The Major Goes South
Out of one of his pockets the hand-organ man pulled a stout collar,from which dangled a long, thin chain. And Major Monkey made noprotest when his master buckled the collar about his neck.
To tell the truth, the Major appeared to like being a captive. He wasenjoying, especially, the maple sugar which the hand-organ man hadturned out of the pitcher for him.
At the farmhouse, a little later, Major Monkey went through all histricks for Johnnie Green and the rest of the family. Though he had oncetold Mr. Crow that he never wanted to hear the sound of a hand-organagain, the music that his master ground out while he himself caperedabout seemed to him the sweetest he had ever heard.
Of the Major's audience, the most astonished of all sat, unnoticed, ina tree in the dooryard and listened and looked on as if he couldscarcely believe his eyes.
This one was Jolly Robin. And when, at length, the organ-grinderlooped the long chain over his arm, slung the organ over his back, andwent toiling up the road, with Major Monkey perched on top of thehand-organ, Jolly Robin had a very queer feeling. He flew down andalighted upon Farmer Greene's fence and trilled a quavering good-by.Major Monkey stood up and made a low bow to him. "He's going South,after all!" Jolly Robin said to himself. If that was so, old dog Spotmust have been glad of it. Anyhow, he dashed out of the dooryard andran a little way up the road, growling and barking, and telling MajorMonkey exactly what he thought of him.
The Major seemed to enjoy old Spot's farewell. He danced up and down,and pulled back his arm, as if to throw something at Spot. But hechanged his mind. He had a red apple, which Johnnie Green had givenhim. And instead of wasting it on old dog Spot, the Major took a biteout of it then and there.
Old Spot had trotted back to the farmhouse, looking very brave, inspite of the scolding Johnnie Green gave him. And Major Monkey wasbusily engaged with his apple, when he heard a sound that made himlook up.
"Caw! Caw!" It was old Mr. Crow, whose keen eyes had caught sight ofthe hand-organ man plodding along with his precious load. Major Monkeywhistled. And just for a moment, as he watched Mr. Crow sailing lazilyoverhead, he almost wished that he hadn't been quite so fond of sugar.For he knew that he could no longer wander through Pleasant Valleywherever his fancy led him.
But the hand-organ man began singing a merry song. And Major Monkeyliked it so well that before he had gone a mile he wouldn't haveturned back for anything. Now that his play-time had come to an end,he was eager to journey on, wherever his master might take him.
For Major Monkey--as he had told Mr. Crow in the beginning--was a greattraveller.
THE END.
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