CHAPTER XII 



THE BANDED MONK 



YES, I shall find him; indeed I have him 

 already. A little chap of seven, with a 

 wideawake face that doesn't get washed every 

 day, bare feet and a pair of tattered breeches 

 held up by a bit of string, a boy who comes 

 regularly to supply the house with turnips and 

 tomatoes, arrives one morning carrying his 

 basket of vegetables. After the few sous due 

 to his mother for the greens have been 

 counted one by one into his hand, he produces 

 from his pocket something which he found 

 the day before, beside a hedge, while picking 

 grass for the Rabbits : 



"And what about this?" he asks, holding 

 the thing out to me. "What about this? Will 

 you have it?" 



"Yes, certainly I'll have it. Try and find 

 me some more, as many as you can, and I'll 

 promise you plenty of rides on the roundabout 

 on Sunday. Meanwhile, my lad, here's a 

 penny for you. Don't make a mistake when 

 you give in your accounts; put it somewhere 

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