Oh, look, look!" cried Tony; "here are some real live bears."

"Where?" said Elsie, as she came running round the corner. "Oh, what funny-looking things they are!"

It was a fine day in June, and Tony and Elsie had come with their mother to see all the animals at the Zoo.

And what a jolly time they were having!

When they had paid their money and passed through the turnstile, the first thing they saw was a strange-looking bird perched on a branch beside a seat where one of the keepers was sitting.

"That is not a real bird," said Tony. "It is only put there to make fun of people."

Just then it turned its head right round and stared steadily at Tony.

"Why, it is real!" said Tony in surprise. "What a funny-looking bird!"

"It is an owl," said the keeper, "and there are a lot more in the cages there."

So Tony and Elsie went on and saw the rest of the owls.

Next, they came to the parrot house. Oh! what screeching and screaming there was!

"Hullo!" said a voice so close to Elsie that it made her jump.

"It is only a parrot," said Tony, laughing; "he can talk."

There were parrots outside too, swinging on perches, and they looked very beautiful in the sunlight.

Then Tony, Elsie, and mother went on and on and saw all kinds of animals. They had a ride on an elephant, and when it was time to get off, mother was standing with a bag of buns in her hand, and before she could speak Jumbo had put out his trunk and taken one. What a surprise she got!

Inside the elephant house was another Jumbo, and when they told him to dance he went round and round in his cage in the most comical manner. Then he opened his mouth wide for Tony to throw a bun into it.

Well, well, what heaps of things there were to see! At last Tony and Elsie came to the bears.

And there, sitting in a cage, was a lovely brown bear.

"Oh, isn't he a darling?" said Elsie.

"Yes," answered Tony. "Let us give him something to eat."

So he threw a piece of bun to him, and he caught it in his paw. Then mother said, "Sit up, then;" and greatly to their surprise the bear sat up on his hind legs and begged.

"Now," said Elsie, "I should like to see the monkeys."

"Come on, then," cried Tony; "I'll race you." And away they ran.

Just inside the door of the monkey house was a great big monkey sitting all alone in his cage.

"Ugh!" said Elsie; "isn't he ugly?"

And what do you think happened? Up got the monkey, and picking up a handful of gravel, threw it at Elsie.

You see the monkey did not like being called names, and was very much hurt.

Well, there were all kinds of monkeys—big monkeys and little monkeys—running and climbing about their cages. Tony gave them nuts and pieces of carrot, and one sly old monkey took his share and hid it in a corner under the straw.

"I do wish I had a monkey, all for my very own," said Tony, as they went home that day.

"Do you?" asked Elsie. "I do not think I should like one."

The next day Tony and Elsie had been playing in the garden, and as they were coming into the house Tony spied a queer-looking bundle in the corner of the door-way.

"What is this?" he said. "Look, Elsie; why, I do declare it is a monkey."

"A monkey!" exclaimed Elsie.

"Yes," said Tony. "Poor little thing, how he does shake!"

"Mother, mother!" they both called out, "come and see this monkey!"

"Why, Tony," said mother, "you have got your wish. Here is a monkey come to you. But let us take him inside."

So Tony picked the monkey up in his arms and took him into the house.

They found the poor little thing was suffering from a wounded foot, and when they had bathed and dressed it they gave it some food.

Just then father came in, and when he saw the monkey he said,—

"Hullo! what have you got here? A monkey!"

"O father!" said Tony and Elsie together.

"One at a time," said father.

So Elsie told the story whilst father listened.

"Well," said father, "I think I know where this poor little monkey has come from."

"As I came through the village I saw a man looking for a monkey. He told me it had run away from him, and he could not afford to lose it, as it earned a lot of money by doing tricks."

"Well," said Tony, "the man must have been very cruel to it, for it is very thin and tired."

"O father, don't send it back," said Elsie.

"But I thought you did not like monkeys," said father.

"Yes, yes, I do," replied Elsie; "I like this one very much."

"Then," said father, "I shall ask the man if we may buy him."

The next day the man was sent for, and he willingly sold the monkey to father. "For," he said, "Jacko will never do much good now."

So Jacko was tenderly cared for and fed, and very soon his foot got all better, and he began to grow fat.

He was very kind to the children, and would play with them, but sometimes he was very mischievous.

One day, when the maid was washing, she went into the garden and found the clothes all lying about on the grass.

"Dear me," she said, "I cannot have hung them up right." So she pinned them up again, and went into the house. Presently, out she came once more, and what was her surprise to find the clothes all down again!

The maid said, "I will put them up again, and this time I will watch."

So she pinned the clothes up again, and hid behind the door.

Presently, along the garden wall came Jacko. Away he ran along the clothes-line, picking out all the pegs as he went, and down dropped the clothes upon the grass.

"Oh, you villain!" cried the maid; "take that!" And she threw a bowl of water at Jacko. But Jacko only made a face at her as he scampered away.

So Jacko had recovered his spirits, and was very happy. Let us hope he will live for many, many years.