Summer of the Monkeys

1
Summer of the Monkeys
By Wilson Rawls Sydney Bearden
2
Chapter OneSally Goodens Gone Again
Jay Berry Lee is a fourteen year old boy living
in the Oklahoma territory. He came from Missouri
when he was little but then moved to where he
lives at the time. He has a twin sister named
Daisy and she has a twisted leg. Jay Berrys
grandfather is the one that helped give his
family land in Oklahoma. Years had gone by, and
Jay Berry turned fourteen. He was able to do the
chores and things of a boy in the late 18000s.
The Lee family has a crazy cow named Sally
Gooden. She can jump over just about anything.
One day, Jay Berrys father came inside from
morning chores and told everyone that the cow was
missing again. Jay Berry was determined to find
it and went down to the bottoms, a place sort of
like a swamp. Mrs. Lee does not like the bottoms.
She says that they are dangerous and not for
someone Jay Berrys age to venture into. But, the
boy and his hound dog, Rowdy, went down in the
bottoms to find Sally. They found her without
losing much time, and Jay Berry decided to walk
around and explore the area. When they were
looking around, Rowdy smelled something, and went
off toward the smell. It ended up being a monkey!
Jay Berry got scared because he didnt know what
the monkey wanted or if there were more monkeys.
The boy ran so fast that he forgot the milking
cow. He went and told his father, who didnt
believe him, and when he did, assumed the monkey
was just a pet that had escaped its rich owners.
When Jay told his mother, she did believe him,
just because of all the things she was afraid of
down there.
3
Chapter Two The Story of the Monkeys
That day, Jay Berry went to the store, anxious
to talk to his grandfather about the monkeys. He
needed to find out about the monkeys and of
course his grandpa would know. He went to the
store and talked about it, and instantly, his
grandfather knew what the monkeys were about.
They were from a circus, and worth a lot of
money, two dollars apiece. One of the monkeys was
one hundred dollars, and Jay Berry was
astonished. Jay Berry asked grandpa how to catch
the monkeys and after a while, grandpa thought of
an idea. Grandpa had one. He took a trap and
covered it in something soft. The trap seemed
like it wouldnt hurt a monkey, but the animal
wouldnt be able to escape, either. The only
thing they needed to do was test it. Jay Berry
didnt want to stick his finger in it, and Rowdy
wouldnt step in it either. Grandpa stuck his own
finger in it, and it didnt hurt, but he needed
help getting if off.
Jay Berry thought it was perfect. He was ready
to test it out, but he needed to go home. When he
was heading out the door, Grandpa reminded him
that his mother might want something, and Jay
Berry was glad for the reminder. On the way out
the second time, Grandpa snuck some candy into
his bag and Jay Berry and Rowdy went off.
4
Chapter ThreeThe Old Man of the Mountains?
As Jay Berry went home, he sang a song about
catching monkeys. Jay Berry was so excited about
his plan that he tried to add all the cost of the
monkeys up, but there was too much stuff in his
head and Rowdy kept walking all over the
equation. When he got home, Jay Berry talked to
his dad about the monkeys, and his dad saw them!
He believed that the monkeys did belong to the
circus, and that they were worth quite a lot. He
also knew that it would be hard to catch monkeys,
but let Jay Berry attempt to get them anyways.
The only thing Jay Berry needed to do was talk
to his mama, and that would be the hard part.
Mama had never met a real monkey, and if they
lived in the bottoms, then they had to be
dangerous. Jay Berry needed to talk to his
mother, however, and she thought he was crazy.
But when Jay Berry began to talk to her about
grandpas traps, she began to give in a little
and finally agreed to what Jay Berry wanted. Then
Jay Berry went out to look for his little sister,
Daisy, to tell her about the monkeys.
Jay Berry went off, excited, ready to find his
sister in her play house. When he got there, she
was surrounded by animals, as usual. Jay Berry
felt weird around these animals, and slightly
hurt that they wouldnt stay around him like
that. But, he had to interfere and went out to
her playhouse. All the animals left and Jay Berry
gave Daisy the candy Grandpa put in the bag.
While Jay Berry was with Daisy, he told her what
he had learned about the monkeys, and she told
him something very interesting. Daisy had
never been interested in hunting, and didnt like
the act of killing animals. She told Jay Berry
about a man as old as time who watched over the
Ozarks. Daisy said that this man was as old as
time. Jay Berry did not believe in fairy tales,
but what Daisy told him did scare him. If anyone
were to be killing animals, they would be
punished greatly by the Old Man of the Mountains.
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Cinch something done with ease, certain to
happen Slough deep mud, backwater, swamp Rind
hard or tough outer layer of something Gunnysack
bag made of material like burlap Minute very
small and detailed Pertly assuredly, freely and
forwardly
Vocabulary Chapters 1-3
6
Chapter FourTraps Outsmarted

