"I'll think about it," answered back Mappo.

But he had no idea of letting out that tiger.

"I'm sure he must still be angry at me for hitting him with that empty
cocoanut," said Mappo, "and if he is loose he can easily crush me with
one stroke of his paw. No, I think I will not let him out, though I am
sorry he is caught. But I will try to get out myself, and run back to my
mamma and papa, and sisters and brothers. Yes, I will do that."

After the tiger had asked Mappo to help him get out of the cage,
Sharp-Tooth pretended to go to sleep. He wanted to fool the natives, you
see, and make believe he was going to be good and gentle.

"Oh, but won't I roar and bite and scratch when I do get out!" thought
the tiger. Perhaps he would not have hurt Mappo, had the monkey opened
the cage; but I cannot be sure of that.

All day long through the jungle tramped the natives, carrying the wild
animals in their crates. There were several besides Mappo and
Sharp-Tooth. There were snakes, in big boxes, other monkeys, a
rhinoceros, a hippopotamus, two lions, who roared dreadfully all the
while, and many other beasts.

In fact, it was a small circus marching through the jungle, and all the
animals had been caught, in one way or another, to be sold to circuses
and menageries. But in this book I will tell you mostly about Mappo,
just as in other books I have told you of Squinty, the comical pig, and
Slicko, the jumping squirrel.