time the laughing was louder than before, because more children
saw the show. I must record here that a funnier sight I never have
witnessed.

The teacher looked up once more, and rapped on her desk quite
indignantly. "James Collins," she said, with severe authority, "come
here, this moment. If you cannot sit in your seat without laughing,
come and stand by me. You, too, Walter, and Solomon. And you, Martha
Hapgood. I am astonished at your conduct."

The recusant children ranged themselves before the teacher, who seemed
to think she had now quenched the rebellion. I noticed that they
managed to stand so they could have a good view of the window, as if
they expected, or even hoped for, another occasion for laughing.

And they didn't wait long, either. In a minute or two the monkey
appeared for the third time; and on this occasion he came wholly into
sight, chain and all, and began to dance up and down in his peculiar
way, bowing and nodding to the spectators. By this time all the
children had found out--by the usual school telegraph, I suppose--what
was going on, and joined in a loud and universal laugh.

"Sakes alive!" exclaimed Aunt Thankful, jumping up and seizing her
ruler; "what's got into the children?" Whether the monkey thought the
flourish which the teacher's ruler took was a signal for a fight or
not, I never knew; but certain it is he began to scream and shake his
chain. The children laughed louder than ever. Aunt Thankful turned
round, saw what the trouble was, and raised her hands. The monkey
construed this as an act of war, and with a single jump landed on the
desk. Here for a few moments he made the papers fly pretty nimbly. He
upset the inkstand, scattered the sandbox and pens, screaming all the
while like mad. After he had experimented long enough, he gave
another jump out of the window; and that was the last we saw of him.

Aunt Thankful looked as white as a sheet. She was taken by surprise,
and seemed really frightened.

"Marcy on us," she said, as soon as she could find words, "what a
dreadful creature! You may go to your seats, children; I guess you can
be excused for laughing."

The poor lady proceeded to pick up her papers, and set matters to
rights. It was quite a task. The ink had run over all her papers and
into her desk. For years after, that ink spot was pointed out by the
children to the new comers, and the story of the monkey had to be
related.

Before noon the organ grinder had wa