• Jay Berry went out the next morning feeling
  great about his traps. The night before he had a
  terrible dream about the monkeys laughing at him,
  but he was sure they would work. He went out
  early to work on setting up the traps. It took
  the monkeys a long time to finally come out and
  see the apples. At first, they went after them,
  anxious for the breakfast. But then, something
  squalled at them.
• Jay Berry couldnt see it. He didnt see the
  thing, and when he did, Jay Berry thought it was
  a boy. Now that boy certainly was causing a lot
  of trouble and Jay Berry was becoming irked and
  was about to yell at him when, suddenly, the
  figure moved, and it was not a boy at all.
• It was a monkey. He hopped down and the little
  monkeys moved aside. The big one fiddled with the
  traps until he got one of the apples out of it.
  It intrigued Jay Berry. All of the apples were
  plucked up by the big one and thrown to the
  little monkeys.

• Jay Berry was stunned. When the monkeys went
  back to the trees, Jay Berry reset his traps in a
  different position. It hardly took any time
  before the monkeys were out again. Again, the
  leader monkey looked at all the apples and
  figured out the traps. Jay Berrys traps got
  snapped open by sticks rather than by the
  monkeys feet. When the monkeys disappeared with
  the apples again, they were laughing at Jay
  Berry. The laughing made him angry, but there
  wasnt a thing he could do about it. When they
  left again, Rowdy was sniffing around a log, and
  Jay Berrys heart was so happy. Jay Berry had a
  new plan to make the monkeys get trapped. He put
  the apples in the logs and strapped the traps to
  them. Then, he and Rowdy went off to get a drink.
  
• Jay Berry should have thought twice about
  leaving the site, because when he returned, his
  things were gone. The traps, the apples, and his
  gunny sack were all gone. The monkeys took them.
  It made Jay Berry so angry to see all of them
  laughing and pointing and making a fool out of
  him. He grabbed some dirt and threw it up in the
  tree at the leader monkey, and the monkey
  returned it with an apple.
• Jay Berry was so angry that he grabbed a bean
  shooter. He put a rock in it and flung it at the
  monkey. The monkey responded in a frightened way.
  Because Jay Berry was fired up, he flung another
  one at the monkey and hit him on the stomach like
  the first one had. Just then, the monkeys started
  dropping out of the trees in a mad attempt to
  chase Jay Berry and Rowdy.

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Chapter FiveA Better Idea Than Those Traps Were

• Jay Berry took off running, and Rowdy came with
  him. When he reached his father in the fields,
  his dad wanted to know what had happened. Jay
  Berry told him it was just a small incident, but
  his father knew better. Jay Berry told his father
  about the thieving monkeys, how they had stole
  all his things, even the traps. Jay Berry told
  about the main monkey and how smart he was.
  Finally, Jay Berry got his father to go into the
  woods with him and look for the monkeys. After a
  long time of searching, neither of them found a
  thing. They went back home. When Jay Berrys mama
  saw him, she freaked out. His clothes were all
  torn and he was a mess. Jay Berrys sister began
  to laugh at him too, and it was too much for him
  to handle. Jay Berry needed to see his grandpa.
• When he went to find him, grandpa was sitting
  on his porch. When Jay Berry told him what
  happened, it seemed as if grandpa knew what had
  happened already. He laughed very hard, but
  seemed to have expected the bad luck. Jay Berry
  was dying for a new idea, and grandpa had just
  the thing. He went inside the barn and came back
  with a very odd thing. It was like a net, but
  with levers to use to open and close it. Jay
  Berry wondered where the thing came from. He had
  never seen a thing like it before. It was
  strange. Grandpa said he got it from a butterfly
  professor that was nearly out of his mind. The
  mad man left and grandpa got the contraption. Jay
  Berry learned another thing from grandpa he had
  a dog as a boy, and many memories with that dog.
  Jay Berry wondered why he never found out about
  it.

