But I don't exactly understand."
"That's just it," replied the monkey. "You see, it's this way. I have a
little sort of a circus-show here, and the troublesome boys don't want to
pay any money to get in. So when my back is turned they crawl under the
tent, and so they see the show for nothing--just like at the circus."
"Oh, so that's how it is?" asked Uncle Wiggily. "And you want me to keep
out the boys?"
"That's it," said the monkey. "Here's a big stick, with which to tickle
the boys who crawl in under the tent without paying. Now I'll practice my
tricks."
So the monkey did a lot of tricks. He stood on his head, and he hung by
his tail, and he danced around in a circle. Then he pounded the drum, not
so hard as to hurt it, but hard enough to make a noise, and he played the
fiddle and blew on the horn, and then he ran inside the tent and jumped
over a bench, making believe it was an elephant, and he did all sorts of
funny tricks like that. He even stood on his head, and made a funny face.
"That will make a very nice show," said Uncle Wiggily after he had watched
the monkey. "Now I'll stay outside, and keep the boys from coming in
unless they pay their money. And you can be inside, doing the tricks."
"And I'll give you money for working for me," said the monkey. "Then
perhaps you can make your fortune, and, besides that, I'll give you a
cocoanut, and you can make a cocoanut pie with it.
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