BEPPO

OR

THE LITTLE ROSE-COLORED MONKEY

BEPPO

OR THE

LITTLE ROSE-COLORED MONKEY

BY

C. COLLODI

TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN By W. S. CRAMP

Illustrated

BOSTON SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY 1907

Copyright, 1907 By SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY (INCORPORATED)

CHAPTER I.

In the famous forest of “Guess It” there lived at one time a family of seven monkeys,—papa, mamma, and five little monkeys as large as pineapple cheeses.

This family lived among the branches of a giant tree, in the middle of the forest, and paid fifteen plums’ rent every year to an old overbearing gorilla, who had taken it into his head to be a proprietor.

Four of these little monkeys had skin and hair the color of chocolate, but the other, the smallest of them all, whether it might be a trick of nature or no, the fact was that he was covered all over, except his little face, with a fine hair that was fleshy red, just like the leaves of a rose. For this reason, even in his home and amongst the neighbors, they all called him Beppo,—a word that means, in the spoken language of monkeys, rose-colored.

Beppo did not resemble either his brothers or the other monkeys in the neighborhood. He had a quick and intelligent face, a pair of cunning eyes that never stood still a minute, a small mouth that always laughed, and a dry and flexible personality, like the stem of a bulrush. He was, in fact, as it is customary to say, a “perfect little monkey.”

At first sight one would have almost thought him a little boy of eight or nine years old, because Beppo made a noise and trifled away his time just like a boy. He ran after the butterflies and went in search of birds’ nests, like a boy. He was most greedy of fruit, like a boy. He ate everything and ate always, like a boy. After having eaten enough, he cleaned his mouth with his hands, as some boys do, especially those boys who are not very neat.

But do you wish to know what the greatest passion of Beppo was?

It was that of imitating everything he saw men do.

One day, while he was going through the forest in search of crickets and grasshoppers, he saw, sitting at the foot of a tree, a young man tranquilly smoking a pipe.

At that sight, Beppo opened his eyes wide and became like one enchanted.

“Oh,” he said to himself, “if I only could have a pipe! Oh, if I could make those beautiful clouds come out of my mouth! Oh, if I could go back home smoking like a chimney! Oh, with what envious eyes my four little brothers would look at me!”

While these beautiful ideas rushed through Beppo’s head, the young man, being either tired or warm, gave two or three great big yawns and, placing his pipe on the ground, went to sleep.

What, then, did that little scoundrel of a Beppo do? He approached very softly on the tips of his toes the spot where the young man was sleeping. Holding his breath, he stretched out his paw very slowly, grabbed the pipe with incredible velocity, and ran away as fast as the wind.

As soon as he arrived home, he quickly called his papa, mamma, and brothers, and in their presence placed the pipe between his lips, and began to smoke with the airs of an old sailor. His mamma and the four brothers, seeing the clouds of smoke come out of Beppo’s mouth, laughed like mad; but his papa, who was a monkey full of common sense and worldly experience, said to Beppo in a tone of warning:—

“Take care, Beppo! If you begin to imitate men, one day you really will become a man—and then! Then you will bitterly repent, but it will be too late!”

Impressed by these words, Beppo threw away the pipe, and smoked no more. However, you must know that stolen pipe carried with it some disgrace. A few days after, Beppo was struck with a great misfortune! The poor, unfortunate little fellow lost forever his beautiful tail,—a tail so beautiful that, once seen, it could never be forgotten.

How did he happen to lose that magnificent tail?

It is a cruel and sad story. Only thinking about it will make tears come to your eyes. I will tell it to you in this next chapter.

CHAPTER II.

You must know that just outside of the forest where Beppo lived with his family there was a great big lake, in which lived a crocodile that was about two thousand years old. The name of the crocodile was Araba-Babba. He had become blind on account of old age, and, not being able to gain a mouthful of bread by the sweat of his brow, he was condemned to live night and day at the edge of the lake, with his mouth always opened wide, so that any passer-by, be it man or beast, moved by compassion, might throw into that large mouth some food, so that he could live another thousand years. And all the passers-by, be they man or beast, always threw something into that crocodile’s mouth.

Even Beppo frequently threw in something; but that scoundrel, instead of giving fruit or dead fish, amused himself by putting into the mouth at one time a handful of stones, at another time a bundle of tooth-picks, at another time a nail or a rusty horse-shoe that he had found along the road.

