +There was Mr. Crow, perched on a limb over his head. + +"Here, you!" the Major shouted. "Didn't you hear me say 'Fall in?'" + +"Certainly!" said Mr. Crow. "But I'm a general, you know." + +"Well, what of that?" the Major snapped. "So are all these people +generals! You didn't think--did you?--that I'd have anybody in my army +that wasn't at least a general?" + +For a wonder, Mr. Crow said never a word. He was angry. But he didn't +want to be left out of the army. So he decided that he had better +obey. And he flapped down and took his place just in front of the +front rank. + +"You mustn't stand there!" Major Monkey said to him severely. "You're +late falling in. There's no place left for you. So you'll have to +stand behind all the others." + +That was just a little more than old Mr. Crow could bear. + +"I'll do nothing of the sort!" he squawked. "And I must say that this +is shabby treatment to receive from an old friend." + +Major Monkey certainly didn't want any trouble right at the beginning. +So he hastened to soothe Mr. Crow's wounded feelings. + +"Look here," he said to the old gentleman, "if I were you I shouldn't +care to be a common general." + +"What else can I be?" asked Mr. Crow with a hopeful gleam in his eye. + +"You can be the cook," the Major suggested. "There are dozens of +generals; but you'd be the only cook, you see." + +Mr. Crow rather liked that idea. + +"I accept your offer," he said somewhat stiffly. And then he marched +down the line and took his place behind it. + +Major Monkey breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad that the trouble +had proved no worse. And now he turned once more to inspect the crowd +of generals that was to make up his army. + +"Here, you!" he said suddenly, pointing to a brownish gentleman at one +end of the front rank. "What's your name?" + +"Rusty Wren!" was the meek reply. + +"Don't stick your tail up in the air like that!" Major Monkey cried. +"You're spoiling the looks of the whole army." + +Rusty Wren replied that it was very hard for him to keep his tail down +for longer than a few moments at a stretch. + +"I don't believe I'll be in the army," he announced. "Probably my wife +is wondering where I am this moment. So I'm going home." And thereupon +he flew away toward Farmer Green's dooryard, where he lived. + +"Well, we're rid of _him_, anyhow," said Major Monkey. And then he +noticed something else that wasn't as it should have been. + +"Here, you!" he called to Peter Mink. "Pull in your neck! It's too +long! It sticks out and spoils the looks of the whole army." + +Now, Peter Mink was a rude fellow. And he made such a rude reply that +Major Monkey discharged him on the spot. + +"Go away!" he cried. "We don't want any rowdies in our army." + + + + +XI + +War in the Woods + + +Although Major Monkey had ordered him out of the army, Peter Mink +declared that he wasn't going till he was ready to leave. + +"Very well," said the Major easily. "You may stay here; and we'll go." + +But Peter Mink was an obstinate fellow. The moment the army started to +move, he went along with it. And what was worse, he insisted on +walking right behind Major Monkey, and trying to strut just as the +Major did. + +Some of the generals couldn't help snickering. And of course Major +Monkey couldn't overlook such behavior. + +"Order in the ranks!" he shouted as fiercely as he knew how. + +The generals stopped tittering at once. For a minute or two everybody +marched on in silence. And then the cry, "Halt!" rang suddenly out. + +The generals all stopped. Major Monkey stopped, too. And his face +seemed more wrinkled than ever as he looked every general in the face. + +Naturally, that took some time, for there were several dozens of them. + +"Who shouted 'Halt?'" the Major asked at last. + +But nobody knew. At least, nobody answered. And there was a good deal +of low talking and craning of necks. For some reason or other, +everybody peered at Peter Mink. But he stared straight ahead in the +most innocent fashion. + +Major Monkey said nothing more. But he walked behind the army and +picked up a stick. + +"Forward, march!" he commanded then. And as the army moved on, he +continued to walk in the rear, just behind old Mr. Crow. + +Soon the cry, "Halt!" sounded again. And as soon as he heard it, Major +Monkey threw his stick with great force and caught Peter Mink neatly +in the back of his head. Peter Mink toppled over where he stood. + +"There!" Major Monkey remarked. "He won't bother us any more to-day." +And before the army had stopped gasping, he marched it forward again, +leaving Peter Mink stretched upon the ground. + +Some of the generals objected, and said that they thought that Peter +Mink ought to be looked after. + +But Major Monkey told them that they were in the army, and that it was +_war_, and they must expect even worse things to happen. + +Now, Jimmy Rabbit was a tender-hearted chap. He couldn't bear the +thought of leaving even a rascal like Peter Mink wounded and alone. + +"I think you ought to send the cook back to take care of him," Jimmy +told Major Monkey. + +At that, Mr. Crow--who was the cook--spoke up and said that he was going +to stay with the army. + +"I don't see," he said, "how you could get along without me. An army +without a cook is as good as lost." + +Major Monkey promptly agreed with Mr. Crow. + +"Certainly we mustn't get lost," he said. "If we were lost, the enemy +never could find us. And we might wander about in the woods for years +and years." + +His remarks made some of the generals a bit uneasy. And one of them--a +soldier called Billy Woodchuck--announced that he would have to be +leaving. + + + + +XII + +Over and Under + + +When Billy Woodchuck talked about leaving the army, Major Monkey +became greatly excited. He muttered something under his breath about +_deserters_, and _shooting them at sunrise_. And he strutted up to +Billy Woodchuck and asked him what he meant by quitting the army +without permission. + +Though Billy Woodchuck hung his head, he insisted that he must go +home. + +"I have an engagement," he explained, "to stand guard in the +clover-patch, while my father and some other old gentlemen feast on +clover-tops." + +"Are they expecting an attack?" Major Monkey inquired, pricking up his +ears. + +"Of course not!" said Billy Woodchuck. "They're not _expecting_ one, +or they would stay safe at home. But you never can tell what old dog +Spot is going to do. My father and his friends would be disappointed +if I didn't come. They would be angry, too. And just as likely as not +I'd be put to bed an hour before sunset. So I shall go home now, +whether you give me leave or not." + +"Then I'll give you leave--if that's the case," said Major Monkey. "I +can't have anybody disobeying orders; so I'll give you leave. And I'll +dismiss the army until to-morrow.... The last man over the fence will +be shot at sunrise," he added. It seemed as if he was determined to +shoot somebody, anyhow. + +Well, everyone turned and ran like the wind. Naturally, nobody wanted +to be last, after what Major Monkey had said. + +It looked, for a few moments, as if the whole army was going to cross +the fence at the same instant. But Billy Woodchuck was so unlucky as +to step into a hole. He fell head over heels. And by the time he had +picked himself up and reached the fence all the rest were safe on the +other side of it. + +Things looked very dark for Billy Woodchuck--especially when Major +Monkey grinned horribly at him between the rails and said: + +"Too bad, my boy! But this is war, you know.... Please don't forget +the time! To-morrow, at sunrise!" + +Billy Woodchuck's heart sank. He wished he had never joined the army. +And then an idea came to him. It was such a simple one that it is a +wonder he hadn't thought of it instantly. Instead of going _over_ the +fence, to everybody's surprise he squirmed _under_ it. And everybody +was vastly relieved. Even Major Monkey appeared to be delighted. + +"I'm afraid"--he said with a smile--"I'm afraid we'll have to shoot the +rest of the army at sunrise, for they went over the fence last." + +But Mr. Crow spoke up and said: "Nonsense! The rest of us went over +_first_!" + +Major Monkey had to admit that that was true. And he showed plainly +that he was disappointed. Although he did not look the least bit +cruel, it was clear that he had looked forward to shooting--and the +more the merrier. + +"It's really a great pity," he said, "that we can't have a shot at +somebody." + + + + +XIII + +The Major Hesitates + + +Major Monkey's army soon became known far and wide. Its fame reached +beyond Pleasant Valley, to the other side of Blue Mountain. And a good +many persons who had been in the habit of making excursions into the +valley now and then began to think that it was a good place to avoid. + +Old Mr. Crow had a good deal to do with spreading the news. He took +several long trips, just to tell people that the army was ready--and +eager--to fight all strangers. + +In fact, the Major said he wished Mr. Crow would mind his own affairs. +For how was the army ever going to fight, if all the enemies kept out +of its way? + +All the generals began to tell one another that Major Monkey was a +very brave soldier. And certainly he _said_ nothing to change their +opinion of him. He was always telling how much he liked to fight, and +complaining that he was only wasting his valuable time in Pleasant +Valley. + +In a way the Major was right. And probably there never would have been +the least trouble if Johnnie Green and his friends hadn't happened to +have a picnic in the woods on the same day and in the same spot that +the Major had chosen to call his generals together. + +[Illustration: "You're a Sneak-Thief!" Jasper Jay said.] + +Of course, the Major couldn't drill his soldiers with Johnnie Green +and a half-dozen other boys on hand to watch. So the generals lurked +behind trees and wished that the picnickers would go away. + +Meanwhile Major Monkey himself sulked in the tree-tops, hidden high up +among the leafy branches, where nobody would be likely to spy him. He +watched the boys while they ate their luncheon, which they devoured as +soon as they reached the picnic grove. And then he looked on while they +played games--hide-and-seek, and duck-on-the-rock, and follow-my-leader, +and ever so many others. + +Now and then old Mr. Crow flew up and tried to talk with Major Monkey. +But the Major had very little to say. And at last Mr. Crow lost all +patience with him. + +"Are you going to sit here all day and do nothing?" Mr. Crow demanded. + +"S-sh!" Major Monkey said. "Do be quiet! Do you want them to hear +you?" + +"I don't care if they hear me," Mr. Crow cried. "It's plain to me that +these boys will stay here all day if they're not driven away." + +"No doubt!" Major Monkey agreed, as he plucked a tender shoot off the +tree and ate it. "But what can we do?" + +"Do!" said Mr. Crow. "What's the army for--I'd like to know--if not to +fight?" + +Major Monkey's wrinkled face seemed somewhat pale. + +"Quite true!" he agreed again. "But I'm not sure we're strong enough +to do anything against these ruffians down below. I'm not sure that I +can depend on the army in a pinch." + +To the Major's great alarm, Mr. Crow squalled with rage. + +"You've insulted me!" he shrieked. And he made such a commotion that +Major Monkey scampered off, beckoning to Mr. Crow to follow him. + +Just as they left, a stone came crashing through the leaves, thrown by +some boy who had noticed Mr. Crow's hoarse cries. + +And that made Major Monkey run all the faster. + + + + +XIV + +Throwing Stones + + +Major Monkey never stopped running until he had gone