THE KINKYTAILS AND THE DOLL'S HOUSE
"Now, boys," said Mrs. Kinkytail to her two monkey sons one morning, "this is Saturday, and there isn't any school, so I wish you would go on an errand for me."
"Where is it, mamma?" asked Jacko. "Do you want us to go to the store to get some molasses, so we can make candy?"
"No, indeed, I do not!" she exclaimed. "I have plenty of molasses in the house, and I can't let you make candy today, though I may some other time."
"Then do you want us to get some corn so we can pop it, and make popcorn balls?" asked Jumpo, trying to stand up on the end of his tail. But he couldn't do it very well, so he wound his tail around the gas fixture in the ceiling and hung head downward.
"Don't do that," said his mother. "All the blood may run to your head and there won't be any in your feet, and you may get the epizootic. But I don't want any popcorn from the store. What I want you to do is to go over to Grandfather Goosey Gander's house and borrow the chopper machine he grinds up things in. I am going to make some cabbage chow-chow and some chew-chew and some tomato pickles and I want to grind up all the things in the food chopper.
"So hurry off, and when you come back you may take turns grinding up the things in the chopper, and here is a penny for each of you."
"Oh, goody!" exclaimed Jacko. "You are very kind, mother."
"She certainly is," agreed Jumpo. "And maybe Grandfather Goosey Gander will give us some peppermint candies. Oh, I'm glad it's Saturday, and I'm glad we're going after the chipper-chopper."
So they started off over the fields and through the woods together, hopping and skipping and jumping. Sometimes they held each other's paws, and sometimes they twined their tails together and went along that way.
Pretty soon they came to where Grandfather Goosey Gander lived. The old gentleman was very glad to see them, and, after he had given them the food chipper-chopper, which he used to grind up his corn in to make cornmeal, the goose grandfather said:
"I wonder if you two chaps know anyone who likes peppermint candy?"
"Yes, sir!" exclaimed Jacko and Jumpo at once, very quickly.
"Where are such boys to be found?" asked Grandfather Goosey Gander, and he made-believe look all around over the top of his spectacles.
"Right here!" exclaimed Jacko and Jumpo more quickly.
"Bless my gizzard!" cried the old goosey gentleman. "I never thought you liked such things." But he gave them some, just the same, and they started back home with the chipper-chopper.
But on the way something dreadful happened. Just as those two boys were going through a dark place in the woods there was a rustling in the bushes and out jumped the burglar fox.
"Ah, ha! Now I have you!" he cried. But he spoke too soon, for, just as he made a grab for Jacko and Jumpo, they darted away and ran as fast as anything, if not faster.
The foxy fox ran also, and as foxes are good runners, he was soon almost up to Jacko and Jumpo.
"We never can get away from him," said Jacko.
"Never," agreed Jumpo, "and we haven't even one roller skate between us now. Oh, what shall we do?"
Well, they didn't know, and that fox was coming closer and closer, and he almost had them, when, just as the monkey boys turned around a hollow stump corner they saw a little house. Oh, it was the cutest little house, just about large enough for them to get in, and not much more.
"Quick!" cried Jacko. "Into that house with you, Jumpo, and we'll lock the door."
"Whose house is it?" asked the green monkey.
"Never mind. Don't stop to ask questions. Skip in," cried Jacko. So in Jumpo skipped and his brother was right after him, and they were only just in time, for as they shut and locked the door the fox ran slam-bang up against it, if you will pardon me saying so at such an exciting time.
"Come out of there!" called the fox, banging on the door with his paws.
"Indeed, we will not!" answered Jacko and Jumpo most politely, holding tightly to the food chopper. And just then they heard some one walking upstairs in the little house and a voice called down:
"Who is there? Who is knocking at my door?"
"Goodness me, sakes alive, and a sweet potato!" cried Jacko. "Some one lives in this little bit of a house! Think of it!"
"It does seem so," spoke Jumpo. "I wonder who it can be?"
And just then some one came down stairs and into the front room, where the monkey boys were hiding, and who should it be but a doll—yes, a wonderfully nice lady doll in a blue dress—and when she was wound up by a spring in her back she could walk and talk; and she was wound up now.
"Well, of all things!" exclaimed the doll, speaking in a squeaky sort of voice. "What are you monkey boys doing here?"
"We are hiding from the fox," said Jacko. "He chased us on our way home from Grandfather Goosey Gander's house and we ran in here. I hope you are not angry."
"Indeed, I am not," said the doll, kindly. "Where is the fox now?"
And just then the bad fox banged on the door of the doll's house again and cried out:
"Hey! I want you monkey boys!"
"Oh, the savage creature!" exclaimed the doll. "He'll be wanting to eat me next. You see, I'm out here for my health. I belong to a little girl, but she had my house brought out here so I could get the woodland air. And I'm much stronger now. But I'll fix that fox."
"How?" asked Jacko.
"Why, you go close to the front door," said the doll, "and pretend that you are coming out. Rattle the knob, you know. Then I'll go to an upstairs window, right over the door, and when the fox is standing there I'll pour molasses on him and he'll be so sticky that he can't even eat a toothpick."
"Fine!" cried Jacko, so he and his brother rattled the door knob.
"Ah! Here comes my monkey dinner!" said the fox, smacking his lips hungry like.
And just then that brave doll in the blue dress opened the window over the fox's head and poured a whole dish pan of molasses on him.
"Wow! Oh, wow! Bow-wow!" cried that fox.
Oh, I wish you could have seen him. He was so stuck up from the tip of his toes to the tip of his nose that he was all kerflumixed and kerflimixed and he ran off in the woods taking his tail with him. So he didn't eat Jacko or Jumpo, and soon they came out, and after thanking the brave doll in the blue dress they went safely home and helped make chow-chow-chew-chew pickles in the chipper-chopper.
Now, in case the tomato can doesn't roll over in bed and fall out on the floor so it bumps the kitty cat's nose, I'll tell you next about Jacko and the train of cars.