But the old crocodile never grew angry. Quite the contrary!

He quietly spat out the stones, the tooth-picks, the nails, and the horse-shoes, and usually shook his head as if to say: “Take care, little rogue! Sooner or later something will happen!”

One day Beppo, taken aback by seeing that his tricks did not affect the crocodile, asked him, “Tell me, Araba, since you have been in the world, have you never found impertinent people that have given you affronts or have played upon you impolite tricks?”

“Oh, yes, I have found them! In the world I have also found some like you, more impertinent than flies.”

“Tell me, Araba, and when these rogues are disrespectful, do you never resent it?”

“My dear boy, in so many years of life I have learned that the greatest virtue of old age is that of knowing how to endure children with patience and resignation.”

“Then, since you have been in the world, you have never gotten angry, never, never?”

The crocodile, before responding, thought a little and then said: “One time only. And do you know what it was that made me angry? It was a little monkey just your age”—

“And what did this little monkey do?” asked Beppo, with lively interest.

“The little scoundrel—I hardly know how to tell you—found out that I was ticklish on the point of my nose. Then what do you think he did to annoy me? He mounted one of the trees around the lake, and let himself down from a branch, so that he touched my nose with the tip of his tail. Just imagine! I was taken with such a convulsion of laughter that I laughed and danced in the water a whole week without stopping. I thought I should die.”

“Truly! Poor Araba!” said Beppo, with false compassion.

“And after that,” continued Araba, “he went away, and to all the monkeys he met on the road he repeated, laughing, these words: ‘Do you wish to amuse yourself? Do you wish to see old Araba dance? Come to the lake to-morrow morning, and I will show you the funniest thing you ever saw in all your life.’ The next morning, my dear Beppo, as you can easily imagine, there were hundreds of monkeys on the lake. All waited to see me do the ring dance.”

Beppo, hearing this, quickly mounted to a tree that leaned over the water, and let himself down so that he could just touch the crocodile’s nose with his tail. But scarcely had the crocodile felt Beppo’s tail on the end of his nose when he closed his mouth, and, zaff! in a second he pulled off Beppo’s tail clean to the first joint.

The little monkey gave a cry of grief, and, jumping down from the tree, ran quickly into the forest. Arriving near home—but I will leave you to imagine how Beppo felt when he placed his hand behind him and perceived that he had no tail. The tail had remained in the mouth of the crocodile, who had by that time nicely digested it.

Desperate and ashamed to go home to his family in that pitiful state, Beppo ran along a small road until it became night. Finally, being so tired that he could not run any more, he threw himself on a small heap of fodder, in order to sleep a little.

And while he slept he heard a small voice whispering in his ear,—

“Give me back my pipe.”

The little monkey, awakened and nearly scared to death, wished to run away, but he could not, because in less time than one can say it he was grabbed, put into a sack, and loaded on the back of a beast with four legs. He felt himself being carried away.

“What beast can that be that carries me away with so much haste?” he thought, trembling with fear. “If it should be a lion, I am lost. If it should be a tiger, worse than ever! If it should be a hyena or a leopard, there is no help for me. Oh, poor, poor me! What beast is it that carries me away with so much haste?”

Happily, the beast began to bray, and then Beppo felt his heart swell with satisfaction.

That bray was the only consolation that poor Beppo had during his mysterious trip, enclosed in a sack.

CHAPTER III.

After having gone along for three days and nights without stopping a minute to rest, finally the beast, that carried on his back the sack containing the little monkey, stopped suddenly, and coughed so violently that he unloaded the sack in the middle of a field.

The cough was so severe that the sack, in falling to the ground, began to roll on the grass and kept on rolling for a half-mile. Just imagine how many summersaults the poor little monkey made in that dark sack!

But the worst moment for him was when he tried to break the sack and get out. He used his nails, but they did no good. He used his teeth, but they could not help him. Finally, he gave a yell, and began to cry like a baby.

“Who is that crying?” asked a large Rat, who happened to pass that way.

“It is I, a poor little monkey that is dying with hun”—

But he could not finish the word, because a very large yawn escaped from his mouth instead.

“Come out and eat,” said the Rat.

“It is very easy to say that, but I cannot.”

“Why?”

“Because I cannot break the sack open.”

“Oh, pshaw! I will open it.”

