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
heard Glumdalclitch give a shriek at the moment he was carrying me
out. The poor girl was almost distracted; that quarter of the palace
was all in an uproar; the servants ran for ladders; the monkey was
seen by hundreds in the court, sitting upon the ridge of a building,
holding me like a baby in one of his forepaws, and feeding me with the
other, by cramming into my mouth some victuals he had squeezed out of
the bag on one side of his chaps, and patting me when I would not eat;
whereat many of the rabble below could not forbear laughing; neither
do I think they justly ought to be blamed, for, without question, the
sight was ridiculous enough to everybody but myself. Some of the
people threw up stones, hoping to drive the monkey down; but this was
strictly forbidden, or else, very probably, my brains had been dashed
out.
The ladders were now applied, and mounted by several men; which the
monkey observing, and finding himself almost encompassed, not being
able to make speed enough with his three legs, let me drop on a ridge
tile and made his escape. Here I sat for some time, five hundred yards
from the ground, expecting every moment to be blown down by the wind,
or to fall by my own giddiness, and come tumbling over and over from
the ridge to the eaves; but an honest lad, one of my nurse's footmen,
climbed up, and putting me into his breeches' pocket, brought me down
safe.
I was so weak and bruised in the sides with the squeezes given me by
this odious animal that I was forced to keep my bed a fortnight. The
king, queen, and all the court sent every day to inquire after my
health; and her majesty made me several visits during my sickness. The
monkey was killed, and an order made that no such animal should be
kept about the palace.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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