THE MONKEYFOLK OF SOUTH AFRICA 157 



our strength seems to go from us, so we hurry off to our 

 nests in the hollow trunks of trees, or old birds' nests. One 

 day I was fast asleep in a cosy bird's nest, when with a 

 gasp I awoke and found myself tightly gripped. Before 

 I could think or see my foe, I was rudely thrust into a 

 dark hole. I lay trembling for what seemed an age, for I 

 felt myself being carried away. Presently the mouth of 

 the hole I was in opened, and once again I was rudely 

 grabbed, and almost instantly thrown into what you fellows 

 call a cage. Then I realised what had happened. A boy 

 had captured me. His sisters and a big bearded man and 

 a lady came and stared at me and made remarks. 



IN THE MUSEUM 



Well, anyway, one day the lady said she was going on a 

 visit to that beautiful, dustless, and healthful town called 

 Port Elizabeth, and thought she would take me with her. 

 After a miserable journey cramped up in a tiny cage, we 

 arrived. I was petted and fondled by the boys and girls 

 and allowed to jump about wherever I pleased in the house, 

 but they took good care not to let me go outside. You 

 see there isn't a creature on earth to beat us Bush Babies 

 for jumping. Why, we can hop and skip all over a room 

 full of vases and things and never break anything. One 

 day I hopped on to a sort of little brass button on the wall. 

 I sat on it and it turned round. Then I smelt a nasty 

 smell, grew giddy and fainted. When I awoke I heard a 

 lot of people talking in a very excited way. It seems the 

 thing I sat on was what you call a button which turned 

 on the gas. 



Well, I was sentenced to be handed over to the man 

 at the museum. He put me into a beautiful cage with 

 glass sides, made a cosy nest for me, fed me on cakes, sweets, 

 milk, and meat. People kept coming in all day and stared 



