The Children's Hour, v 5. Stories From Seven Old FavoritesTappan, Eva March
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The Children's Hour, v 5. Stories From Seven Old Favorites
Tappan, Eva March
Children's stories; Literature -- Adaptations
Another time, one of the servants, whose office it was to fill my
trough every third day with fresh water, was so careless as to let a
huge frog (not perceiving it) slip out of his pail. The frog lay
concealed till I was put into my boat, but then, seeing a
resting-place, climbed up and made it lean so much on one side that I
was forced to balance it with all my weight on the other to prevent
overturning. When the frog was got in, it hopped at once half the
length of the boat, and then over my head, backwards and forwards,
daubing my face and clothes with its odious slime. The largeness of
its features made it appear the most deformed animal that can be
conceived. However, I desired Glumdalclitch to let me deal with it
alone. I banged it a good while with one of my sculls, and at last
forced it to leap out of the boat.
But the greatest danger I ever underwent in that kingdom was from a
monkey, that belonged to one of the clerks of the kitchen.
Glumdalclitch had locked me up in her closet, while she went somewhere
upon business or a visit. The weather being very warm, the closet
window was left open, as well as the windows and the door of my bigger
box, in which I usually lived, because of its largeness and
conveniency. As I sat quietly meditating at my table, I heard
something bounce in at the closet window, and skip about from one side
to the other; whereat although I were much alarmed, yet I ventured to
look out, but not stirring from my seat; and then I saw this
frolicsome animal frisking and leaping up and down, till at last he
came to my box, which he seemed to view with great pleasure and
curiosity, peeping in at the door and every window. I retreated to the
farther corner of my room, or box; but the monkey, looking in at every
side, put me into such a fright that I wanted presence of mind to
conceal myself under the bed, as I might have easily done. After some
time spent in peeping, grinning, and chattering, he at last espied me;
and reaching one of his paws in at the door, as a cat does when she
plays with a mouse, although I often shifted place to avoid him, he at
length seized the lappet of my coat (which being made of that country
silk, was very thick and strong), and dragged me out. He took me up in
his right forefoot, and held me as a nurse does a child, just as I
have seen the same sort of creature do with a kitten in Europe; and
when I offered to struggle, he squeezed me so hard that I thought it
more prudent to submit. I have good reason to believe that he took me
for a young one of his own species, by his often stroking my face very
gently with his other paw. In these diversions he was interrupted by a
noise at the closet door, as if somebody were opening it; whereupon he
suddenly leaped up to the window, at which he had come in, and thence
upon the leads and gutters, walking upon three legs, and holding me in
the fourth, till he clambered up to a roof that was next to ours. I
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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