so far that the +voices of the picnickers reached him only faintly. + +Old Mr. Crow, who had followed him closely, began to think that the +Major was frightened. But he knew he must be mistaken when Major +Monkey came to a halt and said: "Now we can talk without disturbing +anybody." + +So Mr. Crow repeated that in his opinion the Major had insulted him. + +"You've just the same as said that I'm a poor soldier!" he declared. + +Major Monkey told him that it was not so. + +"It's the _generals_ that I can't trust," he explained. "But you are +different. You're the cook, you remember. In the midst of a fight, you +wouldn't be expected to cook." + +"Then my part would be to do nothing at all?" Mr. Crow inquired. + +"Exactly!" Major Monkey cried. "And I've no doubt that you'd be a +great success." + +Old Mr. Crow always liked praise. And of course the Major's remark +pleased him. It made him all the more eager, too, to see the army +attack Johnnie Green and his friends. + +"Let's go back," said Mr. Crow, "and drive those boys out of the +picnic grove!" + +But Major Monkey shook his head. + +"I don't want to lose my army," he said. "And besides we haven't any +guns." + +"You can throw stones, can't you?" Mr. Crow asked him. + +"Oh, yes!" said the Major. + +"Well, then--if I were you I'd get some stones down by the brook and go +straight back to the grove and hurl them at the enemy." + +He said so much more that at last Major Monkey yielded. And a little +later he crept back through the tree-tops with all the stones he could +carry. + +Hidden high above the heads of the picnic party, Major Monkey gave +several short whistles. "The attack!" he whispered to old Mr. Crow, +who had returned with him to see the fun. + +"Hullo!" Johnnie Green shouted, stopping short in the midst of a game +of leapfrog. "Who's up there?" And he peered into the greenery above. + +Nobody seemed to know the answer to his question. Certainly there was +nobody missing from the picnic party. + +"I wonder if it's Red Head!" said Johnnie. "You remember he said he +couldn't come because he had work to-day. But he must have sneaked +over here ahead of us and climbed a tree." + +The words were scarcely out of Johnnie Green's mouth when a small +stone plunged down from the trees and struck one of his great toes. +Being barefooted, Johnnie Green let out a yell. + +"Ouch!" he cried. "It's Red Head! There's no doubt about it." + +If anybody else had any doubts, they faded quickly when a small shower +of stones descended. + +"Stop that!" the boys began to shout. "Come down!" And they threatened +Red Head with terrible punishments. + +Of course, Major Monkey was delighted. He knew that his army of +generals could see--and hear--everything. And after he had thrown his +last stone he felt so bold that he slipped down upon a lower limb, +which gave him a better view of the picnic ground. + +One of the boys caught a glimpse of a queer figure above him. And with +a shriek he turned and fled. + +His companions looked at him in wonder. And Johnnie Green couldn't +imagine what had happened, when his staring eyes beheld the Major +hanging from a bough over his head. + +"It's a monkey!" Johnnie Green gasped. "Where in the world could he +have come from?" + + + + +XV + +The Retreat + + +Major Monkey quite enjoyed the amazement of the picnickers. And he did +two very odd things, for the commander of an army: first he took off +his red cap and made a low bow to Johnnie Green and his mates; and +next he swung off the limb of the tree and hung by his tail and one +hand. + +The boys whooped with delight. + +"Let's catch him!" Johnnie Green cried. And then he shouted to the boy +who had run away, and who stood a good, safe distance off, looking +back and wondering what was going on. "Hi, Bill! It's a monkey!" +Johnnie bellowed. + +Bill came running back at top speed. + +"We're going to catch him," said Johnnie Green. + +"How're we going to do that?" asked the boy who had been frightened +and run away and come back. + +Nobody answered him, for at that moment one of the youngsters flung a +butternut at the Major, who caught the missile deftly and shot it back +again. + +A howl of delight from the ground below greeted the Major's ears. + +"Let's stone him!" somebody cried. + +But Johnnie Green said, "No! We don't want to hurt him. We'll climb +the tree and get him." + +His friends agreed that that was the better way, after all. And one +after another they began to shin up the tree where Major Monkey was +still cutting his queer capers. The boys had no sooner started to +climb after him than the Major gave a shrill whistle. He was calling +for help. But there was not a general in sight anywhere. + +He could see not a single one of his whole army, except the cook, old +Mr. Crow. And even he flapped away to a neighboring tree-top. As Mr. +Crow remarked afterward, since he had to do nothing, he thought he +could do it much better if he wasn't too near. + +Major Monkey began to chatter. And Mr. Crow always declared that the +Major trembled. + +There is no doubt that he was alarmed. He scrambled to the very top of +the tree, while the boys went up, up, up--until at last Major Monkey +gave a scream and jumped into another--and smaller--tree, the top of +which was far below him. + +He plunged, sprawling, through the leafy boughs until he managed to +seize a branch and steady himself. Then he was off like a squirrel. +And long before the boys had reached the ground again Major Monkey was +far away in the woods. + + * * * * * + +Mr. Crow took good care not to lose sight of Major Monkey. And when +the Major at last stopped, panting, and slipped down to the ground to +have a drink out of the brook, old Mr. Crow promptly joined him. + +"Aha!" said Mr. Crow. "_You_ were scared. _You_ ran away!" + +The Major wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and