nearer to the listening groups.

"Oh, but," said Pique-Vinaigre, "you've heard nothing as yet,--the best
is still to come. Directly poor Gringalet felt the cold hairy paws of
the ape seize him by the head and neck, he imagined it was with the
intention of devouring him, and driven almost mad by his agony, he began
shrieking and groaning in a manner that would have moved a stone to pity
him, while he wildly exclaimed, 'Oh, send help! Send help from heaven,
God of goodness and of little children! Oh, little golden fly, come and
preserve me! Come, little fly, and save me from the horrible spider I
dreamed about!' 'Will you hold your noise?' exclaimed Cut-in-Half, as he
gave him several hard kicks, for he was fearful lest his cries should be
heard; but in a minute's time there was no further danger of that, for
the poor boy neither cried or struggled further, but pale and cold as
marble, he remained kneeling, while the devilish monkey clawed and
scratched and buffeted the trembling victim, who, closing his eyes,
resigned himself to his fate. After Gargousse had tired himself with
thus tormenting poor Gringalet, he suddenly paused, and looked up to his
master's countenance, as though asking what he should do next. And
really it seemed as though the ape and his master understood each
other's thoughts, for Gargousse immediately renewed the attack by
plucking out handfuls of the shuddering boy's hair, upon which
Cut-in-Half burst into fits of laughter, so long and so loud that, had
poor Gringalet tried ever so hard, he could not have made himself heard
amid these wicked and malicious rejoicings. They had, however, the
effect of encouraging Gargousse, who proceeded to attack the unfortunate
child with redoubled fierceness."

"Ah, you beggar of a monkey!" exclaimed Blue Bonnet, "I only wish I had
been near enough to catch hold of your tail! I'd have swung you round
and round like a windmill, and finished by knocking out your dirty
brains against the hardest stone I could find! That beastly ape was as
cruel as if he had been a man!"

"Oh!" cried a simultaneous burst of voices, "no man ever was, or ever
will be, so cruel as that, I'm sure!"

"Hallo!" interrupted Pique-Vinaigre, "you forget Cut-in-Half when you
make that remark. However, just listen to what he did next. He
unfastened the long chain of Gargousse from the leg of his bed, around
which it was generally secured, and tied it to the waist of the poor
trembling child, w