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Chapter SixThe Meanest Goose Alive

• Gandy was coming towards them quickly and as he
  came, Jay Berry put the net out. He snapped it
  shut as Gandy was in it. Gandy assumed it was one
  of his victims and he attacked it. Realizing that
  it was something he couldn't defeat, Gandy really
  started to freak out. The female gees tried to
  help him, but it was no use. Jay Berry tried to
  let him out, but he couldn't.
• Jay Berry's mom and sister came out looking for
  what was going on. They saw Gandy and helped him
  out of the net. Daisy was freaking out, but mama
  was more calm. Gandy took off as soon as he was
  out of the net. Jay Berry wanted to catch the
  monkeys, and he thought the net would work. His
  dad agreed, and said first thing in the morning,
  it was time to catch monkeys.

• Jay Berry went inside his grandparents house
  and his grandma served him huckleberry pie. When
  he finished talking to his grandma, he left the
  house with Rowdy. Jay Berry went home with his
  new idea in mind for monkey catching. When he
  went home, he told his mom he had new plans for
  monkey catching.
• After he left his mom, Jay Berry went outside,
  hoping to catch something. He was walking, trying
  to think of something, when he thought of Gandy.
  Gandy was a white goose that Rowdy and Jay Berry
  didn't like. He lived on his farm. Gandy was a
  mean goose that didn't like either of them. It
  was about time Gandy got paid back for all he had
  done wrong. They went and hid in the bushes and
  waited for Gandy. He made his way towards them,
  waiting to attack.

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Chapter SevenHoly Smokes!

• Rowdy and Jay Berry were up and ready for
  monkeys the next morning. ON their way to the
  bottoms, they came across Gandy. He was not
  looking great. He was dirty and unkempt. Gandy
  wasn't to happy to be seen either. He waddled
  around them, in an attempt to return to the
  house.
• When the boys got to the site, they used apples
  to put in the net so that the monkeys would go in
  it. When they had sat for a while, a black snake
  came and slithered down near them. It was soon
  scared away. The next guest was a hornet and it
  wasn't so readily invited. It was just itching
  for something to sting, and Jay Berry thought he
  was the thing. Luckily, the hornet left a while
  after it came.

• After the pests had left, the monkeys came out.
  It was the head monkey first that came down from
  the tree. He looked around, but couldn't find the
  the place where Jay Berry was hiding. He finally
  decided it was okay and a smaller monkey stepped
  in it. The trap closed and the monkey was stuck.
  Jay Berry headed off for home, but soon, the lead
  monkey started following them and tugging on the
  net.
• Soon after, the little monkeys needed to help
  the big one. They began to go around Jay Berry
  and Rowdy and the captured monkeys until they
  finally attacked. Jay Berry and Rowdy were hurt
  badly, and the little monkeys escaped.

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Vocabulary Chapters 4-7

• Goose Pimples goose bumps
• Crosscut something that cuts across or through
• Celluloid a flammable thermoplastic
• Snuff the charred part of a candle
• Gander a male goose
• Flounce to move in a bumpy fashion
• Passel a great portion
• Leverage the action of using a lever

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Chapter EightWhoever Heard of a Monkey Having a
Name?