And the Rat began to gnaw with all his power, but the sack was as hard as leather, and he made very little impression.

“How much time will it take to make a hole?” asked Beppo.

“In about four or five months I ought to finish it,” replied the Rat.

“Five months!” cried poor Beppo. “In five months I shall be nothing but nails and bones.”

And he began to cry louder than ever.

“Who is that crying?” asked a Calf that was grazing near by.

“It is an unfortunate little monkey, who cannot get out of a sack,” replied the Rat.

“Why can’t he get out?”

“Because it is so hard that it has to be broken.”

“Let me do it. With a butt of my horns I will break it.”

And the Calf, without waiting a minute, gave the sack a terrible butt with his horns.

“Oh, I am dead!” cried poor Beppo; and he said no more.

Meanwhile the sack, at that shock, began again to roll along the earth, like a bladder filled with air; and the Rat and the Calf tried hard to stop it, but the sack rolled more quickly, and left the Rat and the Calf far behind, with their tongues out of their mouths. After having rolled for a day, it finally fell into a river so large and deep that no one could see from one bank to another.

The next morning some fishermen knocked at the door of a beautiful palace. To the servant who came to open it, they eagerly said, “Is the little master up?”

“The little master is up, and is taking his coffee and milk,” replied the servant.

“Just tell him that this morning, at sunrise, we fished from the river this sack”—

“What is in that sack?” interrupted the servant.

“The little master has waited for it for several days.”

As soon as the servant had done the errand, he returned to the door and said to the fishermen, “Enter quickly.”

The fishermen entered with the sack on their shoulders, and, when they arrived before the little master, they placed it carefully on the floor.

“Open it!” said the young master, Alfred.

“It is impossible, sir. We have tried to crush it with chisels, with hatchets, and with piercers; but the sack is harder than rock.”

“Take this pin, and make holes in it.” Saying this, Alfred took from his neck a gold pin surmounted by a large pearl, on which—a most singular thing—there was a head of a beautiful baby with blue hair.

The fishermen took the pin in their hands, and looking at each other in stupid wonder, as if to say, “How is it possible with this little pin to force open this sack, that has resisted hachets and piercers?”

“Quickly! Quickly!” repeated Alfred, in a commanding tone.

The fishermen, in order to be obedient, leaned over, trying to pierce the sack. Just imagine their surprise when they perceived that the pin entered the sack as easily as if the sack were made of bread or cream puff!

When the hole in the sack was sufficiently large, they saw the poor little monkey with scarcely any signs of life.

Alfred took the little monkey by the neck, and bathed his mouth with a little warm milk. A little while after Beppo came to and opened his mouth. Then Alfred placed in the little monkey’s mouth a small ball of sugar and a buttered crust of bread. Beppo swallowed both without chewing them. Then he opened his eyes and looked kindly at the little master who had been so good and kind to him. Beppo looked as if he wished to say “thank you.” He felt so strong that, standing on his hind legs, he took Alfred’s hand and covered it with kisses.

The fishermen, both men with large hearts, moved by this scene, shed large tears and dried their eyes. Alfred said to them: “Go now to work, and close the door. I have a great desire to talk privately with this little monkey.”

CHAPTER IV.

When Alfred and Beppo found themselves alone, they began to look at each other without breathing or making any movements. They looked at each other some little time. Finally, Alfred, not able to be serious any longer, burst out laughing: the little monkey burst out laughing, too. And they both laughed excessively, without knowing why, as silly boys laugh when they are taken with convulsions of laughter. Out of breath, Alfred said to the monkey, “What is your name?”

“Beppo.”

“And your other name?”

The little monkey thought a little, and then, scratching his head, quickly replied, “Beppo without anything else.”

“How old are you?”

“I am the smallest of my brothers.”

“How old are your brothers?”

“They are younger than papa and mamma.”

“I understand,” said Alfred, laughing. Then he asked, “Where did you leave your tail?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“I lost it on the way! I am so careless!”

“What! Is it possible that a little monkey can lose a tail on the road?”

“Oh, then, if you must know, I left it at the house. I left so quickly that I had not had the time to see if I had taken with me all my necessaries.”

“Tell me, Beppo, do you ever tell stories?”

“Sometimes—especially when I am ashamed to tell the truth.”

“You are wrong. Lies never help you.”

