The rain had washed everything nice and clean, and it was
just lovely out-of-doors.

"Now, let's hurry and get our breakfasts," said Jumpo. "Then we'll pack
up our lunch and stay all day in the woods."

"And gather chestnuts and bring them home and roast and boil them!"
exclaimed Jacko, for monkeys are very fond of chestnuts, you know. Oh,
my, yes! and some sweet potatoes also.

Pretty soon the two monkey boys started off for the woods, and each one
had a little package of lunch. On and on they went, and in a short time
they were quite a distance from home, but that didn't matter, as they
knew the way back. They looked at the different trees in search of
chestnuts, but for some time they didn't find any.

"I tell you what let's do," suggested Jacko. "I'll go off on this path
to the right, and you take the one to the left, and whoever finds a lot
of chestnuts first can holler. Then, if it's you, I'll come and help you
gather them, but if I find them, then you must come and help me."

"Good!" cried Jumpo. "We'll do it!" So Jumpo went to the left path and
Jacko took the one on the right. Well, Jacko hadn't gone very far before
he came to a tree, and under it was a whole pile of chestnuts, all
nicely gathered together.

"Oh, ho! This is fine!" cried the monkey boy. "Hello, Jumpo!" he called,
as loudly as he could. "Come here!"

"What do you want Jumpo for?" asked a voice in a tree overhead, and
there was an old gentleman squirrel with a small sack on his back.

"I want him to help me pick up these chestnuts," said Jacko.

"Oh, but those are _my_ chestnuts," said the squirrel. "I have gathered
them to eat during the winter. I'm sure you wouldn't want to take them
away from me."

"No, indeed," said the red monkey politely. "I didn't know they were
yours."

"Then I'll show you where there are a lot more," said the squirrel
gentleman, "and you can gather them for yourself." The squirrel took the
monkey boy to another place in the woods, and oh! what a pile of
chestnuts were there. Jacko called for Jumpo as hard as he could, but
the green monkey didn't come.

"Perhaps he has found some nuts for himself," thought Jacko. "Very well,
I'll gather these, and wait until he comes."

But Jumpo was having quite an adventure by himself, and I'll tell you
about it. He walked along and along, after Jacko had left him, but he
couldn't find even a last year's chestnut burr, and he felt quite badly
about it. Then, all of a sudd