The Complete Adventures of Curious George (9 page)

"I must go now," said the man, "but I'll be back in time for the show. Be careful with your new bike and keep close to the house while I am gone!"

George could ride very well. He could even do
all sorts of tricks (monkeys are good at that).

For instance he could ride this way,
with both hands off the handle bar,

and he could ride this way,
like a cowboy on a wild bronco,

and he could also ride backwards.
But after a while George got tired of doing tricks and

went out into the street. The newsboy was just passing by with his bag full of papers. "It's a fine bike you have there," he said to George. "How would you like to help me deliver the papers?"

He handed George the bag and told him to do one side of the street first and then turn back and do the other side.

George was very proud as he rode off with his bag.

He started to deliver the papers on one side of the street as he had been told.

When he came to the last house he saw a little river in the distance. George was curious: he wanted to know what the river was like, so instead of turning back to deliver the rest of the papers he just went on.

There was a lot to see at the river: a man was fishing from the bridge, a duck family was paddling downstream, and two boys were playing with their boats.

George would have liked to stop and look at the boats, but he was afraid the boys might find out that he had not delivered all the papers. So he rode on.

While riding along George kept thinking of boats all the time. It would be such fun to have a boat—but how could he get one? He thought and thought—and then he had an idea.

He got off the bicycle, took a newspaper out of the bag and began to fold it.

First he folded down the corners, like this,