“I will never tell another.”

“Now tell me the truth. Where did you lose your tail?”

Instead of replying, Beppo began to wipe his eyes. Then he said, crying, “They—they—a—ate it.”

“Who ate it?”

“Araba-Babba, a nasty old crocodile.”

“How did it happen that he ate it?”

“I wished to play a joke.”

“Oh, poor Beppo!”

“And it was such a beautiful tail! A tail, believe me, Mr.— What is your name?”

“Alfred.”

“And the other name?”

“Alfred without the rest.”

“Believe me, Mr. Alfred Without-the-rest, a tail that would make water come to your mouth only to look at it. That tail was all my patrimony.”

“Why did you run away from home?”

“I did not run away. Somebody put me in a sack and carried me away.”

“And now what are you going to do?”

“I can accommodate myself to anything.”

“For example?”

“I can content myself with little. I am satisfied if I can eat, drink, and go out walking. I ask nothing more.”

“You are discreet, truly! But who will give you something to eat?”

“I confide in you.”

“I am willing to give you food, if you earn it. Are you accustomed to work?”

“If I must tell the truth, instead of working, it pleases me to see others working.”

“Would you like to be my valet?”

“Yes, indeed,” replied Beppo, rubbing his hands together in glee.

“In a few days,” said Alfred, “I am going to take a long trip. During this trip would you like to be my valet, my companion of adventure?”

“Yes, indeed.”

“For breakfast I will give you every morning five pears, five apricots, and a nice slice of fresh bread. Do you like fresh bread?”

“Yes, indeed.”

“For dinner you will eat at my table, and I will give you some fried fish, some plums, and some apricots. Do you like apricots?”

“Yes, indeed.”

“For supper you will eat eight nuts and four figs. Do you like figs?”

“Yes, indeed.”

“Every time you are stupid and bad I will give you with this whip a caress on the legs. Do you like to be stung with a whip?”

“I like figs better,” whines Beppo, scratching his head with both hands.

“Do you accept my contract?”

“I accept all but the stings.”

“If you do not accept that, go away!”

“But you will strike very slowly?” said Beppo.

“I will strike according to what you deserve.”

“All right. I am your valet, your secretary, your travelling companion.”

Then Alfred went towards a table and rang a silver bell. A servant entered.

“Order quickly a tailor and some cloth,” said Alfred.

The servant went out. Two minutes after a tailor appeared with some cloth.

“I wish you to make a suit of clothes for my valet,” said Alfred.

The tailor, without being told twice, took out of a basket two little patent leather shoes, with a beautiful silk bow on the front, and put them on Beppo’s feet. Then he put on a pair of red trousers. From the knees down he put on a pair of gaiters. Then he placed on Beppo’s neck a white handkerchief, making a knot like a cravat. With a yellow vest and a black swallow-tail coat, Beppo’s clothes were complete. The tailor then took a high hat and placed it on Beppo’s head.

When Beppo was dressed from head to foot, Alfred said, “Now look at yourself in a looking-glass.”

The little monkey moved quickly, but, not being accustomed to wear shoes, made a most beautiful slide and fell flat on the floor. Just imagine the laughter of Alfred and the tailor! Poor Beppo tried to get up, but he could not succeed. Finally, he sat up, and, touching his nose that was peeled, he said: “I cannot walk with shoes on. I wish to go barefooted.”

“Take courage,” said Alfred, “with a little patience you will accustom yourself to shoes. In this world one must accustom himself to everything.”

“But I suffer too much.”

“Patience! In this world one must accustom himself to suffer, too,—so said my papa. Up, up! Look at yourself in the glass!”

The little monkey tried another time; but he walked with the steps of a daddy longlegs, slowly, very slowly, as if he walked on eggs. When he arrived before the looking-glass, he gave hardly a glance at himself; and, drawing back frightened, he commenced to scream desperately, saying: “Oh, how ugly I am! Oh, my poor mamma, they have ruined your little monkey! I am not myself! I am no more Beppo! They have made a man of me! I do not wish to stay here! I want to go away, I want to go home. I do not want these nasty clothes,—no, no, no!”

And, crying and turning himself on the ground, he took off his shoes and threw them into the chimney. He threw the high hat in the face of the tailor. He tore away the handkerchief from his neck, and, making a great big jump, he went out of the window and began to run across the fields.