looked at Mr. +Crow uneasily. + +"I _came_ away--yes!" he said. + +Mr. Crow snorted. + +"A fine soldier you are!" he cried scornfully. "You aren't brave +enough to lead an army. I should think you'd be ashamed." + +Major Monkey seemed pained. He said it hurt him to have Mr. Crow say +such cruel things. + +"It's plain," said he, "that you don't know much about an army, in +spite of all I've tried to teach you. Of course I had to leave. I'm +the leader of the army; and I must keep out of danger. So when the +generals failed to come to my rescue when I whistled for help there +was nothing I could do except retreat." + +For a long time Mr. Crow was silent. + +"You were scared, anyway," he remarked at last. + +"I wasn't!" the Major protested. + +"You were!" said Mr. Crow. "You were! You were! You were!" + +Of course he was very ill-mannered. But Major Monkey was too polite to +tell him so. Instead, he picked up a smooth stone out of the brook and +threw it at Mr. Crow's head. + +The old gentleman hopped aside just in time. And without waiting to +dispute any further, he tore off as fast as he could go. + +"Now who's scared?" Major Monkey called after him. + +But old Mr. Crow did not stop to answer. + + + + +XVI + +The Major's Trouble + + +After Major Monkey fled from Johnnie Green and his friends in the +picnic grove, his generals declared that they wanted no leader that +ran away from the enemy. And since they couldn't agree on anyone else +to take the Major's place, they disbanded. + +So Major Monkey lost his army. But the loss did not seem to trouble +him greatly. He was almost too cheerful. And his neighbors even +claimed that his spirits rose higher each day. + +There is no doubt that the Major felt very gay. He was fast losing the +lean and hungry look he had had when he first appeared in Pleasant +Valley. And he became freer than ever as to manners. + +Nobody else could go about the woods with any comfort, because one +never knew when he would have to dodge a stone. For Major Monkey liked +nothing better than making a body jump--unless it was bowling someone +over when he failed to jump soon enough. + +In time the forest-folk grew quite weary of that sport. And they began +to tell one another that something would have to be done to put an end +to Major Monkey's stone-throwing. + +But nobody could suggest any way to cure Major Monkey of his +unpleasant habit. And at last Mr. Crow went to Aunt Polly Woodchuck +and asked her if she couldn't give the Major an herb of some sort to +eat, which would make him stop wanting to pelt every head he saw. + +But Aunt Polly replied that it wasn't possible. + +"The trouble with Major Monkey," she said, "is that he eats too much +as it is. And if I gave him still more food he would only throw more +stones at you." + +Mr. Crow exclaimed that he didn't want that to happen. + +"Then you'll have to make the Major eat less," said Aunt Polly +Woodchuck. "On what sort of fare is he living at present?" she +inquired. + +Mr. Crow answered that he wasn't quite sure, but he thought Major +Monkey fed for the most part on cowbirds' eggs. + +Aunt Polly Woodchuck shook her head. + +"That's not possible," she cried. "There aren't enough Cowbirds' eggs +in Pleasant Valley to make anybody so fat as the Major is getting. +Unless I'm mistaken, he's taking the eggs of a good many others +besides Cowbirds." + +Mr. Crow became greatly excited. + +"Then he's a thief!" he squawked. "Major Monkey is an egg thief!" And +he flapped away across the pasture in a fine rage, to tell everybody +what Aunt Polly Woodchuck had said. + + * * * * * + +A little later in the day Major Monkey began to notice that a good +many of his neighbors looked at him very coldly. The birds, +especially, glared at him as if they were actually angry. And wherever +he went they set up a loud twittering. Some of them even flew at his +head and tried to peck him as they darted past. + +At first he couldn't imagine what was the matter. But before the day +was done Jasper Jay let him know what made the bird people angry. + +"You're a sneak-thief!" Jasper told the Major bluntly. "We've found at +last what makes you so fat. You've been stealing eggs from every nest +in the woods!" + +"Tut! Tut!" said Major Monkey. "When a lazy Cowbird lays an egg in +somebody else's nest, the owner ought to be grateful to me for taking +the egg out and eating it." + +"It's not that," Jasper Jay replied. "The trouble is, you've taken all +kinds of eggs." + +"Well, well!" said Major Monkey. "To be sure, I may have made a +mistake now and then. But what's an egg or two, more or less, when one +has a half-dozen of them?" + + + + +XVII + +Major Monkey Confesses + + +Major Monkey seemed surprised when Jasper Jay told him that there +wasn't a bird family in the whole valley that felt it could spare a +single egg. + +"Of course," said Jasper, "nobody cares how many Cowbirds' eggs you +eat. The Cowbirds are pests. They are too lazy to build nests of their +own. And no respectable bird family likes to have a loutish young +Cowbird to bring up with their own children. But you have gone too +far. You have been stealing eggs right and left. And the time has come +for us to put a stop to your thieving." + +A number of Jasper Jay's bird neighbors had gathered around him and +Major Monkey while they talked. And they all spoke up and said in +good, loud tones that Major Monkey was a villain--and worse. + +Anyone might think that for once the Major would have acted the least +bit ashamed. But he did not. He had not even the grace to say that he +was sorry for making a few "mistakes." + +Instead, he stuck his red cap on one side of his head and began +dancing something that might have been a jig if it had been faster. + +His actions made all the birds very angry. And some of them exclaimed +that there