occasion, while I was gathering these nuts, I was startled by a
loud shrieking not far off, and, looking in the direction of the noise,
I saw that there was a great commotion among the monkeys--about a
hundred of them squealing and yelling and gesticulating at once. It was
on the ground, where the monkey-crowd swayed to and fro like any
civilized mob. I ran up to see what the fracas was about, but not
without some misgivings as to the risk of meddling in other people's
business.

(_To be continued_.)

SINGING PINS.

BY HARLAN H. BALLARD.

It has been said, you know, that all the millions of pins which are
lost every year are picked up by fairies and hammered out on elfin
anvils into notes of music. There are some who say that this statement
must be received with caution, although they admit that the half and
quarter notes do bear a very singular resemblance to pins.

I confess that I shared the doubts of this latter class of persons
until a few evenings since; for although I knew well enough that pins
were bright and sharp enough in their way, I never had been able to
discover one of a musical turn of mind.

But having on a certain evening heard a choir of pins singing "Yankee
Doodle" till you would have thought that their heads must ache forever
after, I hereby withdraw all my objections, and express my decided
opinion that the above-named theory of the future life of pins is fully
as accurate as any other with which I am acquainted.

The chorus of pins who were singing "Yankee Doodle" were standing at
the time on a piece of pine-board, and were evidently very much stuck
up.

One of their number, however, when asked if they were not rather too
self-important, bent his head quickly downward, and replied that he
couldn't see the point, which was exceedingly brassy for a pin.

They looked for all the world as if they were a line of music which,
impatient of being forever kept under key and behind bars, had revolted
under the leadership of an intrepid staff-officer, and marched right
out of Sister Mary's instruction-book.

[Illustration: TUNING THE PINS.]

Indeed, from a remark which the staff-officer let fall, to the effect
that if they did not all see sharp they would soon be flat again,
nothing else would be natural than to accept that supposition as the
truth.

Pins they were of all papers and polish.

They were not ranged according to height, as good soldiers should be,
nor did they all stand