• When Rowdy and Jay Berry came home, Daisy and
  Jay Berrys mama saw them. They were scared to
  death. Daisy seemed to think hydrophobia, or
  rabies. They thought it was possible that the
  monkeys carried rabies. Daisy was saying all
  kinds of crazy things, like that they should be
  tied to a post. For once, Jay Berrys mom and dad
  made Daisy quit carrying on.
• Jay Berrys bites hurt. They needed plenty of
  medicine, and for that reason, Daisy got to do
  Red Cross Nursing. It was the terrible
  consequences of getting hurt. Daisy would give
  remedies to her patients which included Jay
  Berry and Rowdy. Jay Berry began to get better.
  He was okay until one day, Daisy came in with
  water. When he finished the first cup, Daisy went
  and got more. When Jay Berry stopped drinking,
  Daisy was afraid. She thought it was another sign
  that Jay Berry had hydrophobia.
• A few days later, Jay Berry was feeling so
  good that he went to the store to see his
  grandpa. Rowdy came along, after some coaxing.
  Jay Berry was all out of ideas. When he got to
  the store, Grandpa asked Jay Berry how it had
  gone, and Jay Berry responded with the truth, not
  so well. Jay Berry told Grandpa all about his
  accident, and the consequences of it. Jay Berry
  was so out of ideas, he didnt know what to do.
  Grandpa had an idea, though. He had gotten a note
  from the men that trained the big monkey. They
  said he had a name, and he was called Jimbo.
  Grandpa said that Jay Berry could make friends
  with him. The people who trained him said that
  his name might actually help Jay Berry a lot, and
  it would be easier to win their battle. Jay Berry
  could hardly wait to get started.

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Chapter Nine Most Animals Love Sour Mash...

• Jay Berry badly wanted to try out his
  grandpas new idea. He went home and got some
  apples, but his parents never knew he got home.
  In the bottoms, he began to call for Jimbo to try
  to catch his attention. When he had got a little
  along, he reached the smell of sour mash, or
  whiskey. Jay Berry was afraid that there was
  someone out there with a whole bunch of it, and
  he didnt wish to get near them. Finally, Jay
  Berry heard the monkeys chattering, and he found
  the two things at once.
• The first thing Jay Berry saw was the monkeys,
  and then the sour mash barrel. Jimbo was near it,
  and a small monkey fell in it. Jimbo lifted him
  out. The other monkeys gathered around and licked
  that monkey clean. Jay Berry realized that they
  were drunk. He went to give Jimbo an apple and
  make friends with him, being that he might be a
  bit calmer than usual. Jimbo wanted to give Jay
  Berry some sour mash in exchange for the apple.
  Jay Berry accepted the trade, but didnt drink
  the mash. Jay Berry didnt want to drink what he
  was given, but it was the only way that the
  monkeys would accept the first gift. Jay Berry
  didnt like the sour mash at first, but then he
  began to understand why the animals did so much.
  Before he knew it, Jay Berry was drunk, and so
  was Rowdy. Jay Berry fell asleep and when he woke
  up, he was in for a surprise.
• Jay Berry was sick. His head hurt and his
  stomach hurt. He was cold, and his britches were
  gone! Jay Berry didnt think though. It took him
  forever to get home, and Rowdy too, and he didnt
  think about his consequences. They may be bad.
  Daisy found him first, and told his mother. She
  couldnt believe it. She was super mad at Jay
  Berry and sent him to bed. Jay Berry was too sick
  to care.

13
Chapter TenThe Place With All Those Books
Jay Berry went to the store to see his grandpa a
few days later. Grandpa joked Jay Berry about
drinking, and Jay Berry again said he was not a
drinking man. Jay Berry was all out of ideas. He
didnt know what there was left to do to catch a
monkey. Jay Berry was beginning to think it was
impossible to catch them. Grandpa still had
ideas, though. It was Grandpas idea to go to
town. Jay Berry was excited. He had only been to
town a few times. What Jay Berry couldnt
understand is what was so good in town. Grandpa
said they could go to the library, that place
with all the books, and he would pick Jay Berry
up bright and early in the morning.