was no reason to make merry, so far as they could see. + +Major Monkey promptly stopped dancing and looked grieved. + +"Perhaps you would dance, too, if you had just had a good meal of +eggs," he remarked. + +A shriek went up from his listeners. And old Mr. Crow exclaimed +loudly: "Put him out! Put Major Monkey out!" + +But nobody made a move. And Major Monkey turned to Mr. Crow and said: + +"What's wrong? Have I said something I shouldn't?" + +"Said!" the old gentleman echoed. "You've not only _said_ a terrible +thing; you've _done_ a still worse one! For you've just been stealing +eggs again--and you can't deny it." + +A great clamor arose all at once. + +"Hear! Hear!" Mr. Crow's friends cried. + +And Major Monkey had hard work to make himself heard. + +"Whose eggs do you think I've been eating?" he asked Mr. Crow. + +Not knowing the exact answer to the question, Mr. Crow pretended not +to hear it at all. But he looked so slyly at the Major that the Major +himself was not deceived. He winked at Mr. Crow and shied a pebble at +him. + +"I'll tell you, old boy!" the Major cried. "I've been eating hens' +eggs." + +"Hens' eggs!" everybody repeated after him. "Hens' eggs! Where do you +get 'em?" + +"At Farmer Green's henhouse, of course," the Major answered. "I've +been going there regularly for some time. I find that the eggs are +bigger than any I can find in the woods." + +"It's no wonder he's getting fat," Jasper Jay murmured as he gazed at +Major Monkey. + +"You'll have to stop eating so much," Mr. Crow told the Major +solemnly. "Aunt Polly Woodchuck says that the reason you throw so many +stones is because you overeat and feel in too high spirits." + +Major Monkey looked disgusted when he heard that speech. + +"Aunt Polly Fiddlesticks!" he jeered. "She doesn't know what she's +talking about. Why, the more eggs I eat, the more time I must spend at +the henhouse. And while I'm there I can't throw stones here, can I?" + +Everybody had to agree with the Major. At least, everybody but Mr. +Crow remarked that what he said seemed true. + +"Now, friends," said Major Monkey at last, "if there have been any +eggs missing from your nests lately you can't blame me." + +"Then whom can we blame?" somebody cried. + +"I'd hate to say," was Major Monkey's answer. But since he looked +straight at Mr. Crow as he spoke, most of the company could not help +thinking that the old gentleman was the thief, after all. And when he +flew into a rage they felt quite sure he was guilty. + +"We always knew Mr. Crow was an old rascal!" they exclaimed. + +And so Mr. Crow took himself off. But he soon recovered his good +spirits. He was used to being called names. And to tell the truth, he +had taken a few eggs now and then--when he thought no one was watching. + + + + +XVIII + +Planning a Journey + + +After they learned that Major Monkey was in the habit of going to +Farmer Green's henhouse for eggs, the wild folk began to have a better +opinion of him once more. So long as he didn't steal birds' eggs they +were willing to overlook his stone-throwing--if he didn't throw too +many. + +Somehow they never seemed to think of Farmer Green's loss. Or if they +did, no doubt they thought that he had so many eggs that he wouldn't +mind losing a few now and then. + +So it happened that Major Monkey found everybody most agreeable--except +old Mr. Crow, who never felt the same toward him again. + +But Major Monkey did not let Mr. Crow's gruffness trouble him. He had +so many other cronies that he frequently remarked that he had never +spent a pleasanter summer. + +"I've decided"--he told Jolly Robin one day, when he stopped in the +orchard to eat an apple--"I've decided to stay right here in Pleasant +Valley for the rest of my life." + +"My gracious!" Jolly Robin exclaimed. "Then you don't mind cold +weather." + +Major Monkey asked him what he meant. And it surprised him to learn +that all winter long deep snow lay upon the ground, and cold winds +blew, and fierce storms often raged. + +Though it was a hot summer's day, Major Monkey shivered at the mere +mention of such things. And he pulled his red cap further down upon +his head. + +"If that's the case," he said, "I certainly don't want to spend the +winters here.... I don't see how you manage to live through them." + +Jolly Robin laughed merrily. "Bless you!" he cried. "I don't stay here +the year 'round. As soon as it begins to grow chilly I go South, where +it's warm." + +Now, Major Monkey looked worried when he heard about the bitter +winters in Pleasant Valley. His queer face had screwed itself into +even more wrinkles than it usually wore. But as soon as Jolly Robin +spoke of going to a warmer place, the Major brightened at once. + +"I'm going South too!" he cried. "And if you've no objection we'll +travel together." + +Jolly Robin said that nothing would please him more. + +"I shall be glad to go with you--if my wife doesn't object," he assured +the Major. + +"Oh! She won't mind," said Major Monkey. "She can go with us. We'll +make up a party.... She'll be lucky to go anywhere with such a famous +traveller as I am." + +Jolly Robin said somewhat doubtfully that he hoped Mrs. Robin would +accept their plan. And then he dashed Major Monkey's high hopes by +remarking, "Of course, we always fly when we go South." + +The Major's face fell. He looked careworn and unhappy again. + +"I don't know how to fly," he faltered. "But if you'll fly low, and +slowly enough, perhaps I can run through the tree-tops fast enough to +keep up with you. I hope it isn't a long trip," he added somewhat +anxiously. + +"It's about a thousand miles," Jolly Robin told him. + + + + +XIX + +The Major's Scheme + + +"I never can run a thousand miles through the tree-tops," Major Monkey +told Jolly Robin in a tone of great disappointment. "I don't see how I +can spend the winter in