“Wheredoyoulive,Squinty?”askedSlicko,thejumpingsquirrel,assheskippedfromonetreebranchtoanother,andsoreachedthegroundnearthecomicallittlepig. “Oh,Iliveinapen,”answeredSquinty,“butI’mnottherenow.” “No,Iseeyouarenot,”spokeSlicko,withalaugh,whichshowedhersharp,whiteteeth. “Butwhatareyoudoingsofarawayfromyourpen? Or,perhapsitiscloseby,thoughIneversawyouinthesewoodsbefore,”shewenton,lookingaroundasifshemightseethepigpenunderoneofthetrees. “No,Ihaveneverbeenherebefore,”Squintyanswered.“Mypenisfarfromhere.Mymasterisaboywhotaughtmetodotricks,suchasjumpingrope,butIranawayandhadaballoonride.” “What’saballoon?”askedSlicko,asshecombedouthertailwithachestnutburr.Squirrelsalwaysusechestnutburrsforcombs. “Aballoonissomethingthatgoesupintheair,”answeredSquinty,“andithasbagsofsandinit.” “Well,Icangoupintheair,whenIclimbatree,”wentonSlicko,withajollylaugh.“AmIaballoon?” “No,youarenot,”saidSquinty.“Aballoonisverydifferent.” “Well,Iknowwherethereissomesand,”spokeSlicko.“Icouldgetsomeofthatandputitinleaf-bags.Wouldthatmakemeaballoon?” “Oh,no,ofcoursenot,”Squintyanswered.“Youcouldneverbeaballoon.Butifyouknowwherethereissomesandperhapsyouknowwherethereissomesourmilk.Iamveryhungry.” “Ineverheardofsourmilk,”repliedthegirlsquirrel.“ButIknowwheretofindsomenuts.Doyoulikehickorynuts?” “I—Iguessso,”answeredSquinty,thinking,perhaps,theywerelikeacorns.“Pleaseshowmewheretherearesome.” “Comeon!”chatteredSlicko. Sheledthewaythroughthewoods,leapingfromonetreebranchtoanotheroverSquinty’shead. Thelittlepigranalongontheground,throughthedryleaves. Sometimeshewentonfourfeetandsometimeshestoodupstraightonhishindfeet. “Canyoudothat?”heaskedthesquirrel.“Itisatricktheboytaughtme.” “Oh,yes,Icansituponmyhindlegs,andeatanut,”thesquirrelgirlsaid.“Butnobodytaughtme.Icouldalwaysdoit.Idon’tcallthatatrick.” “Well,itisatrickforme,”saidSquinty.“Butwherearethehickorynutsyouspokeof?” “Righthere,”answeredSlicko,thejumpingsquirrel,hoppingaboutaslivelyasacricket,andshepointedtoapileofnutsinahollowstump. Squintytriedtochewsome,but,assoonashetooktheminhismouthhecriedout: “Ohmy!Howhardtheshellsare!Thisisworsethanthesand!Ican’tchewhickorynuts!Haveyounootherkind?” “Oh,yes,Iknowwheretherearesomeacorns,”answeredSlicko,“butIdonotcareforthemaswellasforhickorynuts.” “Oh,pleaseshowmetheacorns,”beggedSquinty. “Heretheyare,”spokeSlicko,jumpingalittlefarther,andshepointedtoapileofacornsinanotherhollowstump. “Oh,thesearefine!Thankyou!”gruntedSquinty,andhebegantoeatthem.Allatoncetheresoundedthroughthewoodsanoiselike: “Chat!Chat!Chatter!Whir-r-r-r-r-r!”“My,what’sthat?”criedSquinty,turningquicklyaround. “Thatismymammacallingme,”saidSlicko,thejumpingsquirrel.“Ishallhavetogohometomynestnow.Good-by,Squinty.Ilikeyouverymuch,andIhopeIshallsoonseeyouagain.” “Ihopeso,too,”spokeSquinty,andwhilehewentoneatingtheacorns,Slickoranalongthetreebranchestohernest. ThelittlecomicalpigwasratherlonesomeafterSlickohadlefthim,buthewasnolongerhungry,thankstotheacorns. Sohewalkedonandon,andprettysoonhecametoaroad.Anddowntheroadhesawcomingthestrangestsight. Therewerealotofbigwagons,allpaintedredandgreenandgold. Manyhorsesdreweachwagon,thebigwheelsofwhichrattledlikethunder,andbesidethewagonsthereweremanystrangeanimalswalkingalong—animalswhichSquintyhadneverseenbefore. “Ohmy!”criedSquinty.