• Jay Berry was just as sick as when he went to
  bed. Maybe even sicker. Papa came in and talked
  to him about getting drunk, and Jay Berry swore
  that he would never ever drink sour mash again.
  Not any kind of alcohol at all. When papa left,
  Daisy decided to give Jay Berry a little more red
  Cross nursing. She began to examine him and made
  him swallow castor oil. Daisy was a little
  worried about her reputation. She thought that if
  Jay Berry ever drank any alcohol again, she would
  never again be respected. Jay Berry wanted to
  know where Rowdy was and how he was doing. Rowdy
  was hiding out in the barn. He wouldnt accept an
  nursing, but it was no surprise when sick Rowdy
  lost.

14
Chapter ElevenRowdy Isnt Patient

• Jay Berry forgot to wake up early. His papa
  woke him. Jay Berry got ready as fast as he
  could. Grandpa was waiting for him in the
  buckboard. It was time for them to leave, and,
  despite Jay Berrys protest, Rowdy came along
  too. They saw all sights in the bottoms, and
  Rowdy wanted to chase them all. Jay Berry wished
  for some hunting, but it was time to go to town.
  When they got to a stream, Grandpa recalled a
  painting where the grandson drove the buckboard
  across the stream. Jay Berry agreed to it and had
  fun doing it. When they reached the town, Grandpa
  told Jay Berry what everything was. He had been
  to town more than once and Jay Berry hadnt.
• When they reached the hotel to stay at, Jay
  Berry loved it, though he thought it would be a
  good idea to keep Rowdy away from all the people
  and animals. He was put in the wagon yard and Jay
  Berry and Grandpa went around town. When they
  returned, they had a great meal and went to bed.
  In the morning, Jay Berry was by himself in the
  room. He was told to come eat breakfast and met
  his grandpa outside, and they went to the
  library. It was a big building, full of books.
  They put Rowdy outside and went inside. Grandpa
  hadnt ever been to a library, either, and he
  didnt know what to think. He went to a lady and
  asked her for a book about monkey-catching, and
  it was much to loud. She shushed him and took a
  while finding one. Jay Berry and Grandpa walked
  around and looked at books. It was obvious it
  took a long time, because Rowdy started howl and
  tell them to come out. Everyone laughed. Jay
  Berry was embarrassed, but the lady at the
  counter didnt seem to mind and actually enjoyed
  Rowdys loudness. They were just about to leave
  the library and town when Grandpa decided to make
  one last trip.

15
Vocabulary 8-11

• Brier any plant with a prickly stem
• Hydrophobia rabies, a morbid dread of water
• Moonshiner someone who makes or sells illegal
  whiskey
• Ferment a state of agitation
• Castor Oil a fatty oil used as a medicine
• Buckboard a four wheeled vehicle with boards as
  a floor
• Spring Seat a flexible board, usually used for
  gymnastics
• Borneo a large Asian island off the coast of
  Asia

16
Chapter TwelveJay Berrys Hopper

• Jay Berry and his Grandpa went to a store.
  Grandpa and the guy that ran the store didnt get
  along. Grandpa wanted coconuts for the monkeys,
  and the guy thought that was weird. In the mean
  time, Jay Berry needed to buy some stuff. There
  was a pretty girl at the counter and he needed to
  find out what he could buy, but the girl was boy
  crazy. It was hard for Jay Berry to get any help
  from her. She even asked him if he had a
  sweetheart. Jay Berry bought lots of things a
  shaving mug for his dad, a thimble for his mom,
  some jawbreakers for him and Rowdy, and ribbon
  for Daisy.

