Circus Days Again Read online

  THE circus was going to leave the field at Bigminton in a few days. The children had a nice holiday, roaming about the sea-shore with the dogs, or riding over the countryside. Lotta rode Black Beauty, her own horse, of course—and Jimmy rode a rather quiet horse belonging to Lal. He rode quite well now, but he would never never ride so well as Lotta!

  She had ridden horses since she was a baby. She scared many of the folk she met on their rides by suddenly standing up straight on Black Beauty’s back, just as she did in the circus. People stared in alarm and surprise, and then they smiled and said: “Oh, that must be Lotta, the circus-girl. Isn’t she marvellous!”

  That would please Lotta very much, and then Jimmy would tease her and say she was vain. They had great fun together, and the only thing they didn’t like about their little holiday was that Mrs. Brown made them both go to bed much earlier than usual.

  “You will both be in bed by half-past eight,” she said firmly. “Circus-hours are bad for children. I never before in my life heard of children going to bed every night at eleven o’clock and half-past, till I came to join the circus. Now that there is no need to go to bed late for a few nights, you will both go early.”

  This didn’t please Jimmy and Lotta at all, and thefirst night they both disappeared about half-past eight and didn’t wander into the circus-camp again till half-past nine, very hungry indeed.

  But alas for them! They were sent off to their bunks without any supper at all—though Mrs. Brown was cooking one of her most delicious stews. Jimmy saw a big tin of pineapple chunks too, a thing he loved very much. But not a bite did he and Lotta have!

  “Bed at half-past eight and a good supper—bed after half-past eight and no supper at all,” said Mrs. Brown. “You can choose which you like!”

  So after that both children ate a good supper and snuggled down in their bunks nice and early. Lotta went to her own caravan, and Jimmy slept in his with his father and mother, Lucky, his dog, and Lulu, the old spaniel, who loved the whole family. She had once belonged to two men who were unkind to her—and so Jimmy took her for his own, and she adored him.

  When the circus went on the road again, the children were happy and excited, for they knew that at the next stopping-place the new clowns and animals would be joining them. Then what a fine circus it would be!

  “Oh, how I’ll love playing with a seal!” said Jimmy, joyfully. “And won’t it be marvellous to watch Britomart doing his wonderful tricks, Lotta.”

  “What I’m looking forward to is riding a zebra,” said Lotta.

  “And that is just what you won’t do, no!” said a voice nearby—and Lotta looked up to see Mr. Galliano there, his hat well on one side, and his stiff moustaches sticking up well. “Zebras are not horses. They are dangerous animals. They can never be properly tamed. You will not try any tricks, Lotta, no!”

  He went on his way, swinging his great whip. Lotta looked after him sulkily.

  “Well, that’s that!” said Jimmy. “No zebras for you, Lotta! I once had to promise Mr. Galliano I’d never go and play with any circus-animal till I had his permission—and you’ll have to promise not to go near the zebras!”

  “I didn’t promise anything—and I shan’t promise,” said Lotta. “Zebras—what are zebras! Just little striped animals not so big as horses ! I’ll soon be able to do what I like with them!”

  “Well, you jolly well be careful,” said Jimmy anxiously. He knew how daring Lotta was, and although he was no longer afraid of her hurting herself, as he had once been, he didn’t want her to do anything dangerous, for he was very fond of the naughty little girl.

  Lotta jumped down from the caravan steps, turned herself nimbly upside down, and walked all round Jimmy on her hands, kicking at him with her feet as she passed him. She made dreadful faces and sang as she went:

  “Don’t go near the zebras,They’ll kick you all to bits,

  Don’t go near the seal in caseit frightens you to fits.

  Don’t go near the elephant,In case you make it bray.

  Don’t go near the monkeys, They’ll make you run away!”

  Jimmy roared with laughter. Lotta looked so funny walking round on her hands, her legs dangling over, and the song was so very silly. He rushed at the grinning little girl, but she leapt upright again and tore off to Sticky Stanley the clown. She hid behind him and he kept Jimmy off with a broom he was using. He laughed at the two excited children.

  “My word, Lotta, I don’t know why Mr. Galliano wants to get any more clowns!” he said. “He could take you and Jimmy for a fine pair!”