the South; and I certainly don't want to stay +here, if it's as cold as you say." The poor Major looked so glum that +Jolly Robin was sorry for him. + +"Can't you get a ride?" he asked. + +"I could ride a horse, if I had one," Major Monkey replied. + +"That's not a bad idea," Jolly Robin said. "But I'm afraid you'd have +trouble finding a horse. Farmer Green would scarcely care to spare one +of his horses for so long a trip." + +"Well, I could ride a dog," said Major Monkey. "There's that dog at +the farmhouse--old Spot, as you call him. Surely Farmer Green wouldn't +mind if I rode _him_ away, for he's nothing but a nuisance." + +"Why don't you ask Farmer Green?" Jolly Robin suggested. + +But Major Monkey shook his head. + +"No!" he said. "No! I don't want to do that yet. Before I speak to +Farmer Green I prefer to make sure that old dog Spot is _easy to ride +on_." + +Jolly Robin looked puzzled. His mouth fell open. And for a few moments +he stared at Major Monkey without saying a word. + +[Illustration: The Man Began to Sing a Merry Song] + +When he finally spoke, it was to ask Major Monkey how he was going to +find out what he wanted to know about old dog Spot. + +"There's only one way," said Major Monkey. "There's only one way; and +that's _to ride him and see_." + +Jolly Robin thought what a bold fellow Major Monkey was. He entirely +forgot the Major's flight from the picnic grove. Riding a dog was such +a feat as Jolly Robin himself would never, never attempt. And he was +sure that if Major Monkey really undertook it there could be no doubt +of his bravery. + +"How do you know"--Jolly asked the Major timidly--"how do you know that +old dog Spot will let you ride him?" + +"Don't you worry about that!" Major Monkey cried lightly, as he +swaggered along a limb of the apple tree where they were talking. +"Leave that to me." + +And Jolly Robin thought what a stout heart beat beneath Major Monkey's +red coat, and how fine it was to be one of his friends. + +"I should like to see you when you first ride old Spot," said Jolly +Robin. + +"Delighted, I'm sure!" Major Monkey cried. + +"And I hope you've no objection to my bringing my wife along, too." + +Major Monkey was not so sure that he would care to have Mrs. Robin for +an onlooker. + +"Women are likely to be timid," he remarked. "They sometimes scream at +the wrong time. And if your wife happened to cry out just as I was +about to drop on old Spot's back, he might jump. And that would spoil +everything." + +Jolly Robin decided that Major Monkey knew best. + +"We'll keep this affair a secret," he whispered. + +The Major nodded. + +"And now"--Jolly Robin asked him--"now where and when are you going to +ride old Spot?" + +Shutting his eyes tightly, Major Monkey wrinkled his low forehead +until Jolly Robin began to fear that he was in great pain. + +"Are you ill?" Jolly asked him. + +"No!" said the Major. "I was only thinking. And it seems to me that +the other end of the orchard, toward the farmhouse, would be the best +place to begin my ride.... As for the time," he added, "that will be +when old Spot happens to come that way." + +"I'll be there, whenever that may be," Jolly Robin assured him. + + + + +XX + +A Fast Ride + + +For once Mrs. Robin had reason to complain that her husband did not do +his share of the work. Jolly Robin _would_ spend most of his time at +the further end of the orchard, talking with "that good-for-nothing +Major Monkey," to use Mrs. Robin's own words. + +Whenever she flew over to speak to her husband, the Major was most +polite to her, never failing to take off his cap and ask after her +health. But Mrs. Robin had little to say to him. She had, however, a +great deal to say to Jolly Robin. But no matter how much she urged him +to stop idling and come home and help her look after their big family, +Jolly insisted that he and the Major "had business to attend to." + +At last, when Mrs. Robin gave up in despair, Jolly began to feel +somewhat uncomfortable. And he tried to get Major Monkey to go and ask +old dog Spot to come to the orchard, instead of waiting there +uncertainly for days and days. + +But Major Monkey would not consent to such a move. He was quite firm. + +"I don't want to _ask_ old Spot to give me a ride," he explained. + +"Then how do you ever expect to get one?" Jolly asked him anxiously. + +"Oh, there's a way!" was the Major's mysterious reply. And that was +all he would say. + +The longer Jolly Robin waited to see the fun, the more excited he +became, and the more Major Monkey seemed to enjoy himself. + +"Old dog Spot ought to be here soon," the Major kept saying. "I can +see him now. No! I'm mistaken." + +Jolly Robin had so many disappointments that one morning when the +Major cried out that at last old Spot was actually crawling through +the fence, and would be in the orchard in about a minute and a half, +Jolly couldn't believe him. + +It was true, nevertheless. To Jolly's delight, old dog Spot came +darting in and out among the apple trees, with his nose close to the +ground. He was following a trail made by Tommy Fox, who had visited +the henhouse the night before. And he was so intent on what he was +doing that never once did he glance up into the apple trees, where +Major Monkey and Jolly Robin were watching him. + +Major Monkey dropped quickly down to a low-hanging limb. And as luck +had it, Tommy Fox's trail led old dog Spot right under the tree where +the Major waited, hanging gracefully by his tail and one hand. + +As old Spot passed below him, Major Monkey loosened his hold on the +limb and dropped squarely upon old Spot's back. + +The moment he landed, the Major dug his fingers into Spot's long fur +and hung on grimly. And at the same instant old dog Spot leaped high +into the air and let out a frenzied yelp. + +Jolly Robin was glad that his wife was not