Mr Galliano's Circus Read online

  The light of several camp-fires shone out in the piece of open woodland. Mr. Galliano called one of his men to him and sent him round to each caravan.

  “All fires to be out in half-an-hour’s time,” said the man. Lotta explained why.

  “We never leave any fire burning at night,” she said. “A scrap of burning paper blowing out in the wind might set a wooden caravan or cage on fire. So Galliano always sets a time for every fire to be out.”

  They sat around it for a little while longer, and then someone yelled for Lotta.

  “Lotta! Where are you? What about those dogs? They are barking their heads off.”

  “Come on, Jimmy!” said Lotta, getting up. “We must take the dogs for their walk before it gets too late.”

  “Dear, dear!” said Mrs. Brown, who didn’t like these late nights for Jimmy at all. “Must you really go, Jimmy? You ought to be in bed!”

  “He can sleep in the day when we’re travelling, if he’s tired,” said Mr. Brown. “Circus hours are different from those of ordinary folks, Mary. Go on, Jimmy—take the dogs with Lotta. I’ll put out the fire.”

  The two children set off with the dogs. How pleased the animals were to stretch their legs! Lotta and Jimmy set free three of the dogs who were really obedient and would come when they were whistled—the others had to go on the big leads. They set off down a little lane that seemed to lead to a hillside.

  “Isn’t it lovely, Lotta!” said Jimmy, sniffing the white may as they passed it. “And look at the moon!”

  The moon was coming slowly up over the hill in front of them. The countryside was bathed in light, pale and cold and silvery. Everything could be seen quite plainly, and Lotta and Jimmy thought it was just like daytime, but with the colours missing.

  It was a lovely walk. The two children were tired but they were glad to stretch their legs, too, for they had been riding for many hours. The dogs pulled at their lead, and the three who were free tore up and down and round about as if they were quite mad.

  They did not meet anyone, for the countryside just there was quite deserted. Only a lonely farmhouse shone in the moonlight not far off. A dog there barked loudly.

  “Now it’s time to go back,” said Lotta. “My goodness, I’m sleepy! Come on, Punch! Come on, Judy! Where’s Darky? Whistle him, Jimmy. Your whistle is louder than mine.”

  Jimmy whistled. Darky came rushing up, and they turned back. “I’m going to try and teach all the dogs to come as soon as they are whistled,” said Jimmy. “Then we can let the whole lot off the lead whenever we like, Lotta, and they will be able to have a glorious run.”

  Back they went to the camp, singing loudly. Lotta knew old circus songs, and Jimmy knew songs he had learnt at school. First one sang, and then the other. It was fun. The dogs seemed to like it, for they were all quiet and good.

  When they got back to the camp, all the fires were out and everyone was getting ready to go to bed. Lilliput and Jemima were already in their caravan, and Jimmy wondered if the little monkey was cuddling Lilliput’s feet again, or was snuggled round his neck. He thought it must be funny to sleep with a little monkey cuddled up to you always!

  “Jimmy! What a long time you’ve been!” called his mother, as the little boy helped Lotta to put the dogs into their big cage, and feed them. “Hurry now—it’s time you were in bed.”

  “Goodnight, Lotta,” said Jimmy, as he heard Laddo, Lotta’s father, calling her. “See you tomorrow!”

  The two sped off to their different caravans. Jimmy’s mother had a bowl of cold water from the brook nearby for him to wash in. In a trice he was in his pyjamas and was cuddling down on the little mattress on the floor of the caravan beside his parents’ bed. What fun to sleep in a house on wheels!

  “Goodnight, Jimmy,” said his mother, who was already in bed. “Shut the caravan door now, Tom. I know it’s a hot night—but really, I can’t do as the others do yet, and leave the door open.”

  So the door was shut and all the little windows were opened to let in the sweet air of the May night. Jimmy threw off one of his blankets. It really was too warm to have two! He lay there with one over him, listening to the call of an owl in the wood, and seeing a big white star through the side window. He heard one of the horses whinny and a dog whine.

  “I’m one of the circus-folk now,” he thought sleepily. “I’m one of the circus-f—f—f . . .”

