"We have decided," her father replied, "that the time has come for you to learn to brachiate." Evangeline's heart skipped a beat in anticipation. "Really?" she asked, jumping up. "Do you mean it?" "Come along, Evangeline, darling," her mother said. Magdalena led Evangeline into the cozy bungalow, which to the girl's utter amazement and joy had been rigged from room to room with trapezes. The ceiling of that bungalow looked like the canopy of a circus tent, except there were hundreds of trapezes instead of just two or three. "Happy birthday, darling," said Magdalena, rubbing noses with her daughter, the golden-hair way of demonstrating deep affection. "Have a ball, my dear," said Evangeline's father, and picking her up, he extended his long arms until Evangeline took hold of one of the trapezes. Evangeline grabbed the trapeze with both hands and pumped her legs. Within seconds the trapeze was swinging back and forth like the pendulum on a grandfather clock. Without a word from her mother or father, she grabbed the trapeze hanging directly in front of her with one hand and let go of the first trapeze with the other. In the wink of an eye, she was brachiating around the room like crazy. "Wheeeeee," called Evangeline as she zipped over and around her parents. "Watch this!" And letting go with both hands she did a somersault before she grabbed the next trapeze. "She's a natural," her father said proudly as he watched Evangeline whiz around the room. Excerpted from Evangeline Mudd and the Golden-Haired Apes of the Ikkinasti Jungle by David Elliott All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