When Jay Berry and Grandpa left for home, Jay
Berry talked about the girl and what she did. He
told Grandpa what he bought, too. They talked
about the book Grandpa read to find out how to
catch a monkey. After they had passed through the
stream that Jay Berry drove through, the two of
them got thirsty. Jay Berry took his Grandpa away
from the buckboard to get a drink from Jay
Berrys Spring. Grandpa thought that maybe one
day, that spring might actually be called Jay
Berrys Spring. When Jay Berry and Grandpa got
back to the buckboard, the horses seemed skittish
and Rowdy was looking around. Jay Berry saw it
first. Up in the trees, the monkeys had taken
all of the coconuts and were eating them. They
had taken all of Daisys ribbon and spread it all
over the trees. Jimbo laughed. It made Grandpa
mad to have a monkey laughing at him, but Jay
Berry advised him to not hurt Jimbo. When they
got home, Jay Berry and Grandpa told everyone
about what happened in the bottoms. Everyone
thought it was funny but Daisy. She was mad at
Jay Berry for losing her ribbons. She offered him
the silent treatment, but Jay Berry offered her
Sally Goodens next calf. Daisy agreed and they
made up.
17
Chapter ThirteenNot To Give Up!

• There was a storm the night Jay Berry came home.
  His sister was scared. She came in his room
  during the night because she was scared. She told
  a story to Jay Berry about a man named Thor, and
  when he got mad, he made thunder with his chariot
  and lightning with his hammer. Jay Berry liked
  this story but it was the other story that Daisy
  told him that intrigued him even more. She saw
  the Old Man of the Mountains. He was pointing his
  stick at the house and smiling. Jay Berry didnt
  understand what was good about that, but Daisy
  explained how it was a good thing. Jay Berry had
  a dream about it that night.
• The next morning, everything was so much nicer
  than the night before. The ground was wet, but
  that was the only thing. Jay Berry came down to
  breakfast and everyone was making plans for what
  they would do that day. Jay Berry wanted to go
  monkey hunting again, but it was a no for now.
  Jay Berry went with his dad to go to the
  blacksmith shop. Jay Berry liked the blacksmith
  shop. He did lots of work in there. When Jay
  Berry was in the blacksmith shop, Daisy yelled at
  him. With all what was going on at the time, Jay
  Berry got mad. Papa thought it was the stress of
  not being able to catch those monkeys. Jay Berry
  said it was because he wanted a gun and pony.
  Papa wanted Jay Berry to know that one day, if he
  worked hard enough, it would pay off.

18
Chapter FourteenShe Does See Something

• The blacksmith shop working continued for a
  while. Daisy went out to her play house with
  Rowdy. It hurt your heart to watch her walking.
  Papa felt sad. Jay Berry thought soon enough,
  shed be fixed, though. Then, Daisy screamed. She
  called for Mama. Jay Berry and Papa thought there
  was a snake. While they were running to her, it
  dawned on Jay Berry that it couldnt have been,
  because surely Rowdy would defeat a snake. They
  went to her anyway. When they saw Daisy, she was
  standing still, staring at the ground. No one
  knew what it was. It was a fairy ring.
• The story so called is that when you see a fairy
  ring, you make a wish in it. Mama remembered a
  story she had heard about a person that made a
  wish with fairy rings. She was going to get
  married, when the man she loved was brought to
  war. The bride was heartbroken and wouldnt
  speak. One day, she found a fairy ring and made a
  wish. Amazingly, the man she was going to marry
  came home. Daisy decided to make a wish. Jay
  Berry wanted his pony and gun, but he realized
  that fixing Daisys leg was a better wish. He
  wanted it badly. It was so silent by the fairy
  ring. Animals gathered around and stood there,
  just glancing at them. Finally, once everyone had
  wished, the forest came back to life. Later,
  Daisy said the Old Man of the Mountains was
  there. When Jay Berry talked to his mom about
  this man, she said he could be Daisys
  imagination. Jay Berry hated that thought.