  And then he was fast asleep, dreaming of a long white road he had to follow with his caravan. He slept all night long without waking—and do you know, he didn’t even wake when his mother slipped out of bed in the morning and opened the caravan door! She had to walk right over Jimmy, and she laughed when she saw him sleeping there so peacefully.

  The sun was up, and the countryside was golden. The sky was a pure blue, and everything looked new and fresh. Jimmy’s mother stood looking out. She was happy. This was different from being in a town, in a dirty little street, with a tiny backyard and not a tree to be seen.

  When Jimmy woke up at last there was quite a bustle going on in the camp. Everyone was having breakfast, the horses had been watered. Jumbo had been fed, the dogs had been seen to, and there was a lovely smell of frying bacon and sausages.

  Jimmy sat up. “Wherever am I?” he said to himself in astonishment, looking round the old caravan, which seemed dark compared with the bright sunshine outside. Then he remembered and gave a shout. “Hurrah! I’m with the circus! Mother! Where are you?”

  “Out here, Jimmy, cooking breakfast!” cried his mother. “Go and wash in the brook. Your towel is on your blanket.”

  Jimmy put on his things and scampered down to the brook. Oooh! The water was cold! He ran back to the caravan as hungry as a hunter, brushed his hair, and squatted down on the grass to eat a piece of bacon and a brown sausage. Lotta was having breakfast with Lal and Laddo not far away, and she waved to him.

  “Sleepy-head!” she shouted.

  “Lotta peeped at you four times this morning to see if you were awake, but you weren’t,” said Mrs. Brown. “I wouldn’t let her wake you. You’re not used to circus hours yet, and I don’t want you to get tired out at the beginning.”

  “Oh, Mother, I shan’t!” said Jimmy. “Oh, I am sorry I didn’t wake before. Are we going off early?”

  “Yes, soon after breakfast,” said his father. “I’ve got to go and help with the horses, so you must give your mother a hand, Jimmy.”

  He went off, and Jimmy washed up for his mother, and did what he could. She sent him to the farm to buy six new-laid eggs and a pint of milk. When Lilliput saw him going he went with him, Jemima sitting on his shoulder as usual.

  “New-laid eggs!” said Lilliput, rattling his money in his pocket. I’ll buy some, too; and you’d like one, wouldn’t you, Jemima darling?”

  Jemima made a chattering noise and bit Lilliput’s ear gently. Then she sat on the very top of his head, and when the farmer’s wife came to the door and saw the monkey there, she fled away screaming down the passage.

  “It’s all right!” shouted Jimmy. “It’s only a tame monkey! Please can we have some new-laid eggs and some milk. I’ve got a jug!”

  The farmer’s wife peeped round the corner of the passage. “You take that monkey away,” she called to Lilliput. “Nasty fierce creature!”

  Lilliput grinned and put Jemima under his arm. The farmer’s wife fetched a dozen new-laid eggs and filled Jimmy’s jug with milk. Then she shut the door very firmly.

  Jimmy laughed and went back to the camp with Lilliput. The horses were all harnessed and ready to go. Jumbo was out in the road, flapping his big ears, with Mr. Tonks beside him. Mrs. Brown was standing at the door of her caravan waiting for Jimmy to come.

  “Hurry, Jimmy!” she cried. “We are just off!”

  All the fires were stamped out. Every bit of rubbish had been picked up and burned before the camp was ready to go. Mr. Galliano would never let any mess be left behind, for he said that made people think circus-folk were as rubbishy as their l
itter. And, my goodness! If anyone dared to leave papers or tins behind, what a temper Mr. Galliano flew into. He was a marvellous man, kind but firm, good-hearted but hot-tempered, and everyone loved him and tried to please him.

  There came the loud crack of a whip, sounded three times—the signal to go. The horses started off, and Jumbo put his best foot forward. Lilliput jumped on his caravan and waved to Jimmy. Oona the acrobat was there, and Sticky Stanley the clown was sitting in his rather dirty caravan, singing a new and funny song he had made up the day before. The circus was on the move!

  Down the road they went, some of the caravans sending up smoke from their stoves through the little chimneys. Mr. Galliano sat in state in his carriage, his top-hat on one side. Mrs. Galliano, fat and good-tempered, sat beside him. Nobody knew her very well. She kept herself to herself and waited on Mr. Galliano all day long. The lovely horses drew the carriage along in great style.

