"well, i must say i never thought you two monkey boys would go off and earn money that way," said mamma kinkytail, as jacko and jumpo came in with the second-hand hand organ, after having gone around and played tunes, as i told you about in the story ahead of this.
"neither did i know what they were up to," said their father, as he sat reading the evening paper, after supper. "why, when you boys came down to the factory, and asked me to let you take a second-hand hand organ i had no idea that you were going to do what you did."
"but you don't mind; do you?" asked jumpo.
"because we thought it was all right," spoke jacko.
"oh, bless you, no," said their mamma. "it was all right." and then jacko told her how he and his brother had played the music and done the tricks, and how the little girl had given them ten cents and the other children pennies and five-cent pieces, and how delighted all the children were to see them.
"it was clever of you," said mrs. kinkytail.
"how much money did you make?" asked their papa, laughing behind his paper.
"we took in one dollar and seventeen cents," said jacko, as he counted it, "and we would have had eighteen cents, only i dropped one penny down a crack in the board walk of a house. but maybe we can get it some day."
"and now may we go down town and buy our auto?" asked jumpo eagerly. "it's early yet and the stores will be open for some time. please may we, mother?"
"you can't get an automobile for a dollar and seventeen cents," said their papa.
"well, we can try, can't we?" asked jacko.
"oh, let them go," whispered their mamma to mr. kinkytail. "it will do no harm, and they will very soon find out their mistake."
"i guess so," agreed their papa, as he looked in the paper to see if it was going to be nice weather sunday.
so jacko and jumpo having carefully wrapped their money in a piece of paper, started down town. and on their way they met sammie littletail, the boy rabbit, who wanted to know where they were going. so they told him.
"ha, ha! ho, ho!" laughed sammie. "you can't get an auto for that money. why an automobile costs as much as three dollars and fifteen cents, and then there's the gasoline to make it go—that costs money, too."
"don't mind him," spoke jacko, pulling his brother by the sleeve. "we'll get that auto anyhow."
so they kept on down town, and pretty soon they could see the lights in the stores, and they hurried faster than ever, for they were very anxious to get their auto.
"have you got the money safe?" asked jumpo.
"yes," said jacko, and just then, as they turned around a corner they saw a poor little mousie girl. oh, she was such a poor little girl, and she had on such a ragged dress, and her shoes were so full of holes that there was hardly room for her tiny feet in them. and she was crying and shivering with the cold.
"why, what is the matter?" asked jacko, kindly.
"oh, i'm so cold and miserable and hungry," said the mousie girl, wiping away her tears.
"then why don't you go home and get warm and have something to eat," said jumpo. "that's what we do when we're cold and hungry, don't we, jacko?"
"yes, but there is no fire in my house," said the poor little mousie girl, "and there is nothing to eat."
"why not?" asked jacko, surprised like, and he felt in his pockets once more, to see if he had his money safe.
"because we are too poor," answered the mousie girl. "my papa is sick with the epizootic, and my mamma has the rheumatism so bad that she can't take in washing, and we are so cold and miserable! my little brother sells papers, telling the mouse people about cheese and crackers, and how to keep out of traps, but his toes got so cold, because he had no shoes, that he can't sell papers any more.
"so i started out to sell matches, but i dropped them in a barrel of water, and no one wants to buy wet matches, you know. oh, hoo, boo! boo, hoo! how cold and miserable and hungry i am!" and she cried, oh so sadly.
jacko and jumpo thought for a minute. then jacko pulled his brother to one side.
"look here," said jacko, blinking his eyes,"we've got to do something for that mousie girl."
"that's right," said jumpo, sniffing his nose.
"i—i don't care much about an automobile, anyhow, do you?" asked jacko.
"n—no—no—not—much," spoke jumpo, slowly.
"they're always getting stuck, and won't go, and then you have to get out and walk, and besides they use so much gasoline, and—and gasoline smells so—so funny! say, we don't need an auto. let's give the mousie girl this money."
"all right," said jumpo, so jacko handed the poor little girl the $1.17.
"there," said jacko, "take it home and get some coal and something to eat. we don't want an auto, anyway."
"oh, thank you so much!" exclaimed the mousie girl, as she hurried away.
"well, i—i guess we might as well go back home," said jacko, sadly, after a bit.
"yes," agreed jumpo, and they started off together. well, they hadn't gone very far before they heard a bangity-bang noise down the street, and, running up, they saw uncle wiggily standing in front of his auto. it was standing still and smoking and making a terrible racket and a policeman dog was saying:
"come, now, mr. wiggily, you'll have to move along."
"move along! i only wish i could," cried the old gentleman rabbit. "i never saw such a pesky automobile! it's always stopping. i've jiggled and joggled and tickled everything from the whoop-de-doodle-do down to the slam-bangity-what-is-it, but it won't go. i'm done with it. whoever wants it can have it!"
"oh, may we have it?" cried jacko, as uncle wiggily started toward the sidewalk, leaving the auto in the street.
"to be sure you may, and i'll buy a gallon of gasoline into the bargain!" cried uncle wiggily.
"come on, we'll pull it home, and then we'll fix it so that it will go!" cried jacko; so he and jumpo pulled the auto home, and that's how they got one after all, without any money. and the little mousie girl wasn't cold or hungry any more.
and in case the ice box doesn't catch cold in the rice pudding and freeze the potato salad so it can't go to moving pictures, i'll tell you next about jacko and jumpo in their auto.