present, for he knew that +the sight, and the sound too, could not have failed to terrify her. + +Old Spot seemed almost out of his mind. For a few moments the poor +fellow tore about the orchard in wide circles, hoping in vain that he +might shake that strange load off his back. + +But he soon saw that his rider clung to him like a burr. And wheeling +suddenly, Spot shot like a streak out of the orchard and flew across +the meadow. + +Just before he disappeared behind a high knoll Major Monkey turned his +face over his shoulder and looked behind. Then, holding on with one +hand, with the either he waved his red cap at Jolly Robin. + +The next moment Jolly saw the Major and his strange steed no more. + +"They headed straight for the river!" Jolly exclaimed. And he felt so +worried about his friend the Major that though he went home at once, +his wife complained that his mind wasn't on his work and that he was +more bother than help to her. + +Some time later Major Monkey limped back to his home in the haystack, +dripping wet. His fine coat was torn. And he had lost his red cap. + +When Jolly Robin saw him he asked the Major if he had had a good ride. + +"Well," said Major Monkey, "it was a good one; but it was _too fast_. +If I started to travel south on old dog Spot's back I'd reach my +journey's end before you had gone half way." + +"Dear me!" said Jolly Robin. "Then we can't travel together after +all." + + + + +XXI + +A Sweet Tooth + + +After his ride on old dog Spot, Major Monkey went to the henhouse for +eggs even oftener than he had gone before. + +Perhaps he had become fonder of eggs. Or perhaps he had become bolder. +Anyhow, he noticed that old dog Spot gave him a wide berth. Whenever +old Spot saw him he tucked his tail between his legs and ran, yelping, +into the house. + +Now, Johnnie Green soon discovered that something--or somebody--was +frightening old Spot almost every day. And having nothing else to do +one morning, he made up his mind that he would watch and see what +happened. So he climbed to the cupola on top of the big barn. And +there he stayed for a long time, keeping a sharp eye on old Spot as he +wandered about the farm buildings. + +It was a good while before anything happened. But Johnnie Green did +not mind that. He had brought plenty of cookies to munch. And he +pretended that he was a sailor in the crow's nest of a ship, on the +lookout for a sail. + +After a while he almost forgot what he was really doing. He was +leaning far out of the cupola, shading his eyes with one hand, and +stuffing a cookie into his mouth with the other, and gazing off across +the meadow, when all at once he heard old Spot yelping. + +That sound brought Johnnie to his senses. And glancing down, he saw +Spot tearing across the barnyard, making for the woodshed door in +great bounds. And behind him, perched on the roof of the henhouse, +Johnnie saw a familiar figure. + +"It's the monkey again!" Johnnie Green cried. And he clambered quickly +to the ground. + +But when he reached the henhouse Major Monkey had fled. Johnnie could +see his red coat flickering among the leaves in the orchard. But he +knew it was useless to follow. + +Although Major Monkey was aware that Johnnie Green had seen him again, +he did not stop visiting the henhouse. To be sure, he became somewhat +more wary. He never went inside the henhouse for eggs without first +looking around carefully, to make sure that Johnnie Green wasn't +watching him. And for a time the Major kept an eye out for traps. + +He saw nothing of the sort anywhere. But one day when he leaped to the +window-sill of the henhouse he was delighted to find a lump of maple +sugar, which some one had carelessly left there. + +At least, that was what the Major supposed. And with something a good +deal like a chuckle he ate the dainty greedily. It was the first bit +of sugar he had tasted since he came to Pleasant Valley. And Major +Monkey was very fond of sweets. + +Johnnie Green, or his father, or the hired man seemed all at once to +grow terribly careless with maple sugar. The Major hardly ever visited +the henhouse without finding a lump somewhere. And if his liking for +eggs hadn't brought him thither daily, his taste for sugar would have +been enough to make him continue his visits. + +At last there came a day when Major Monkey discovered a thick pitcher +on the henhouse floor. A chain was looped through its handle and +nailed to the wall. + +The Major grinned when he saw the chain. + +"They don't want this pitcher to run away," he said to himself. + +Being of a most curious turn of mind, he looked into the pitcher. And +then he promptly thrust in a hand. + +There was a good-sized lump of sugar inside. And Major Monkey's +fingers closed upon it greedily. + +His queer face wrinkled with annoyance when he found that he could not +withdraw his hand. Empty, it could easily have slipped through the +mouth of the pitcher. But with the sugar clutched in it, his hand +stuck fast. + + + + +XXII + +Caught! + + +Though Major Monkey tugged and tugged, he couldn't pull his hand out +of the pitcher. + +To be sure, if he had let go of the lump of maple sugar he might have +withdrawn his hand easily enough. + +But the Major loved sweets too dearly to loosen his hold on any such +toothsome morsel--except to pop it into his mouth. + +So he struggled and fretted. He even tried to break the pitcher by +knocking it against the floor. + +It might as well have been made of iron, it was so strong. And the +Major only succeeded in hurting his own hand. + +Of course he made a great racket. And the hens, who had become used to +his more stealthy visits, began to flutter and squawk. They made such +an uproar at last that Major Monkey wanted to hurl the pitcher at +them. But he couldn't do that, with his hand stuck inside it. And +besides, the pitcher was