he
house; but the ship that Stomach had come on was to leave, you see, and
then Uncle Ferdinand had to tell. I can imagine just how it went for I
know how they talk together.

* * * * *

"Wouldn't you like to have a nice new plaything, Octavia? really a
charming plaything, my dear?"

"A plaything? What do you mean?"

"A very amusing plaything that jumps about and plays tricks, and could
climb up the curtains, for instance, or sit on your shoulder and eat
cakes."

"Sit on my shoulder! The man has gone crazy! Don't come any nearer,
Ferdinand, I beg of you. You are ill!"

"Oh no, Octavia my dear, my mind is all right. I mean--I mean--just a
monkey, my darling."

"Good heavens! Is he calling me a monkey? What do you mean?"

"My love, I only mean that there is a monkey on board the ship, that I
would so much like to have here at home."

"And that is what you were beating about the bush so for! Well, well,
that is just like you. However, I agree to anything you like, of course;
let the creature come--let it come. It will strangle me some fine day,
but I am used to that--I mean, I am used to saying yes and yielding to
others."

And that is how Stomach came into the house.

It was the liveliest, most mischievous monkey you can imagine. It stayed
most of the time in Uncle Ferdinand's office. Up and down the
book-shelves it climbed, just like a squirrel; now and then it threw
itself across the room from one bookcase to another. One time it sprang
straight onto the big lamp that hung from the ceiling, and made the
chimney and shade come down in jingling fragments. Stomach hung from one
of the chains, miserable and screaming with fright. This performance it
never repeated.

Stomach loved nothing in the world so much as matches. Whenever it got
hold of a box of matches it was overjoyed, and immediately climbed up on
the highest bookcase. Here it sat and tossed the matches one by one down
on the carpet. When it grew tired of this it flung the whole box, aiming
with amazing success right at the top of Uncle Ferdinand's head. Uncle
Ferdinand always sat patiently waiting for this last shot; then he got
down on his knees, and picked up every single match!

But what caused Uncle Ferdinand the most trouble and care was that Aunt
Octavia had strictly forbidden that the monkey should ever come anywhere
near her. Uncle Ferdinand was on pins and needles for fear this should
happen, and scarcely