[Illustration: {LARGE MUSHROOMS.}]
"GO HALVES!"
Little Fred Mason's father took him to an exhibition of wild animals.
After they had looked at the elephants, lions, tigers and bears, they
went to see the monkeys. On the way, Mr. Mason bought two large
oranges and gave them to Fred.
There were six cages of small animals. One of them was for the "happy
family." Fred thought the creatures in it must be called the "happy
family" because the dogs, cats and monkeys were all the time teasing
and plaguing one another. One monkey had a rat in his lap. He tended
it as a mother does her baby. The monkey was happy, but Mr. Mason did
not think the rat liked it very well.
Fred put one orange in his side pocket. He could not wait until he got
home to eat the other. As he walked along among the cages he seemed to
care more for the fruit than for the animals. He sucked the orange
with all his might till he came to a cage with three monkeys in it.
One of them looked very sober and solemn. One opened his mouth and
seemed to be laughing. All of them looked at Fred and held out their
hands.