Produced by Annie R. McGuire. This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Internet Archive. [Illustration: Book Cover] [Illustration: "EXCUSE ME," SAID THE STRANGER, "BUT WE HAVE TO BE VERY PARTICULAR HERE."] BIKEY THE SKICYCLE & OTHER TALES of JIMMIEBOY * * * * * _By_ JOHN KENDRICK BANGS _Author of_ "Uncle Sam Trustee," "Mr. Munchausen," "House Boat on the Styx," etc. ILLUSTRATED BY PETER NEWELL [Illustration] * * * * * _New York_ RIGGS PUBLISHING COMPANY MCMII COPYRIGHT, 1902, BY RIGGS PUBLISHING CO. TABLE _of_ CONTENTS [Illustration] PAGE I. Bikey the Skicycle 11 II. The Imp of the Telephone 81 III. Caught in Toy Town 161 IV. Totherwayville, the Animal Town 179 V. An Electrical Error 197 VI. In the Brownie's House 213 VII. Jimmieboy--and Something 231 VIII. Jimmieboy's Fire Works 247 IX. High-Jinks in the Barn 265 X. Jimmieboy's Valentine 275 XI. The Magic Sled 291 XII. The Stupid Little Apple Tree 309 ILLUSTRATIONS [Illustration] "Excuse me," said the stranger, "but we have to be very particular here" See Frontispiece Before him stood the Imp Facing page 74 "At last!" ejaculated the Imp 124 The Electric Custard 150 "No wonder it wouldn't say anything," he cried 186 "I'm very glad to see you Sharkey," said the Lobster 234 "Your ears would be frozen solid" 270 "Hullo! said his papa, where have you been?" 298 BIKEY THE SKICYCLE I _HOW IT ALL CAME ABOUT_ Jimmieboy's father had bought him a bicycle, and inasmuch as it was provided with a bag of tools and a nickel plated bell the small youth was very much pleased with the gift. "It's got rheumatic tires, too," he said, when describing it to one of his little friends. "What's that?" asked the boy. "Big pieces of hose pipe," said Jimmieboy. "They run all around the outside of the wheel and when you fill 'em up with wind and screw 'em up tight so's the wind can't get out, papa says, you can go over anything easy as a bird."