  “Galliano’s always in his carriage dressed like that when we drive through the towns near our show-place,” said Lotta to Jimmy. “Everyone turns out to see him and that makes them talk about the circus and they come to see it. We’ll get to Bigchester about teatime, I expect.”

  Jimmy settled himself down for the day’s travelling. It was exciting to see everything they passed. The circus went through little villages and big towns, through the green countryside and by big and little farms. Everyone came out to watch the procession. Mr. Galliano bowed to left and right like a king, and the trumpeters on the horses in front blew loudly. “Tan-tan-tara! Tan-tan-tara!”

  People stared at Jimmy as he passed, and he felt very proud. “I wonder what that boy does in the circus!” somebody said. “Perhaps he walks the tight-rope.”

  “No, he doesn’t!” yelled back naughty little Lotta. “He just gives the elephant its bath and puts it into its cot at night!”

  LOTTA GIVES JIMMY A RIDING LESSON

  At about five o’clock the circus came to its next camping-place, where it was to stay for three weeks. The circus-folk had been there before, some years back, and they said that the people of Bigchester were very generous and came often to see the circus, so that Mr. Galliano and everyone made a lot of money.

  Jimmy was pleased to hear this. “We shall be able to buy some paint and paint the old caravan up a bit,” he said to his father. “And I’d like some pretty curtains at the windows, like those Mr. Galliano has in his caravan.”

  But Mr. Brown had no time to talk when the circus reached its camping-place. The odd-job man in a circus has a hundred bits of work to do, all different, and many of them to be done all at once. Mr. Brown hurried here and there and everywhere, he was shouted for by everybody, most of all by Mr. Galliano, who seemed to be in twenty different places at once.

  The caravans turned into a huge field. The cages were all set in one corner. The caravans were set in a wide circle together. The wagons and vans that held all the circus benches and tents and odds and ends were put in the middle. That was where the great circus-tent was to be put up. Brownie, as everyone called Jimmy’s father, hurried to and fro, giving a hand here and a hand there.

  Mr. Galliano shouted and yelled, and Jumbo the elephant lifted his trunk and trumpeted loudly as if he were trying to drown Galliano’s big voice. Lotta laughed. She always kept out of the way when the circus was settling into camp, for she had found out that grown-ups were very cross when they were busy. She and Jimmy were underneath Jimmy’s caravan, packing away things that need not be kept inside the small caravan—the wash-tub, a box of all kinds of things, a trunk of clothes, and an odd saucepan or two. Really, the caravan was so tiny that even a saucepan seemed in the way.

  For four hours there was a bustle and noise and shouting. Then gradually it died down. The camp was settling in. The horses were the first animals to be looked after always, for they had to be kept simply perfect. They were now peacefully eating the grass at one end of the field, under the eye of George, one of the horsemen. Jumbo was tied up to a strong post—and how Jimmy laughed to see that the post was itself tied to the front of Mr. Tonks’s caravan!

  “Mr. Tonks, Mr. Tonks!” shouted the little boy, “If Jumbo runs away again in the middle of the night, he’ll drag his post off and the post will drag off your caravan, and you’ll go bumping all over the place!”

  “Just what I planned,” said Mr. Tonks, with a grin. “I’m not going to have Jumbo sneaking off by himself any more. No—if he goes, he takes me with him.”

  A great many people from the town had come to watch the circus settling in. Jimmy felt proud as he walked about, for he could see that the boys who were watching wished very much that they belonged to the circus too. Jimmy hoped that Lotta wouldn’t tell them that he bathed the elephant at night and put it to bed, as she had told the people along the road. Really, you never knew what that little monkey of a Lotta was going to say!

  “We begin the circus on Thursday night,” said Mr. Galliano to his folk. “Everything must be ready then.”

  That night Jimmy lay on his little mattress in the caravan again, and he slept so soundly that he didn’t hear Jumbo trumpeting in the night because Jemima the monkey had felt too hot in her caravan and had slipped out and played a little trick on old Jumbo. She had crept up behind him as he lay sleeping in the field, and tickled one of his big ears with a stick she had found.