chained fast to the wall of the henhouse. + +And right there lay the Major's greatest trouble. If the pitcher +hadn't been fastened he would have run off on three legs, to the +woods, where he might have tried in peace and quiet to get at the +sugar inside it. + +On the whole, Major Monkey spent a most unhappy quarter of an hour in +the henhouse. And the worst moment of all came when the window dropped +with a loud bang. + +Then the sound of steps on the threshold made the Major turn his head. + +There stood Farmer Green with a broad smile on his face, and Johnnie +Green with his mouth wide open and his eyes bulging. + +And with them was a dark-skinned man, short, and with rings in his +ears, and a bright neckerchief tied about his throat. + +"Aha-a!" cried the little man. "Look-a da monk! He greed-a boy!" And +picking Major Monkey up in his arms, jug and all, he patted him +fondly, saying, "Ah-a! Bad-a boy! He run-a da way from da ol' man, +no?" + +Then--for a soldier--Major Monkey did a strange thing. He began to +whimper. But there is no doubt that he was weeping because he was +glad, and not because he was sorry. + +The little, dark man was his master. + +And the Major was very, very fond of him. He knew, suddenly, that he +had missed the little man sadly while he roamed about Pleasant Valley. + +Though Johnnie Green was staring straight at him, Major Monkey clung +to his captor and held his wrinkled face close to the little man's +cheek. + +"He sorra now!" the little man said to Johnnie Green. + +"What's his name?" Johnnie inquired. + +"Jocko!" said Major Monkey's master. "Dat nice-a name, eh?" + +Johnnie Green thought that it was. And Major Monkey himself appeared +to like the sound of it. It was a long time since he had heard it. No +one had called him "Jocko" since that day--weeks before--when he had run +away from his master, the organ-grinder, in the village. + + + + +XXIII + +The Major Goes South + + +Out of one of his pockets the hand-organ man pulled a stout collar, +from which dangled a long, thin chain. And Major Monkey made no +protest when his master buckled the collar about his neck. + +To tell the truth, the Major appeared to like being a captive. He was +enjoying, especially, the maple sugar which the hand-organ man had +turned out of the pitcher for him. + +At the farmhouse, a little later, Major Monkey went through all his +tricks for Johnnie Green and the rest of the family. Though he had once +told Mr. Crow that he never wanted to hear the sound of a hand-organ +again, the music that his master ground out while he himself capered +about seemed to him the sweetest he had ever heard. + +Of the Major's audience, the most astonished of all sat, unnoticed, in +a tree in the dooryard and listened and looked on as if he could +scarcely believe his eyes. + +This one was Jolly Robin. And when, at length, the organ-grinder +looped the long chain over his arm, slung the organ over his back, and +went toiling up the road, with Major Monkey perched on top of the +hand-organ, Jolly Robin had a very queer feeling. He flew down and +alighted upon Farmer Greene's fence and trilled a quavering good-by. +Major Monkey stood up and made a low bow to him. "He's going South, +after all!" Jolly Robin said to himself. If that was so, old dog Spot +must have been glad of it. Anyhow, he dashed out of the dooryard and +ran a little way up the road, growling and barking, and telling Major +Monkey exactly what he thought of him. + +The Major seemed to enjoy old Spot's farewell. He danced up and down, +and pulled back his arm, as if to throw something at Spot. But he +changed his mind. He had a red apple, which Johnnie Green had given +him. And instead of wasting it on old dog Spot, the Major took a bite +out of it then and there. + +Old Spot had trotted back to the farmhouse, looking very brave, in +spite of the scolding Johnnie Green gave him. And Major Monkey was +busily engaged with his apple, when he heard a sound that made him +look up. + +"_Caw! Caw!_" It was old Mr. Crow, whose keen eyes had caught sight of +the hand-organ man plodding along with his precious load. Major Monkey +whistled. And just for a moment, as he watched Mr. Crow sailing lazily +overhead, he almost wished that he hadn't been quite so fond of sugar. +For he knew that he could no longer wander through Pleasant Valley +wherever his fancy led him. + +But the hand-organ man began singing a merry song. And Major Monkey +liked it so well that before he had gone a mile he wouldn't have +turned back for anything. Now that his play-time had come to an end, +he was eager to journey on, wherever his master might take him. + +For Major Monkey--as he had told Mr. Crow in the beginning--was a great +traveller. + +THE END + + + + +Transcriber's Notes + +1. Punctuation has been normalized to contemporary standards. + +2. List of books relocated to after title page. + +3. Typographic errors corrected in original: + p. 38 whether he he to whether he ("whether he thought it a good one") + p. 48 musn't to mustn't ("we mustn't get lost") + p. 58 mits to mitts ("pair of black mitts") + p. 119 friend' to friend's ("in her friend's eyes") + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Tale of Major Monkey, by Arthur Scott Bailey + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TALE OF MAJOR MONKEY *** + +***** This file should be named 18626.txt or 18626.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/8/6/2/18626/ + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + +*** END: FULL LICENSE *** + diff --git a/18626.zip b/18626.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..561efac --- /dev/null +++ b/18626.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..25bb41a --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #18626 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18626) |
