THE TWINS ARE LOST
Early the next morning before the crowds of people began to come to
the Park, the goats had a fine time visiting all the animals, going up
one path and down another and in one animal house and out another
until they came to the lions' cages. These roaring, ferocious beasts
with their glaring yellow eyes, tawny manes, big red mouths and
gleaming teeth frightened the Twins nearly into spasms and they ran
away from the family so fast that their mother could not follow them.
They dodged under this bush and that, around curves in the paths and
behind the animal cages so quickly that she gave up the chase and came
back to get their father to help her.
"They have gone and we can't catch up to them now," said he. "Stay
here and go with us a bit and when we have seen all the animals we
wish to see, I'll look for them. They will be frightened after a while
when they find they are alone, and begin to hunt us," said their
father.
So Billy Junior, Daisy and Nannie walked leisurely from cage to cage,
saying a word here and a word there to all the animals and birds they
saw. And this is how it happened that the Twins found themselves alone
in the Park.
"Gee! I hope those big beasts don't break out of their cage and come
after us! We would only make one mouthful for them and I bet they like
tender kid meat at that!" shuddered one Twin.
"Don't even mention it!" said the other. "I can feel my bones crunch
in their big mouths and see them lick their chops after they have
eaten us."
"Where shall we go now? We can do as we please all day if we just keep
out of sight of the family."
"We'll keep our eyes open for them, never mind, and if we see them
coming, we will hide. I wonder what is in that big cage over there? I
see something flying from one side to the other but it doesn't look
like a bird. Let's go see what it is."
So they trotted off and soon found themselves in front of the monkeys'
cage.
"Oh, look, look! Aren't they the funniest looking things you ever saw?
They have faces like a baby or an old man and tails like a cat!"
"See that big one away up in that perch holding a little teeny, tiny
one in its arms just as a woman holds a baby!"
"One of them has its tail sticking out of the cage. Wait until I go
pinch it with my teeth and see what it will do."
Cautiously the little mischief crept up to where the big monkey was
sitting with his back to them, tail swinging outside the cage. But the
Twin pinched it harder than he meant to, and the next thing he knew
his head was being banged against the bars of the cage and the monkey
was trying to pull him through the bars by his short horns.
[Illustration]
The only thing that really saved the Twin was that his horns were
short and slippery and the monkey could not hold on to them. Seeing
this, he let go to grab hold of the kid's ears, but he was not quick
enough, for just as he let go one horn the kid gave a lurch and fell
to the ground. It took but a second for him to regain his feet and baa
for his brother. But what was his dismay to see his brother running
down the path like mad, trying to shake off a tiny monkey that was
sitting on his back!
While one Twin had been biting the big monkey's tail, the other had
been watching a baby monkey squeeze itself between the bars of the
cage and escape. But he never would have watched had he known what
that little monkey intended doing when he got out. It was this: to get
a ride on the kid's back, for it had no sooner slipped through the
bars of the cage than it made a bound and landed on the kid's back. As
its claws dug into his flesh, he kicked and butted to shake it off,
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 driving along the parkway thought it strange that the Park
commissioners would allow goats to run loose through the flower beds
and pull the sweet peas off their trellises. Had they driven by a few
minutes later they would have enjoyed the fun of seeing a big fat
guard as broad as he was long, a long handled rake in his hand,
trying to drive two innocent looking kids out of those very same
flower beds.
[Illustration]
They were too spry for him, however, and when he drove them out of one
bed they simply ran into another and stood eating until he was again
within striking distance of them. Then they would scamper away and
begin on another bed. They did this until the man was so angry that
his face was as red as a turkey cock's, while his breath came in
gasps. At last he tripped over the hose and fell sprawling in a puddle
of water. This, however, gave him an idea, and he determined to turn
the water on the kids. Up he got and without looking to see if they
were still there, he turned the hose where they had stood but a second
before. But alas! the stream of water hit his best girl who was
walking between two of the flower beds pushing a baby carriage. The
kids were nowhere in sight!
"Oh, Rosy, Rosy, forgive me, forgive me! I thought you was a goat!"
"So I look like a goat, do I, you miserable old clumsy fellow, you!
Take that--and that--and that!" as she struck him over the head with
one of the baby pillows, and then began to cry. Blinded by her tears,
she pushed the baby carriage right over the flower beds, heedless of
where she was walking, sobbing, "He thought I was a goat! I don't look
like a goat, I don't! Boo hoo hoo!"
By this time the gardener had collected his wits enough to go to her
and explain. The last the kids saw of them as they bounded away, he
had his arm around her and was loving her, much to the amusement of
passersby.
"I smell something good," said one of the Twins.
"So do I! Let's go see what it is."
"It comes from over by that big red brick building."
They trotted over and found it came from a popcorn wagon.
"Yum, yum! It is popcorn with butter and salt on it!"
"Oh, I just love it, don't you?"
"Yes, but I like it best with chocolate on it. Wait until the man who
owns the stand is not looking and then we will run up and grab a bag."
"I know a safer plan. Here come two little girls with bags in their
hands. One has a bag with buttered corn in it and the other has one
with chocolate poured over the corn. I saw the man fixing it for them.
We will hide behind these bushes and when they are opposite us we
will jump out, grab the bags and run. Which girl do you think has the
buttered corn and which the chocolate?"
"The girl with the pink bow has the buttered corn, so you take her
bag, while I go for the other one."
"Oh, oh! You horrid things! Where did you come from?" wailed one
little girl when the kids jumped out of the shrubbery at her and
grabbed her bag of chocolate popcorn.
The other little girl held onto her bag and began to run, holding it
high above her head, but she squeezed the bag so tightly that it broke
and the corn scattered on the ground. Then the kid quickly gathered up
a great mouthful and ran off.
The little girl went wailing to a park policeman and told him her
troubles and the kids saw him turn and run toward them. They raced
off, chewing the paper bags as they ran, seeking a good place to hide,
which they found in a thick clump of lilac bushes. After devouring the
very last bit of paper that had either butter or chocolate sticking to
it, they fell asleep. And here they were found by the night watchman
who carried them off and shut them in a pen with some Angora goats
from across the sea.