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The two boys were almost across the meadow, and were thinking what fun it would be to see the dog going down the street, giving the Monkey a ride, when, all of a sudden, Carlo saw a cat.

Now you know what dogs do when they see cats. They chase them, just for fun, you understand. And this is what Carlo did–he raced after this cat as fast as he could go.

“Carlo!” chattered the Monkey.

Now, somehow or other, the strings by which the boys had fastened the Monkey on the back of the dog had become loosened. One knot after another came undone, and the Monkey felt himself slipping.

“Oh, wait a minute! Wait a minute, Carlo!” cried the Monkey, for he could talk now, being out of hearing of the boys. “Wait! Wait!” cried the Monkey. “I am falling off!”

“I can’t wait!” barked Carlo. “I must get that cat!”

On he ran, faster than before. Dick and Herbert saw him, and Dick cried:

“Oh, look at my dog chasing a cat. Let’s see if he gets her.”

So they ran after the dog.

Faster and faster went Carlo, and the strings that held the Monkey on became looser and looser until, at last, they slipped off altogether, and down fell the Monkey into the grass.

The grass was tall and thick, and at the moment when the Monkey fell Dick and Herbert were down in a sort of little valley, and they did not see what had happened. So the Monkey fell off the dog’s back before they noticed it.

As for Carlo, all he was thinking of was getting the cat. And the boys went after him.

On all sides of the Monkey was green grass, nice and soft. A little farther off were some trees. The Monkey could see them as he looked over the top of the grass.

“I wish I could climb one of those trees,” said the toy Monkey half aloud. “I’ve been climbing up and down a stick so long that I am rather tired of it. I think I ought to climb trees.”

The Monkey was beginning to feel strange. It was the first time he had ever been by himself, alone in a green field, with the warm sun shining on him.

“I feel just like doing something!” said the Monkey, speaking out loud this time, though he could see no one to whom he might talk. “I’m going to cut up! Hi yi!” he shouted. “I’m going to jump and turn somersaults and everything.”

And with that he began leaping about on the soft, green grass. He jumped this way and that. He jumped forward and backward and he turned front somersaults and backward somersaults.

Then, all of a sudden, a voice called, saying:

“What in the world are you doing, my friend?”

The Monkey stopped short, and flipped his tail from side to side.

“Well, I don’t see you, and I don’t know who you are,” he said, “but if you want to know what I’m doing, I’m cutting up Monkeyshines! That’s what I’m doing! Cutting up Monkeyshines!”

CHAPTER VI

IN A CAVE

Out from under a large, green leaf, underneath which he had been sitting, crawled a long green creature. The green creature looked at the brown Monkey, who, after jumping about, sat down on a little hummock of grass to rest.

“What did you say you were doing?” asked the bug.

“Cutting up Monkeyshines,” was the answer. “We Monkeys, whether we are toys or not, call our fun ‘Monkeyshines,’ and I thought I’d cut up a few while I was here by myself. I didn’t know you minded.”

“Oh, bless you, I don’t mind,” said the green creature. “I like to watch you. It is fun. You are quite a jumper, and I am something of a jumper myself.”

“Who are you?” asked the Monkey.

“I’m a Grasshopper,” was the answer. “I live here in this green meadow and sing songs all day long.”

“I am glad to meet you, Mr. Grasshopper,” said the Monkey. “Singing songs must be nice.”