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"I would bite and scratch until the men would be glad to let me go back to my jungle again. I am mad at you for not letting my cage run on. If you had, I would now be free." "Well, I am glad you are not free," said Tum Tum, as he looked at the sharp teeth and sharp claws of the tiger, and thought of little Mappo.
Mappo was thinking he had better go, and get on his pretty new red, white and blue suit, when suddenly, from outside the tent, he heard the cry of: "Fire! Fire! Fire!" Now Mappo knew what a fire was. There used to be a fire in the stove at the big circus barn, and once he went too close and burned his paw.
He had enough to eat on the ship, plenty of cool water to drink, and he knew he was in no danger from the tiger or other wild beasts bigger than himself. For the tiger was fastened up in a big strong cage, and could not get out. Mappo, on board the ship, chattered and talked with the other monkeys in cages all around him.
I'll see you again sometime, maybe. You had better run, also, or the circus men may catch you." Squinty looked through the trees, and saw a number of men coming toward him and the monkey. Then Mappo climbed up in a tall tree, and Squinty ran away as fast as his little short legs would take him. "Never mind the pig! Get the monkey!"
Push the cage right back where it belongs." Tum Tum did so. Soon the tiger's cage was in line with those of the lions, wolves, bears and other animals, ready for the circus to begin. "Oh, but I'm glad the tiger didn't get loose," said Mappo, to Tum Tum. "I was so afraid!" "Why were you afraid?" the big elephant wanted to know. "Oh, because Sharp Tooth, the tiger, does not like me.
In the wagons the animals and tents and other things, all of which go to make up a circus, were carried. One day, after a lot of traveling, part of which was by train, Mappo and the other animals came to a place where a big, white tent was set up in a wide, green field. The tent had been set up in the night, ready for the circus. "Ah! Now our real circus work will begin!" said Tum Tum.
Then Mappo did his other tricks turning somersaults, standing on his head, and even riding a little bicycle the man had made for him. That was Mappo's best trick, and one that ended his part of the circus. He rode around a little wooden platform on the bicycle, holding a flag over his shoulder, and my! how the children did laugh at that. Mappo did not see all the circus.
"The ship is trying to stand on its head, I think," said the elephant. "Oh, here I go!" and he fell down on his knees, while Mappo sailed through the air and fell on a pile of hay. With Mappo chattering in his monkey language, and the elephants in the lower part of the ship trumpeting through their trunks, there was so much noise, that it is no wonder many of the animals were frightened.
One of our monkeys must have gotten loose. I will call the animal trainer." So Mappo came back to the circus again. But his adventures were not yet over. That afternoon, when he had been given his own circus suit, which fitted him better than the one the hand-organ man had put on him, Mappo went through his tricks in the big tent. He had not forgotten them.
"Indeed I will not! I can see as good as she can that the tiger isn't there!" exclaimed Mappo. You see monkey children don't want to mind, and be careful, any more than some human children do. Mappo started to climb down the tree, holding on to the branches by his four paws and by his tail.
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