“Thisisworsethantheballoon!Imustrunaway!” But,justasheturnedtorun,hesawalittleanimaljumpoutofoneofthebigwagons,andcometowardhim. Thisanimalwassomethinglikealittleboy,only,insteadofclothes,hewascoveredwithhairyfur. Andtheanimalhadalongtail,whichSquintyknewnoboyeverhad. Squintywassosurprisedatseeingthestrangeanimalthatthelittlepigstoodstill. Thehairyanimal,withthelongtail,camestraightforthebushbehindwhichSquintywashiding,andcrawledthrough. Thenthetwostoodlookingatoneanother,whilethebigwagonsrumbledpastontheroad. “Hello!”Squintyfinallyexclaimed.“Whoareyou?” “Why,IamMappo,themerrymonkey,”wastheanswer,ashecurledhislongtailaroundastickofwood.“ButIdon’tneedtoaskwhoyouare. Youareapig,Icanseethat,forwehaveoneinourcircus,andtheclownrideshimaroundthering,anditistoofunnyforanything.” “Ha,soyouareamonkey?”askedSquinty.“Butwhatdoyoumeanbyacircus?” “That’sacircus,”answeredMappo,pointingwithonepawthroughaholeinthebush,atthequeeranimals,andthered,goldandgreenwagons. “Thatis,itwillbeacircuswhentheyputupthebigtent,andallthepeoplecome.Didn’tyoueverseeacircus?” “Never,”answeredSquinty.“Didyoueverrideinaballoon?” “Well,thenweareeven,”saidSquinty.“Nowyoutellmeaboutacircus,andI’lltellyouabouttheballoon.” “Well,”saidthemonkey,“acircusisabigshowinatent,tomakepeoplelaugh.Thereareclowns,andanimalstolookat.Iamoneoftheanimals,butIranoutofmycagewhenthedoorflewopen.” “Whydidyourunaway?”askedSquinty. “Oh,Igottiredofstayinginacage.AndIwasafraidthebigtigermightbiteme.I’llrunbackagainprettysoon,beforetheymissme.Nowyoutellmeaboutyourballoonride.” SoSquintytoldthemerrymonkeyallaboutrunningaway,andlearningtricks,andhavingarideinthequeerbasket. “Icandotricks,too,”saidMappo.“ButjustnowIamhungry.Iwonderifanycocoanuttreesareinthesewoods?” “Idon’tknowwhatacocoanutis,”answeredSquinty,“butI’llgiveyousomeofmyacorns.” Thecomicallittlepigandthemerrymonkeyhidunderthebushandateacornsastheywatchedthecircusprocessiongopast. Itwasnotaregularparade,astheshowwasgoingonlyfromonetownto-another. Squintylookedatthebeautifulwagons,andatthestrangeanimals,somewithbighumpsontheirbacks. Atlasthesawsomeverybigcreatures,andhecriedout: “Oh,Mappo!Whatarethoseanimals?Theyhaveatailateachend!” “Thoseareelephants,”saidMappo,“andtheydonothavetwotails. Oneisatail,andtheotheristheirtrunk,orlongnose,bywhichtheypickuppeanuts,andotherthingstoeat,andtheycandrinkwaterthroughit,too.” “Oh,elephants,eh!”exclaimedSquinty.“Butwhoisthatbig,fierce-lookingone,withtwolongteethstickingout.Iwouldbeafraidofhim.” Youwouldn’tneedtobe,”saidMappo,withamerrylaugh. “ThatisTum-Tum,thejolliestelephantinthewholecircus. Why,heissokindhewouldn’thurtafly,andheissohappythateveryoneloveshim.Heisalwaysplayingjokes.” “Well,I’mgladheissojolly,”spokeSquinty,ashewatchedTum-Tumandtheotherelephantsmarchslowlyalongtheroadontheirbigfeet,likewashtubs,swingingtheirlongtrunks. ThenMappothemonkey,andSquinty,thecomicalpig,startedoffthroughthewoods. 