  “Stanley, what other clowns are coming?” asked Jimmy, wondering if the clown had any news. Sticky Stanley sat down on an upturned bucket and told them all he knew.

  “Well, the two clowns, Twinkle and Pippi, are coming,” he said. “They are knock-about clowns—they knock each other over, fall off everything, and have a very funny act in which they keep a fruit-shop and end up by throwing tomatoes and everything else at oneanother.”

  “Oooh, that sounds simply gorgeous,” said Lotta, delighted. “I’d really love to see people throwing tomatoes at one another.”

  “Yes—it’s just the sort of thing you’d like to do yourself, isn’t it,” grinned Sticky Stanley, who knew what a little monkey Lotta was. “Well, the third clown is Google. He’s really funny too. He has a wonderful motor-car, and everything goes wrong with it—and in the end it blows up into a hundred different pieces! Google has a fine little dog called Squib. You’ll like him. He helps Google with his nonsense.”

  “Oh, this all sounds too lovely for words,” said Lotta joyfully. “Now tell us about Britomart the conjurer.”

  Stanley looked rather solemn. “You mustn’t tell this to anyone,” he said. “But I don’t like what I’ve heard of Britomart. Mind you, he’s a remarkably clever man, and some of his tricks are so amazing that you can’t help thinking he does really know a lot of magic. But I’ve heard he’s a hard man, and unless he’s given the longest time and the best turn in the ring he can be very unpleasant.”

  “Well, I shan’t interfere with him much!” said Jimmy. “All I shall do will be to watch him at his tricks. I shan’t want to meddle with his magic in case I find myself changed into a donkey or something all of a sudden!”

  “Oh, that would be fun!” said Lotta. “I could ride you in the ring, then. And feed you with carrots!”

  “Britomart once had a circus of his own,” said Sticky Stanley, getting up and going on with his work. “I don’t know why it came to an end, but it did. And now he travels around with all kinds of shows. It’s a great thing for Galliano’s Circus to get Britomart. We should draw enormous crowds. You know Mr. Galliano is getting a much bigger tent, don’t you?”

  “Is he really?” said Jimmy. “My goodness, what fun! We’ll have hundreds and hundreds of people watching us each night now, Lotta!”

  When the circus had once again settled down in camp, the children kept a watch for new arrivals. Jemima the monkey came to sit on the gate with them, and Sammy the chimpanzee joined them. He loved the children, and chattered to them in his own language, slipping his hairy paw into Jimmy’s hand.

  So there they all sat on the field-gate—Jimmy, Lotta, Jemima the monkey in a new green dress, and Sammy the chimp, dressed in his usual trousers and jersey. He even wore a tie, but as he much preferred it to hang down his back instead of his chest, it looked a little odd. As fast as Jimmy put the tie in its right place, Sammy put it in the wrong place. So in the end Jimmy gave it up, and Sammy proudly wore his nice blue tie down his back.

  He had got a habit lately of slipping his paw into the pockets of Jimmy’s shorts, and taking out anything he found there. Jimmy missed marbles and string, pennies, sixpences, and toffee! As soon as he discovered that it was Sammy who was the thief, he made the chimpanzee turn out his own pockets—and then Jimmy took back all his things!

  But Sammy was so clever at taking things without the boy knowing, that three or four times a day
the chimpanzee had to turn out his pockets and give Jimmy back his belongings! This was quite a new trick and Mrs. Brown was very shocked at it.

  “That’s stealing, Jimmy,” she said. “You must punish Sammy well if he does that.”

  “Oh no, Mother!” said Jimmy, just as shocked. “He doesn’t know what stealing is. He only does it for fun. It’s just a new trick with him. I couldn’t punish old Sammy for that. He wouldn’t understand. No—for a few days I won’t put anything in my pockets at all, and he’ll soon get tired of putting his hand in when he finds there’s nothing there!”

  So, whilst they sat on the gate, waiting and watching for new arrivals, Jimmy grinned to feel Sammy slipping a paw into his pockets. “Nothing there, Sammy old fellow!” he said. “Nothing there! Now you just give Lotta one paw and I’ll take the other, and you won’t be able to get into any mischief then!”

  So Sammy had to sit still and quiet, a paw held by each of the children, whilst Jemima sat first on Jimmy’s shoulder, then on Lotta’s, and then on Sammy’s, chattering monkey-language as hard as she could go!

