s as toys and not real live creatures. "I'll thank you to
bring me a monkey and some grapes," said Felix. "I also wish for a
monkey," said Winny. "No, no, Winny," said Zoe, "don't have a monkey,
they smell so. Let us have each a parrot." "Oh yes, yes, a parrot. Bring
Zoe a green one and me a blue one," said Winny, "A blue one, you stupid
girl," said Oscar, "there never was a blue one in all the world." "Then
I will have a yellow one; red parrots are so common and vulgar," Lilly
said, "but whatever you do, mind and bring us some cocoa-nuts." We
promised to do our best, and started, not in the order I proposed, but
with Benjie in the rear. Hard work it was, and many times did we stop,
pretending to admire the view, watching the dear ones below, answering
their signals, but only with an object to gain breath for fresh
exertions. It took us quite an hour and a half to get to the top, during
which we frightened innumerable quantities of birds, and disturbed a
vast number of lizards. The latter alarmed some of us very much, and
they turned their large serious odd eyes upon us as if in wonderment at
our appearance, gliding so imperceptibly from our sight, that it seemed
as if they dissolved in air. Once at the top, we sat down to rest and
eat, for, by the captain's advice, we determined not to stir during the
hot part of the day. We of course had the dogs with us, but they were
kept to heel by Smart, to avoid rousing any enemy. After cooling
ourselves, and recovering our breath, we had leisure to examine the
exquisite beauty of everything around us. Anything like the trees with
the foliage of every shade of green, and creepers with stems as thick as
the trees in our country could not be imagined. Whatever fears the girls
might have had, they seemed all to have vanished; and they sat talking
and laughing with the same glee and unconcern as if they had been in the
garden at home. During the noise they were making, we had not perceived
that Benjie had left us. Presently he returned with a vine clinging
round him, covered with ripe luscious grapes. We were enchanted, and had
only one drawback, that we could not send any one below. Madame would
have enjoyed them so much, and it was so hot on the shore, compared to
the breeze we were enjoying. Benjie, comprehending our words, said, "Hi,
Benjie, cook that for them, hi, Benjie, first-rate good cook, and send a
pye-grape down to Miss Winny." Miss Winny was his pet, because when the
littl