Mappo, the Merry Monkey by Richard Barnum
page 14 of 99 (14%)
page 14 of 99 (14%)
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That was why he was called Bumpo--he was always bumping his head, though it did not hurt him very much, for he was covered with a heavy growth of hair. "Well, what is it, if you know?" asked Mappo, for he was looking at the big, round, brown thing, and trying to guess what it was. "It's--it's a new kind of banana," said Bumpo, for he and his brothers and sisters were very fond of the soft red and yellow fruit. "No, it isn't a banana," said Mrs. Monkey. "It's a cocoanut." "I never saw a cocoanut as big as that," spoke Mappo, for his papa had brought some smaller, round nuts to the tree-house, and had said they were cocoanuts. The little monkeys had not been allowed to eat any of the white meat inside the cocoanut though, for they were too small for it then. "Yes, this is a cocoanut," went on Mrs. Monkey. "You are now getting large enough to have some for your meals, and so I am going to give you a lesson in how to open a cocoanut." "I thought cocoanut was white," said Choo. "It is, inside," said Mrs. Monkey. "This cocoanut I now have has the outer shell still on it. That is why it is not round, like some you may have seen. Inside this soft covering is the round nut, and inside that round nut is the white meat. Now, Mappo, you are a smart little monkey, let me see if you will know how to open the cocoanut. And, when you do, |
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