XXII

Caught!


Though Major Monkey tugged and tugged, he couldn't pull his hand out
of the pitcher.

To be sure, if he had let go of the lump of maple sugar he might have
withdrawn his hand easily enough.

But the Major loved sweets too dearly to loosen his hold on any such
toothsome morsel--except to pop it into his mouth.

So he struggled and fretted. He even tried to break the pitcher by
knocking it against the floor.

It might as well have been made of iron, it was so strong. And the
Major only succeeded in hurting his own hand.

Of course he made a great racket. And the hens, who had become used to
his more stealthy visits, began to flutter and squawk. They made such
an uproar at last that Major Monkey wanted to hurl the pitcher at
them. But he couldn't do that, with his hand stuck inside it. And
besides, the pitcher was chained fast to the wall of the henhouse.