you
do when you come from school, only Jacko Kinkytail didn't race with the
others this time.

"What's the matter?" asked his brother, looking back. "Aren't you coming
with us?"

"No, I'm too tired," said the little red monkey boy. "I'm going to sit
here and rest a bit. I'll be home after a while, and you and I will have
an auto ride, Jumpo."

So Jacko stayed there by the big, black stump, while the others went on
to race again. And the first thing Jacko knew was that he heard
something moving in the bushes behind the stump.

"My goodness!" he exclaimed, jumping up. "I hope that isn't a bad fox or
a wolf." So he got ready to run, but before he could jump out of the
way, out came a big black bear. And, no sooner had the bear seen Jacko,
than the shaggy creature rushed up to the monkey, and tied a rope around
his neck.

"Now I have you!" growled the bear.

"Yes, I see you have," said Jacko, as he tried to get away, but
couldn't. "Please let me go. Are you going to eat me? Oh, dear, oh,
dear!" the monkey boy cried.

"No, I'm not going to eat you," said the bear. "I'll tell you that much,
anyhow. And I'm not going to let you go. I am going to take you all
around the country with me to do tricks."

"Do tricks?" cried Jacko, surprised like.

[Illustration]

"Yes, you see I used to be a performing bear, but I don't want to be
one any more. I used to ride a bicycle, climb up a tree, play that I was
a soldier and waltz around when my master sang a funny song. But I'm
tired of it, so I ran away, and now I want to make some money for myself
to buy a pair of spectacles, so I can read. So I'm going to have a trick
monkey of my own, and you'll have to be it.

"You and I will travel about, and you'll do the tricks, such as standing
on your head, making funny faces, turning somersaults, tying knots in
your tail, and swinging on a trapeze. You'll do the tricks and the
people will pay me the money for watching you. Then I'll be rich. Come
along now," and the bear pulled on the rope which he had fastened about
Jacko's neck.

Well, the red monkey didn't want to go with the bear, but he had to. And
oh! he felt dreadfully about leaving all his friends, and his brother
and mamma and papa, but there was no help for it. He thought, perhaps,
some of his friends might see him and make the bad bear run away, but
none of them did.

Away through the woods went Jacko with the trained bear leading him.
This wasn't the kind trained