The Complete Adventures of Curious George (16 page)

was the director of the Museum. Professor Wiseman was terribly angry. "Lock that naughty monkey up right away," he said, "and take him back to the Zoo. He must have run away from there."

George was carried off in a cage. He felt so ashamed he almost wished he were dead ... Suddenly the door opened. "George!" somebody shouted. It was his friend, the man with the yellow hat! "It seems you got yourself into a lot of trouble today," he said. "But maybe this letter here will get you out of it. It's from Professor Wiseman; he needs your help for an experiment. I found it on my desk at home—but I couldn't find YOU anywhere, so I came over here to talk to the Professor."

And this is what the letter said:

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE

Dear George,

A small space ship has been built by our experimental station. It is too small for a man but could carry a little monkey. Would you be willing to go up in it?

I have never met you but I hear that you are a bright little monkey who can do all sorts of things, and that is just what we need.

We want you to do something nobody has ever done before: bail out of a space ship in flight.

When we flash you a signal you will have to open the door and bail out with the help of emergency rockets.

We hope that you are willing and that your friend will permit you to go.

Gratefully Yours
Professor Wiseman
Director of the Science Museum.

"So YOU are George!" Professor Wiseman said. "If I had only known ... Of course everything will be forgiven, if you are willing to go."

They got the smallest size space suit for George and all the other things he needed for the flight. Then they helped him put them on and showed him how to use them. When everything was ready, a truck drove up with a special television

Check List

• 1 Space suit, complete with shoes & gloves

• 1 Space helpmet

• 1 Oxygen tank

• 2 Emergency rockets

• 1 Parachute

screen mounted on it to watch the flight. They all got on and were off to the launching site.

They checked all the controls of the space ship, especially the lever that opened the door.

George tried it too.

The great moment had come. George waved goodbye and went aboard. The door was closed. Professor Wiseman began to count: "Five—four—three—two—one—GO!" He pressed the button and the ship rose into the air, slowly first,

and then faster and faster and higher and higher, until they could no longer see it in the sky. But on the screen

they saw George clearly all the time.

Now the moment had come for George to bail out. Professor Wiseman flashed the signal. They watched the screen: George did not move. Why didn't he pull the lever? In a few seconds it would be too late. The ship would be lost in outer space with George in it!

They waited anxiously ... At last George began to move.

Slowly, as if in a daze, he was groping for the lever.

Would he reach it in time? There—he had grabbed it! The door opened—hurrah—George was on his way!

Out of the blue an open parachute came floating down to earth. The truck raced over to the spot where George would land.