The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 44 pages of information about The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction.

The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 44 pages of information about The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction.
every thing and every body:  but he was also a first-rate equestrian.  Whenever the pigs were let out to take a run on deck, he took his station behind a cask, whence he leaped on the back of one of his steeds as it passed.  Of course the speed was increased, and the nails he stuck in to keep himself on, produced a squeaking:  but Jack was never thrown, and became so fond of the exercise, that he was obliged to be shut up whenever the pigs were at liberty.  Confinement was the worst punishment he could receive, and whenever threatened with that, or any other, he would cling to me for protection.  At night, when about to be sent to bed in an empty hencoop, he generally hid himself under my shawl, and at last never suffered any one but myself to put him to rest.  He was particularly jealous of the other monkeys on board, who were all smaller than himself, and put two out of his way.  The first feat of the kind was performed in my presence:  he began by holding out his paw, and making a squeaking noise, which the other evidently considered as an invitation; the poor little thing crouched to him most humbly; but Jack seized him by the neck, hopped off to the side of the vessel, and threw him into the sea.  We cast out a rope immediately, but the monkey was too frightened to cling to it, and we were going too fast to save him by any other means.  Of course, Jack was flogged and scolded, at which he was very penitent; but the deceitful rogue, at the end of three days, sent another victim to the same destiny.  But his spite against his own race was manifested at another time in a very original way.  The men had been painting the ship’s side with a streak of white, and upon being summoned to dinner, left their brushes and paint on deck.  Unknown to Jack, I was seated behind the companion door, and saw the whole transaction; he called a little black monkey to him, who, like the others, immediately crouched to his superior, when he seized him by the nape of the neck with one paw, took the brush, dripping with paint, with the other, and covered him with white from head to foot.  Both the man at the helm and myself burst into a laugh, upon which Jack dropped his victim, and scampered up the rigging.  The unhappy little beast began licking himself, but I called the steward, who washed him so well with turpentine, that all injury was prevented; but during our bustle Jack was peeping with his black nose through the bars of the maintop, apparently enjoying the confusion.  For three days he persisted in remaining aloft; no one could catch him, he darted with such rapidity from rope to rope; at length, impelled by hunger, he dropped unexpectedly from some height on my knees, as if for refuge, and as he had thus confided in me, I could not deliver him up to punishment.

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The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.