Jacko and Jumpo Kinkytail Part 15

Well, after a while, not so very long, all of a sudden, as the monkey boys were riding along through the woods, all of a sudden, I say, their auto stopped. It wouldn't go a bit farther.

"What's the matter?" asked Jacko.

"I don't know," said Jumpo, looking all around.

"Maybe the squee-gee is on crooked," said the red monkey.

"No, that's all straight," answered the green monkey, as he looked at it to make sure.

"Then perhaps the busticated-what's-his-name needs oiling," suggested Jacko.

So Jumpo put some oil on the busticated-what's-his-name, but still that auto wouldn't go any more than a clock will if it isn't wound up.

"Maybe all the wheels are off," spoke Jacko.

So they got out to look, but the wheels were on all right and tight, and the big tires were full of wind like a bologna sausage. Well, these monkey boys didn't know what to do, and they were beginning to be frightened, for they were in the deep woods, where there might be wolves. They began to wish they hadn't come so far, or else that they knew more about autos.

All of a sudden they heard a rustling in the bushes, and they looked around, fearing they might see the burglar fox, perhaps, but whom do you suppose it was? Why, no one else than Grandfather Goosey Gander.

"Oh, our auto is stuck!" cried Jacko.

"Yes, it won't go," said Jumpo.

Grandfather Goosey took one look at the machine, then he sniffed the air and said:

"Why, of course, it won't go, you have no more gasoline. I know, for I once had a motor-boat and the same thing happened to me. You need gasoline, just as I did. Go buy some gasoline."

"Where can we get it; here in the woods?" asked Jacko.

Grandfather Goosey Gander sniffed the air again.

"I smell gasoline," he said, "and it's over this way. Come with me." So he led the monkey boys through the woods toward a big stump, and there, right behind it, was Aunt Lettie, the old lady goat. And what do you s'pose she was doing? Why, she was cleaning the spots off the trousers of Jimmie Wibblewobble, the duck boy, with gasoline. She had a big can full, for you know gasoline cleans spots off things very nicely.

"Oh, will you please give us some of your gasoline to make our auto go?"

asked Jacko politely of the old lady goat.

"Mercy sakes alive, child! Of course I will," said Aunt Lettie.

So she gave the monkey boys some, and Grandfather Goosey Gander showed them how to pour it in the tank of their car. Then Jumpo twisted the tinkerum-tankerum and away the auto went, whizz-whazz! and the boys had a fine ride.

They went through the woods and up one hill and down another, and when they were almost home a big savage wolf chased them, but he couldn't catch up to that auto; no, sir, no matter how he tried, and he couldn't bite any holes in the tires, either.

So Jacko and Jumpo got safely home, just in time for dinner, and they had huckleberry pie and chocolate drops on it with their milk.

So that's all now, if you please, but in case the spoonholder doesn't squeeze the salt-shaker and make the pepper box sneeze, I'll tell you on the next page about Jumpo and the roast marshmallow candy.

STORY XIX

JUMPO AND THE ROAST MARSHMALLOWS

It was almost time for school to be out, and Jacko and Jumpo, the red and green monkey boys, could hardly wait, as they wanted to run home and go for another ride in their little auto. Of course, all the other animal children also wished school was over, for Jacko and Jumpo had promised to let all of them have turns riding in the gasoline car. But just when it was almost time for school to be out the owl school teacher said:

"Now, children, I am going to give you all some lessons to study at home, and I want you all to do them as nicely as you can. Now pay attention, please."

So she gave some of the pupils examples to do, and to others she gave spelling, and to still others writing, while the bigger children, like Sammie Littletail or Johnnie and Billie Bushytail, had geography to study. And the little kindergarten children had to cut things out of paper--horses and cows and houses and trees, and things like that.

"Now you may all go," said the teacher, "and bring your lessons in with you to-morrow morning."

Well, the animal children marched out, but they weren't very happy. They didn't think they ought to have to study at home, but it has to be done, sometimes, you know. And really it isn't so hard if you don't think so.

"Oh, dear!" exclaimed Jacko to his brother, when they were outside the school. "We can't go for an auto ride if we have to study our examples."

"No; isn't it mean?" exclaimed his brother. "But perhaps if we run along quickly we'll have time for just a little ride before we have to do our home work."

So they hurried as fast as they could and they soon reached home. Then their mamma said they might ride around the block a couple of times in their auto before doing any study.

"And then, after your lessons are done, you may ride some more," she said; "that is if it isn't too dark."

Well, Jacko and Jumpo took their little ride, and they gave rides to as many of their friends as they could. Then they went in the house to study.

But alas and alack-a-day! You know how it happens sometimes. Jacko got his example all twisted up, and the answer wouldn't come right. And Jumpo's numbers got all snarled up, until the figure six looked like a nine and the figure eight like a brown cruller which his mamma sometimes made in the lard kettle.

"Oh, dear!" cried both the monkey boys. "We'll never get done in time to go auto riding before dark."

"Never mind," spoke their mamma, "I'll help you." And she did; but even then it was dark before they were finished, and quite too late to go out in the auto, for they might have hit a lamp post and bent the rubber tires into a figure forty-'leven.

"What can we do to have some fun?" asked Jumpo, as he untied two hard knots in his tail.

"How would you like to roast some marshmallow candies?" asked his mother, looking over the top of the piano.

"How do you do it?" inquired Jacko, who was still studying.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"You build a little fire," said his mamma, "only you must be very careful not to get too near it. Then you take a stick and sharpen the end. Then you fasten a soft marshmallow candy on the pointed stick, and hold it near the fire, but not too close, and pretty soon the marshmallow candy puffs up and gets nice and brown and you eat it--only you must wait until it is cool, or you might burn your tongue. Do you want to do that?"

"Burn my tongue? No, indeed!" cried Jumpo, making a funny face and wriggling his tail up and down like a fan.

"Oh, I didn't mean burn your tongue, you funny boy," spoke his mamma with a laugh. "I meant do you want to build a fire and roast marshmallows?"

"Surely," said Jumpo politely. "Don't you, Jacko?"

"No, I guess not," said the red monkey boy. "I think I'll read a little after my lessons are done and then go to bed. To-morrow we may not have to study at home, and we can take a longer auto ride."

So Jumpo went out alone in front of his house to roast the marshmallows.