  Then suddenly Jimmy shouted loudly, “Hark! I hear trotting. It’s the zebras! Zeno and his zebras, hurrah! Open the gate, Lotta, and we’ll see them all trotting in!”

  Zebras—A Seal—And Two Little Girls!

  DOWN the country road, in the hot May sun, came a fine sight—a most strange and unusual one, that thrilled the two children and made them shout for joy.

  First of all came six beautiful striped zebras, led by a groom on a small horse. The zebras trotted in a bunch together, their striped coats gleaming like satin. They looked round with big eyes that had a wild gleam in them.

  Then came six more zebras—and they drew a marvellous carriage, in which sat Zeno, their trainer. Zeno was a small man, dressed in riding-clothes. He had top-boots on with very high heels to make him look taller. His riding-coat was blue and his breeches were yellow, so he looked very gay. He held the reins of the zebras and held them tightly too. Zebras were not like horses, tame and biddable. They were difficult, wild creatures, who hated to be bridled and ridden, and hated to feel the drag of a carriage behind them. But every zebra loved Zeno, and was willing to do what he wanted, so they were a happy family, and made a marvellous picture as they trotted down the country road.

  They swung in at the open field-gate, and the groom jumped off his horse. He went to the noses of his zebras, and looked at his master, Zeno. Zeno got out of his carriage, which was just as brilliant as he was, for it had glittering yellow wheels, and bright blue paint everywhere else. Lotta simply longed to have a ride in it.

  “Where is Mr. Galliano?” called Zeno in a commanding voice. He looked at the children, and Jimmy went over to him.

  “There he is, sir—look,” said the boy. “The big man with the whip. He’s seen you. Can I give you any help with your zebras, sir?”

  “Certainly not,” said Zeno. “You don’t know what you are talking about, boy. They’ll bite you as soon as look at you.”

  He strode off in his high-heeled boots, a big top-hat on his rather small head. The groom stood patiently waiting with the zebras. Lotta went softly up to him.

  “May I touch a zebra?” she asked.

  “Of course not,” said the man, startled. “Do you want to be bitten? Keep away, please. They are upset at the change in their surroundings and I don’t want them to be handled at all. Their travelling-stables are coming along in a minute or two, and then I’ll be able to give them food and drink.”

  The nearest zebra looked at Lotta out of its big startled eyes. Lotta looked back, and made a curious noise. The zebra pricked its ears towards her and said “Hrrrumph!” rather like an old man sneezing. It reached out its head to Lotta, and the groom jerked it back.

  “Get back, Zebby,” he said. “It’s no good you pretending you want to make friends with the little girl. You only want to bite her fingers off.”

  “Oh, but he doesn’t,” said Lotta. “He really doesn’t. Please let me stroke his satiny nose. He’s so lovely.”

  Mr. Galliano caught sight of the children standing near the zebras, as he strode over with Zeno to look at them. He shouted at Lotta.

  “Now, you bad little girl, didn’t you promise not to touch those zebras, yes! Go away at once before I come after you. Jimmy, you can help Zeno sometime with his zebras, for all animals are good with you, but not today whilst they are upset at strange surroundings. Go with Lotta.”

  “Oh, if that isn’t too bad!” cried Lotta indignantly, as she and Jimmy moved away. “To think you can help with the zebras, and I can’t. I can manage horses much, much better than you, and you know it.”

  “Yes, but zebras aren’t horses,” said Jimmy with a grin. “Ha ha! You won’t be able to touch the zebras now you’ve had to promise not to.”

  “Jimmy, I tell you I haven’t promised,” cried Lotta. “I know Mr. Galliano said just now that I had—but I haven’t, so there! He’s made a mistake.”

  “Well, you’d better tell him so then,” said Jimmy.

  “I shan’t,” said Lotta. They stood and watched Zeno showing his fine collection of zebras to Mr. Galliano. At first they shied away from the big ring-master—but, like most horse-like creatures, they liked him, and he was able to rub one or two sleek noses before he nodded to Zeno and strode away.

  Then, a few minutes later, the big travelling-stables arrived—great vans, whose sides could be opened or shut. They came into the field, and the groom and Zeno were soon very busy getting the tired animals into their stalls. They had trotted a long way that day to join Galliano’s Circus.

