e skin. I was thinking of that riddle, and it kept me up
quite late the night before."

"Did you think of the answer?"

"No, I didn't," said the Monkey; "any more than I can think of the
answer to the Clown's riddle of what makes more noise than a----"

"Hush! Here come Madeline and Herbert to breakfast!" suddenly whispered
the Rabbit. "Back to your box as quick as you can. We toys are not
allowed to move about by ourselves when any one sees us, you know."

"Yes, I know!" chattered the Monkey.

Nimbly he sprang back to his box, and clasped the stick, up and down
which he climbed when a string was pulled. As he pulled the box cover
down over his head he heard the joyous shouts and laughter of two
children as they ran into the room.

"Happy birthday, Herbert!" called Madeline. "Look and see what Daddy
bought for you yesterday!"

When Herbert had the cover off the box and had looked at the Monkey on a
Stick lying there with a funny grin on his face, the boy smiled and
cried:

"Oh, it's a Climbing Monkey! Oh, this is just what I wanted! Oh, now I
can have a show and a circus and I'll ask Dick to come and bring his
Rocking Horse, and Arnold can come and bring his Bold Tin Soldier, and
we'll have lots of fun. Oh, look at my Monkey climb his stick!"

Herbert took his new birthday toy from the box, and, by pulling the
string, made the Monkey go up and down as fast as anything. Madeline
picked up her Candy Rabbit, and though that Bunny said nothing, he could
see all that went on.

"Oh, this is a dandy Monkey!" cried Herbert. "I can give a show with
him!"

While the little boy was making the funny chap go up and down the stick,
the door of the breakfast room opened and some one came in.

CHAPTER II

THE MONKEY AT SCHOOL

"Well, children, why aren't you eating breakfast?" a voice asked, and
Herbert, turning around, saw his mother. The Monkey on a Stick, who, if
he could not talk or do any tricks just then, could use his eyes, saw a
pleasant-faced lady entering the room. She was smiling at Madeline, who
had her Candy Rabbit in her hands, and at Herbert.

"Oh, look, Mother, what I found at my plate!" exclaimed Herbert, and he
pulled the string, and made the Monkey run up and down the stick. "It's
my birthday present!"

"Yes, Daddy said he was going to get you something," said Mother. "It
came from the store late yesterday afternoon, and I put it away, and had
it laid at your breakfast place this morning.