19
Chapter FifteenNo Bite Left

• Jay Berry got permission to go look for the
  monkeys. It took Rowdy a long time to get going
  towards the bottoms. They searched and searched,
  but the monkeys were nowhere to be seen. He did
  see a mama duck, her babies, and a catfish and
  stork. Jay Berry heard a noise. It was a tiny
  noise, but he heard it. Rowdy didnt hear it.
  There it was again! Rowdy heard it that time. Jay
  Berry whooped, and that noise followed it. He
  went in the direction towards the noise, and
  found the monkeys. They were huddling together in
  a hole in the bank. Jimbo was sitting near the
  top. Jay Berry spied one monkey that didnt look
  so well. Despite the fact that he might get bit,
  Jay Berry grabbed the little fellow and dried him
  off. It seemed to help. He hoped Jimbo would come
  out, and he did! Jimbo came out and climbed into
  Jay Berrys arms. Jay Berry knew he had to help.
  He dried the other little monkeys off and let
  them sit for a while. When they had regained
  their energy, he brought them to the house.
• The reaction was utter shock. Daisy called for
  Mama, and Papa came too. The monkeys frightened
  Mama, especially Jimbo, but Daisy held him and it
  helped Mama know he wasnt bad. The monkeys were
  put in the corn crib. All of them ate some corn.
  They seemed content, and Jay Berry was ecstatic.

20
Chapters 12 14 Vocabulary

• Mercantile relating to merchants and trading
• Spool spindle which something is spun on
• Ringtail Wampus Cat - ringtail, animal like a
  cat
• Anvil heavy iron block used in blacksmith
• Whippoorwill a medium sized Nightjar bird
• Blower something creating air
• Forge - furnace where metal is heated
• Kettle like a pot, used for tea

21
Chapter SixteenJohnson Brothers Circus

• Jay Berry had never ran all the way to
  Grandpas before, but today, he set a record.
  When Grandpa was told about the monkeys, he was
  ecstatic. The mail man was in the store, and when
  he heard about the captured monkeys, he offered
  to send a message to them, if Grandpa made it
  quick enough. They just decided on a telegram. It
  would say that the monkeys have been caught and
  are ready to go. Jay Berry told Grandpa all about
  it, and Grandpa said Jay Berry could have as much
  candy as he wanted. Jay Berry was stunned, but he
  didnt question Grandpa. Rowdy asked for a meat
  rind, and he got a huge bone instead! As he was
  leaving the store, Jay Berry asked Grandpa if he
  had ever seen a fairy ring, and Grandpa said no.
  Jay Berry told him that that morning, he did, and
  Grandpa was amazed. Grandpa said that the next
  day, he was going to Indian Toms to pick up some
  horses to sell and Jay Berry could take his pick.
  The amazement just didnt end that day.
• After Jay Berry got home, and after dinner, it
  was time for a reading of the Bible. Jay Berry
  liked the story about Moses parting the Red Sea.
  He liked the Bible, but he never had questions.
  It seemed odd. The next morning, everyone was
  eating breakfast. As they sat down, Rowdy started
  to bark at something. It was a circus truck! Jay
  Berry knew the people in it were there for the
  monkeys. They went out and greeted the men from
  Johnson Brothers Circus. They went to the corn
  crib and Jimbo recognized the men immediately. He
  ran up and he hugged them. Jay Berry knew the
  monkeys were where they belonged. Jay Berry then
  got paid, the exact amount. He gave Daisy six
  dollars, and, boy was she pleased!

22
Chapter SeventeenGood Bye, Little Girl

• Jay Berry ran with his hand in his pocket,
  hoping that he would not lose his money. He got
  to Grandpas store and asked his grandfather to
  help him pick the pony the pony. Grandpa said go
  ahead. Jay Berry ran to the pasture. When he got
  there, he saw two ponies. One was a roan gelding.
  He was muscular and strong. The other was a paint
  mare, and she was tall and fast. He knew he
  wanted the paint, after experimenting with the
  horses temperaments. Even Rowdy liked the mare.
  But, upon further inspection, he noticed she had
  a bad leg and limped. Jay Berrys heart was
  broken. He went to Grandpa and seemed frustrated
  that his grandfather brought a horse home with a
  limp. Jay Berry thought long and hard, and
  decided that because the wound would be treated
  in six weeks, he could have her and ride her
  then, because he had waited the most of his life
  for a horse anyway. While he walked her home, he
  was ecstatic. He stopped and petted her. His dad
  saw him. Then, Jay Berry heard Daisy.
• She was whistling. Then, he thought, and
  everything made sense. Grandpas odd behavior was
  because he didnt want Jay Berry to buy a pony,
  but save Daisys leg. Jay Berry went back to the
  store and returned the pony. It broke his heart,
  but he thought he should save his sister instead.
  When he got home, his family was sitting down to
  dinner and he told them the news. The women in
  the house got emotional, and as they walked away,
  Jay Berrys father told him how proud he was. Jay
  Berry felt proud, too. Daisy and Mama would leave
  tomorrow.