  Jumbo flapped his ear and slept on. Jemima tickled his ear again. Jumbo flapped it once more. Jemima went on, and at last Jumbo woke up and trumpeted loudly when he saw the naughty little monkey sitting nearby. Mr. Tonks poked his head out of his caravan door and shouted to Jumbo to be quiet. Jemima slipped away, chattering to herself in glee. She could really be a very naughty little creature, though everyone loved her and never seemed to mind what she did.

  The next day there was a great bustle again. Banging and hammering went on all day long. The great circus-tent was put up. It rose high into the air, and Jimmy helped to knock in the pegs that held the ropes for it. Then the benches were unpacked and carried to the tent. Three of them had to be mended, and Jimmy’s father soon did that.

  “Come with me into the circus-ring, Jimmy,” said Lotta that afternoon, when the tent was up. “I’ve got to practise some more riding, Laddo says. He’s got the horses ready. You come too and watch me.”

  Jimmy went with Lotta. She was not wearing her lovely fluffy circus-frock, but just her old jersey and skirt. She kicked off her shoes when she got into the great red ring. Laddo, her father, was there waiting, and so was Lal, her mother. They smiled at Jimmy.

  “I’ll have to teach you to ride too, Jimmy,” said Laddo. “You won’t be a real circus-boy till you can ride any horse under the sun.”

  Jimmy watched Laddo and Lal practising their marvellous riding. They had three white horses there and they rode them bareback, sitting frontways and backways and sideways, kneeling, standing, balancing on one leg and then on the other. It was wonderful to watch them.

  “Now, Lotta!” said her father. “Come along! Do your tricks quickly, because we want you to learn a new one.”

  Lotta leapt lightly up on to the back of a horse. She rode round the ring once, and then jumped to her feet on the horse’s back. Up and down, up and down on the horse’s back she went as it galloped round the ring, standing there as lightly as a fairy.

  Laddo took another horse and let it run side by side with Lotta’s horse. “Jump on to his back now, Lotta!” he said. “Jump! Here is the place to jump—I have marked it in black.”

  Jimmy saw that the broad part of the horse’s back was marked with a black ring. That was where Lotta was to jump. Jimmy felt afraid. He hoped she wouldn’t fall.

  “Will you catch her if she falls?” he asked Laddo anxiously.

  “She won’t be hurt if she does fall,” said Laddo, laughing, and Lotta laughed too.

  “Now, jump!” shouted Laddo, running with the second horse. Lotta jumped—and landed most beautifully on the other horse’s back, just where Laddo had marked the
black ring. She kept her balance for half a moment, then lost it—and slipped gracefully down on to the horse’s back, laughing.

  “No, that won’t do, Lotta,” said Laddo. “Try again. You must keep your balance, and then, when you have ridden round the ring once, jump back to your own horse again.”

  Lotta slithered down from the second horse and jumped lightly on to her own horse again. She stood up and waited her time. At exactly the right moment the little girl jumped and landed neatly on the second horse’s back. She stood there, trying to get her balance, and this time she was quite all right. She gave a yell of delight and stood on one foot as she rode round, kicking the other in the air.

  “Now back on the other horse, Lotta,” shouted her father. So back she went, very lightly, but just missed her balance again and, to Jimmy’s dismay, fell from the horse.

  But he needn’t have been frightened. Lotta was like a cat and always fell on her feet. She landed lightly on the red plush ring itself.

  Laddo was cross with her and so was Lal, her mother. “I shall send Jimmy out if you don’t work properly,” scolded Lal. “You will spend the rest of the evening practising, Lotta, and if you can’t do it properly then, you will get up at five o’clock tomorrow morning and practise again.”

  Lotta sulked. She jumped on to her horse again and began practising properly. Whilst she was riding round and round, jumping to and fro, Sticky Stanley the clown came in.

  “All right, Lotta, don’t stop,” he said. “I’ve come to practise some new somersaults. But I want to do them round the red plush ring itself, so you won’t worry me.”

  The clown, who didn’t look at all like a clown today, because he was dressed in a yellow jersey and a dirty pair of grey flannel trousers, began to turn somersaults round the red ring. Over and over he went, and only once fell off. He fell right under the feet of one of the horses, but the horse neatly jumped over him and went on again without losing a step.