Once more Mappo looked at the empty cocoanut shell in his paw--the shell
with which he was going to play a trick on Jacko or Bumpo.

Nearer and nearer to Mappo crept the tiger, lashing his tail from side
to side. Tigers always do that, just as cats do when they are trying to
catch a bird in the garden. Tigers are only big cats, you know, very
much bigger and stronger than your pussy. And they always creep slowly,
slowly up toward anything they are going to catch, until they are near
enough to give one jump and grab it in their claws. That is what the
tiger was trying to do to Mappo.

All of a sudden Mappo raised the paw that held the cocoanut shell. The
little monkey chap made up his mind to be brave and save himself if he
could.

"Take that, Mr. Tiger!" called Mappo, all at once.

With all his might he threw the empty cocoanut shell right at the
tiger's head. Monkeys are very good throwers. They are almost as good as
are baseball boys at that sort of thing.

"Bang!" went the cocoanut on the tiger's head. It cracked open--I mean
the cocoanut cracked open--where Mappo had stuck it together. It made
quite a noise.

"Oh my!" cried the tiger, jumping up suddenly, for he did not know what
to make of the cocoanut shell in his face. Mappo had thrown it so
suddenly.

Then, as the tiger heard the cracking of the cocoanut shell, he thought