branches. About all the house was used
for was to keep off some of the rain that fell very heavily in the
country where Mappo lived.

But this house suited the monkeys very well. They did not need to have a
warm one, for it was never winter in the land where they lived. It was
always hot and warm--sometimes too warm. There was never any snow or
ice, but, instead, just rain. It rained half the year, and the other
half it was dry. So, you see, Mappo's house was only needed to keep off
the rain.

Mappo and the other monkeys did not stay in their houses very much. They
went in them to sleep, but that was about all. The rest of the time they
jumped about in the trees, looking for things to eat, and, once in a
while, when there was no danger, they went down on the ground to play.

"I guess that tiger is gone now," said Jacko to Mappo. "Let's go down on
the ground again, and get some of those green things that are good to
eat."

The little monkeys had been eating some fruit, like green pears, which
they liked very much, when the tiger came along and frightened them.
Tigers would rather eat monkeys than green pears, I guess.

"Yes, I think we can go down now," said Mappo, looking through the
leaves, and seeing nothing of the savage, striped tiger.

"You'd better ask mamma," said Choo, one of the little girl monkeys.

"Indeed I will not! I can see as good as she can that the tiger isn't
there!" exclaimed Mappo.

You see monkey children don't want to mind, and be careful, any more
than some human children do.

Mappo started to climb down the tree, holding on to the branches by his
four paws and by his tail. He was almost to the ground, and Jacko and
Bumpo were following him, when, all at once, there was a dreadful roar,
and out sprang the tiger again.

"Oh, run! Run quick! Jump back!" screamed Mappo, and he and his brothers
got back to their tree-house not a second too soon. The tiger snapped
his teeth, and growled, he was so mad at being fooled the second time.

"Here! What did I tell you monkeys? You must stay up in the tree!"
chattered Mrs. Monkey, as she jumped out of the house. She had been
inside shaking up the piles of leaves that were the beds for her family.

"We--we thought the tiger was gone," said Mappo, who was trembling
because he was so frightened.

"But he wasn't," said Bumpo, shivering.

"No, he was right there," added Jacko, looking around.

"Yes, and he'll be there for some time," said Mrs. Mo