Chapter 8 CHARLIE THE CHIMP¹ IS A HELP!
Tinker came to the big cage first. He peered inside. Charlie the Chimp was there all right, sitting atthe back of his cage, his brown eyes looking at the children with curiosity. He got up and went overto where Tinker was peering in, and pressed his nose against the strong wire, almost against Tinker's.
Then he blew hard, and Tinker backed away, surprised and cross.
'He blew at me!' he said to the others, who were laughing at Tinker's disgust. The chimp made afunny noise that Mischief² the monkey immediately tried to imitate. The chimpanzee stared atMischief, then he grew very excited. He rattled³ his cage, jumped up and down, and made some veryqueer noises indeed.
A boy came running up at once. It was the boy who had knocked Tinker down. 'Hey - what are youdoing to the chimp?' he called. 'Oh - aren't you the boy who shouted at my Grandad - the one Iknocked down?'
'Yes. And don't you dare try that on again, or you'll be sorry!' said Tinker, in a fierce voice.
'Shut up, Tinker,' said Julian. He turned to the boy. 'Your name's Jeremy, isn't it?' he said. 'Well,we've just been talking to your Grandad over there, and he said we could get the chimpanzee to helpus with our camping gear. It's all right for him to come out of his cage, isn't it?'
'Oh yes - I take him out two or three times a day,' said Jeremy. 'He gets bored in his cage. He'd loveto help put up your tents - he's always helping⁴ us circus folk with things like that. He's as strong as alion.'
'Is he - er - is he safe?' asked Dick, eyeing the big animal doubtfully.
'Safe? What do you mean - safe?' asked Jeremy, surprised. 'He's as safe as I am! Charlie, come onout! Go on, you can undo⁵ your cage perfectly⁶ well, you know you can!'
The chimpanzee made a funny little chuckling⁷ noise, put his hand through the wire, reached the bolt,pulled it, took his hand back - and pushed open the cage door.
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'See? Easy, isn't it?' said Jeremy, grinning. 'Charlie boy, come along. Your help's wanted!'

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