The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
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The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
Children's literature
Another time, one of the servants, whose office it was to fill my
trough every third day with fresh water, was so careless 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 to 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, backward and
forward, 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 underwent in that kingdom was from a
monkey, who 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 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 was 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 further 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 easily have 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; 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 heard
Glumdalclitch give a shriek the moment he was carrying me out. The
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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