The Louisa Alcott Reader: a Supplementary Reader for the Fourth Year of School — John Shaqi
The Louisa Alcott Reader: a Supplementary Reader for the Fourth Year of SchoolAlcott, Louisa May
General
The Louisa Alcott Reader: a Supplementary Reader for the Fourth Year of School
Alcott, Louisa May
Children's stories; Readers (Elementary)
Yes; there was the monkey in his blue and red suit, with a funny little
cap, and the long tail trailing behind. But he didn't seem to be a
lively monkey; for he sat in a bunch, with his sad face turned anxiously
to his master, who kept pulling the chain to make him dance. The stiff
collar had made his neck sore; and when the man twitched, the poor thing
moaned and put up his little hand to hold the chain. He tried to dance,
but was so weak he could only hop a few steps, and stop panting for
breath. The cruel man wouldn't let him rest till Neddy called out,--
"Don't hurt him; let him come up here and get this cake, and rest while
you play. I've got some pennies for you."
So poor Jocko climbed slowly up the trellis, and sat on the window-ledge
trying to eat; but he was so tired he went to sleep, and when the man
pulled to wake him up, he slipped and fell, and lay as if he were dead.
Neddy and his aunt ran down to see if he was killed. The cross man
scolded and shook him; but he never moved, and the man said,--
"He is dead. I don't want him. I will sell him to some one to stuff."
"No; his heart beats a little. Leave him here a few days, and we will
take care of him; and if he gets well, perhaps we will buy him," said
Aunt Jane, who liked to nurse even a sick monkey.
The man said he was going on for a week through the towns near by, and
would call and see about it when he came back. Then he went away; and
Neddy and aunty put Jocko in a nice basket, and carried him in. The
minute the door was shut and he felt safe, the sly fellow peeped out
with one eye, and seeing only the kind little boy began to chatter and
kick off the shawl; for he was not much hurt, only tired and hungry, and
dreadfully afraid of the cruel man who beat and starved him.
Neddy was delighted, and thought it very funny, and helped his aunt take
off the stiff collar and put some salve on the sore neck. Then they got
milk and cake; and when he had eaten a good dinner, Jocko curled himself
up and slept till the next day. He was quite lively in the morning;
for when Aunt Jane went to call Neddy, Jocko was not in his basket, and
looking round the room for him, she saw the little black thing lying on
the boy's pillow, with his arm round Neddy's neck like a queer baby.
"My patience! I can't allow that," said the old lady, and went to pull
Jocko out. But he slipped away like an eel, and crept chattering and
burrowing down to the bottom of the bed, holding on to Neddy's toes,
till he waked up, howling that crabs were nipping him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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