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.
Poor Beppo! He ran and ran; but he had not made a hundred paces before he felt himself seized by the back of his trousers, and found himself raised from the earth in the mouth of a large dog called Newearth.