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Updated: June 10, 2025
"Well, I could do that." But when he tried to stand up on his hind legs in his cage he could not. He had not learned how to balance himself. "So you do tricks in a circus, do you?" went on Nero. "That reminds me. In the jungle I heard some monkeys speak of a circus, and also of a chap named Mappo. Is he here?" "He used to be," said Tum Tum. "Mappo was one of our merriest monkeys.
And so it did. The bands began to play, and when the tent was filled with boys and girls, and their papas and mammas, and grandpas and grandmas, there was a grand procession of all the performers. The elephants, of which Tum Tum was one, also marched around, as did lots of the ponies and dogs. "I wonder when it will come my turn to do tricks?" thought Mappo. His turn soon came.
Look!" and the monkey chap pointed through the woods to where could be seen some men in red coats. "Oh, and look at that funny animal with two tails!" cried Squinty. "I'd be afraid of him." "You wouldn't need to be," said Mappo. "That is only Tum Tum, the elephant, and he is very jolly. He would not hurt a fly.
She gave one each to the other monkeys, and soon they had torn off the tough, outer husk, or covering, with a sharp stick, the way Mappo did. Then they threw the round brown nuts down on a flat stone under the tree, cracking the shell so they could pick out the white meat. "Oh, but this is good!" exclaimed Mappo, as he chewed some of the pieces his brothers and sisters gave him.
"Yes, I'll sleep with you," said Mappo. "Now we'll make up a nice bed." But, just as they were piling some more leaves in the hollow stump, they heard many voices of men shouting in the woods. "Here he is! Here is that runaway monkey! I see him! Come and catch him!" cried the men. "Oh, they're from the circus! They're after me!" cried Mappo. "I must run and hide. Good-by, Squinty.
If Mappo sees Tum Tum, he will be glad to come back. So we will take Tum Tum to hunt Mappo." "Ha! That is good!" thought Tum Tum, as he listened. Soon the hunt for Mappo began. Many of the circus men started for the woods to look for the lost monkey. Tum Tum went along also, his keeper riding on his back. "I wonder if we will find Mappo?" thought Tum Tum.
There were lions, tigers, wolves, leopards, monkeys, snakes, and many other strange beasts, some of which Tum Tum had seen in his jungle home, and some of which he had never before seen. "I suppose that is where Mappo will be put," thought Tum Tum, as he looked at the cages full of lively little monkey chaps.
Through the woods, near the circus town, went the men looking for lost Mappo. They wanted to get back the monkey because he was such a good one to do tricks, and because the children, many of whom came to the circus, liked to see him ride on the back of a dog, or pony, and jump through paper-covered hoops. "We must find Mappo!" cried the keeper who had him in charge.
How?" asked Mappo. "Yes, you are to blame," went on Sharp-Tooth. "You wouldn't open my cage, and let me out when we were in the jungle. Never mind! I'll fix you! When I get out of here and some day I'm going to break loose when I get out of here, I'll bite you." "Oh dear!" thought Mappo. "I hope that never happens!" and he went off to talk to Tum Tum, the jolly elephant.
Mappo's fur was all ruffled by being caught in the net, and he now began to smooth that out, until he looked more like himself. He peered through between the slats of his cage with his queer little eyes, and there was a sad look in them, if any one had noticed. But no one did. The natives were getting ready to carry Mappo to the coast.
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