but it only clung the tighter.

[Illustration]

"You'll stick to my back in spite of me, will you? Well, we'll _see_!"
and off the kid started for a duck pond near by. He was in the water
and swimming for the opposite shore before the monkey realized what
had happened. He could not jump off now as he did not know whether he
could swim or not, this being the first time he had ever been near
water. He did not know that all animals can swim by instinct.

He chattered and called in monkey language for the ducks and the
geese to save him, but they were much too busy saving themselves from
this stranger in their pond to give him any help, and they flew
squawking in all directions. At last after the kid had dived two or
three times and the monkey had come up with his eyes and mouth full of
water, he decided to jump onto the back of one of the geese or swans
when he got near enough one. Just then a stately swan that had refused
to be frightened or even disturbed by the entrance of the kid in his
particular pond sailed majestically by with his head up, neck curved
and wings slightly raised to show them off to the very best advantage.

"That is a good safe place for me," thought the little monkey. "I'll
jump and sit on that swan's back between his wings. They will shelter
me and keep me from falling off."

As the swan approached the kid, it hissed a warning for him to get out
of the pond. His second hiss died in his throat with surprise when the
monkey landed on his back. At first the swan was too much taken back
to do anything but sail on by the kid, but when he had collected his
senses, he tipped himself upside down with head and half his body
under water, and remained in this position so long that the monkey
fell off and had to swim for shore.

When he came out of the water, he happened to come out beside the kid,
who stood shaking himself. He stopped in a hurry when he saw the half
drowned little monkey coming out of the pond looking more like a
drowned rat than a monkey. He did not wait to give himself another
shake, but dove into the water and swam for the place where he had
first entered the pond, and there he found his Twin awaiting him,
laughing as if his sides would split.

[Illustration]

"Come along! We must hurry away from here before we have hissing geese
and quacking ducks bring the guards down on us. I smell sweet peas!
Let's go eat some. I just love the blossoms--they are sweet as honey."

People drivi