  “Well, that’s the first new arrival,” said Jimmy. “Now we’ll watch for the seal, Lotta. Come on. Who’s bringing it, I wonder?”

  The performing seal was due to arrive that afternoon too—but it was rather disappointing when it did turn up. It came in a closed van, and as it passed into the field the children heard the swish of water inside.

  “It travels in a tank of water,” said Lotta. “I never thought of that. Oh, Jimmy, we’ll peep and see what it’s like as soon as the van is opened. I say, look—who are those two little girls?”

  Behind the van came a caravan, driven by Pierre, the owner of the seal. He was dressed in ordinary clothes, and was whistling a merry tune. He was a cheery man, with a red face and the brightest blue eyes the children had ever seen. Riding on the very top of the caravan were two little girls.

  “Oh! I didn’t know there would be any children,” said Lotta, pleased. “It’ll be fun to play with them, won’t it?”

  Jimmy wasn’t so sure. He was quite content with Lotta, and he didn’t want any more little girls in the circus. So he didn’t say anything, but just looked at the two girls. One was about the same age as he was, and the other looked older. They grinned down at the twocircus-children from the top of the caravan.

  “That’s rather a good place to ride,” said Lotta. I never thought of that before.”

  “It does look rather good,” said Jimmy. “But I can’t see my mother letting me ride on the top of our caravan.”

  Pierre, the owner of the performing seal, had a thin little wife with curly red hair, as well as his two little girls. They sprang lightly down from the top of the caravan, and Mrs. Pierre looked from the window.

  “Jeanne! Lisa!” she called. “Are you all right?”

  The girls took no notice of their mother at all. They were bold little things, pretty, with red curls like their mother. They were very dirty and untidy, and their smiles were very broad Indeed.

  “Hallo!” said Lisa, tossing her red curls. “Do you belong to this circus?”

  “Yes,” said Jimmy and Lotta together.

  “It doesn’t look much of a camp,” said Jeanne, looking round. “We’ve been used to much bigger circuses than this. I call this rather a poor show.”

  “Go back to a better show then,” said Jimmy, unexpectedly rude. He felt that he disliked these little girls with their red curls, bold f
aces, and loud voices.

  “Oh, isn’t he polite,” said Lisa, and she giggled. Her mother called her again, and she took no notice at all.

  “Your mother’s calling you,” said Lotta.

  “She can call then,” said Jeanne rudely. At that moment her father came up, and heard what she said. He gave her a slap and she squealed.

  “Go and help your mother,” said Pierre, with a scowl on his red face. The two little girls went off, sulking. Pierre looked at Jimmy and Lotta and Lucky.

  “You must be the two Wonder-Children,” he said. “Pleased to meet you.”

  “Can we see your seal?” asked Jimmy eagerly. Pierre’s wife and the girls had gone to the van and were letting down one side. Inside was an enormous tank full of water that gleamed a deep blue. In the tank swam a beautiful seal. Jimmy ran to it. The seal popped its head out of the water and looked at Jimmy with the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. He loved the seal from that very moment.

  “Oh, isn’t it lovely!” cried Jimmy. “I do love its eyes. What’s its name?”

  “Neptune,” said Pierre, pleased that Jimmy liked his seal. “He’s the cleverest and best seal in the world. Aren’t you, Neptune?”

  The seal made a strange noise and nodded its head. The children laughed. The seal seemed to laugh too, and then, diving into its tank, swam gracefully round and round, up and down, to and fro, its tail acting as a rudder to guide it.

  “Would you like to feed him?” asked Pierre. “Neptune! Dinner!”

  With a gobbling noise Neptune shot up to the top of the tank. Pierre took down a bag from a nail and gave it to Jimmy.

  “Throw him a fish,” he said. Jimmy opened the bag and found many fishes there. He picked one out and threw it to the watching seal. Neptune caught the fish deftly and then looked for another.

  One after another he caught the fish, never missing once. “What a marvellous cricketer he would make,” said Jimmy.

  “Does he come out of his tank?” asked Lotta.

  “Oh yes!” said Pierre. “He comes into the ring with me. He and I play cricket—and he never misses a ball, as you can guess. He is a marvellous cricketer. He is a wonderful balancer too. He can balance a pole on the tip of his nose—and a ball on the tip of the pole!”