23
Chapter EighteenAnd Be Thankful

• Daisy and Mama left the next morning. Everyone
  said their goodbyes. The next day, Papa reminded
  Jay Berry that anything they ate would have to be
  fixed by one of them, and, as proved, neither
  were a good cook. Jay Berry tried to cook some
  food, but almost set the house ablaze. They ate
  what they could, and every other day, Jay Berry
  headed to Grandmas, and she gave him some food.
  Him and Papa would live off of that. Another
  thing they did while Mama and Daisy were gone was
  read their letters. Letters were sent from Mama
  and Daisy often. The operation was through.
  Around the house, though, things were not quite
  as happy. The animals seemed less spirited and
  the birds laid less eggs. Grandpa and Papa were
  not happy. One day, Jay Berry went to Daisys
  playhouse and remembered the Old Man of the
  Mountains. He prayed for comfort in his family.
  It soon came. Grandpa came to the house to say
  that Mama and Daisy would be home soon. They were
  coming in a train. Papa and Jay Berry were so
  excited, and so was Rowdy. The next day, they
  headed to the train station. Jay Berry had never
  seen a train before and was excited. He was also
  happy for Daisy and Mama.

When they did arrive, Rowdy was barking loudly
and excitedly. He was scared of the train. Many
people came off the train at the same time. Papa
made conversation. Jay Berry saw Mama and Daisy
get off. Mama and Papa were so happy to be
together, and Daisy came to Jay Berry. She showed
him her foot, and he was amazed! Jay Berry didnt
believe that was her foot. He was reminded by her
crutch, which Mama put in the wagon to remind her
to be thankful.
24
Chapter NineteenSomeday, I May Write a Story

• On the way home from the train station, Daisy
  talked an awful lot. As they pulled in to home,
  they could see Grandpas buckboard sitting by the
  house. Perhaps he had wanted to see Daisy as soon
  as she got back. On the other hand, there was
  something in the pen by the house, and it wasnt
  Grandpa. When Jay Berry saw it, he was so
  excited. It was the paint pony! He ran to the
  house and saw that it was her. Daisy thought the
  horse was beautiful. Daisy was really happy for
  Jay Berry. She even got him a gun while she was
  out of town. Jay Berry was ecstatic. He didnt
  know what to do. He went to the horse. Daisy
  asked Jay Berry what he was gonna name her. She
  said that the pony was a doll, and so Jay Berry
  named her Dolly. He wanted to ride, and Daisy
  too, but Daisy had a better idea. She wanted to
  run. It was the first time in her life she had
  done so. It made her so happy. Jay Berry was
  happy for her too.
• When Jay Berry was sixteen, he left the
  bottoms, and went all over the world looking for
  a thing. He went all over the United States, in
  all the mountains you could think of, but never
  found it. It was a miracle his sister ever found
  one, in the small area of which she lived, but,
  nonetheless, she did. Jay Berry would wish and
  wish and wish to see one. He knew what he would
  want. He wanted to see a fairy ring.

25
Vocabulary For Remainder

• Alfalfa - tall plant grown for hay
• Jarred - to make a harsh sound
• Woodbox - a bin for storing wood fuel, woodbin
• Flint - a hard gray rock, used a lot in older
  times for scraper or weapon
• Bib - piece of cloth to keep clothes clean while
  eating
• Tendon - the hamstring of a quadruped
• Bull-headed - determined, stubborn
• Corn-shuck - a husk of corn