Mr Galliano's Circus Read online

  “Surely the chimpanzee isn’t going to use all those!” Jimmy said to Lotta.

  She nodded. “I expect he will,” she said. “Chimps are very clever, you know, Jimmy. I saw one once before and he could write with a pencil. You can teach them a lot for a year or two, and after that they can’t learn any more. They love learning, though—not like me!”

  “Mr. Wally’s ready now,” said Jimmy. “Look! I say—the chimpanzee’s undressing himself!”

  So he was! At a sign from his master he took off his coat, folded it neatly and laid it on the chair. He slipped off his trousers and put them on the coat. He almost forgot to take off his straw hat, but remembered it in time. On the cot was laid a pair of red pyjamas. Sammy pulled on the trousers and put on the coat.

  “He’s put the coat on the wrong way round!” said Lotta, giggling.

  The chimpanzee heard Lotta giggle, and he waved to her. He looked down at his coat, found that he couldn’t button it, and took it off again to put it the right way round. Really, it was wonderful to see him, he seemed so sensible.

  He got into his cot. He covered himself up—and then he pretended to snore. That made Jimmy laugh. Mr. Galliano laughed too.

  “That is a new trick—yes?” he called to Mr. Wally. “I have not heard of that one.”

  “Taught him that last week,” said Mr. Wally proudly. “Come on now, Sammy—time to get up!” Sammy sat up in bed and yawned.

  Lotta and Jimmy laughed in delight. What a wonderful chimpanzee! Sammy jumped out of bed and went to the little table. He took up his sponge and dipped it into the water. He sponged his face well and then, looking round for Mr. Wally, he threw the sponge straight at him, full of water!

  It hit Mr. Wally on the nose and he gasped and spluttered. Jimmy laughed till he cried.

  “Now, now, Sammy!” said Mr. Wally, putting the sponge back on the table. “That’s quite enough!”

  Mr. Galliano was pleased with that bit. He cocked his hat right on one side and beamed. The clever chimpanzee would be a great success in his circus.

  “Get on, Sammy, get on,” said Mr. Wally, seeing that Sammy was thinking of throwing the sponge at him again. Sammy took up his towel and dried himself. He even dried his feet, which he hadn’t washed. That made Jimmy and Lotta laugh again.

  Then he brushed his head neatly and combed it. He got up and brushed himself down with the hairbrush too. Then he began to unbutton his pyjama jacket.

  “Clean your teeth, Sammy, clean your teeth,” said Mr. Wally.

  But that was just what Sammy wouldn’t do. Although Mr. Wally had tried to teach him that trick for weeks on end, the chimpanzee would never do it properly. Do you know what he did? As soon as he put the toothbrush into his mouth he bit all the bristles off! It was very expensive for Mr. Wally, who had to buy a dozen brushes at a time.

  Sammy bit the bristles of the brush this time too and chewed them up, though Mr. Wally told him not to. Then he took off his pyjamas and dressed himself. He put on his straw hat.

  “Now go to school, Sammy,” said Mr. Wally. Sammy looked round and saw his satchel lying nearby. He picked it up and put it over his shoulder. He went to where a little bicycle was standing, hopped on it and rode round and round the ring, waving his hand, smiling broadly, and making funny barking noises.

  “School time!” said Mr. Wally, ringing a bell. Sammy hopped off his bicycle, took off his hat, and went and sat down on a chair.

  In front of him Mr. Wally put some big numbers, drawn in black on white cards.

  “Now you are at school, Sammy,” he said. “Show me number three.”

  Sammy picked up the figure 3 and showed it to Mr. Wally and to everyone else. Jimmy and Lotta clapped loudly. They thought that was very clever.

  “Now four,” said Mr. Wally. And no matter what number his master said, the chimpanzee could pick it up. But as he could not count more than five, there were only five numbers there.

  “Now tell me what one and two are,” said Mr. Wally. The chimpanzee picked up the figure 3! Everyone clapped then, and Mr. Galliano went into the ring.

  “Fine!” he said. “You can start tonight, Wally. Have you a cage for Sammy?”

  “Yes,” said Mr. Wally, pleased. “But at night he sleeps in my caravan with me. He has a cot there. I have brought him up just like a child.”

  “Won’t it be fun to have a chimpanzee in the circus!” said Jimmy to Lotta, as they slipped out of the tent together to go and take the dogs for a walk. “I hope Mr. Wally will let me help him sometimes. You know, Lotta, I’d love to teach that chimpanzee to clean his teeth!”

  “Pooh! You couldn’t do that if Mr. Wally can’t!” said Lotta. But Jimmy thought he could. He went to make friends with the chimpanzee that afternoon. He was sitting in a big cage behind Wally’s yellow caravan, which had come along that afternoon to join the circus. Wally was well-off. He had a little car of his own, which pulled his caravan. Sometimes he unhitched the car from the caravan, put Sammy into the seat beside him, and went for a drive. Then how everyone stared to see Sammy sitting in his straw hat beside the driver!

  “Can I go and talk to Sammy?” Jimmy asked. Mr. Wally was polishing his car. He took a look at Jimmy.

  “Are you the boy that went after that elephant some weeks ago and fetched him?” he asked.

  “Yes,” said Jimmy.

  “Right,” said Mr. Wally. “You can go and talk to Sammy all you like. He’ll love you!”

  So Jimmy unbolted Sammy’s cage and went in to talk to him. The chimpanzee was sitting in a corner, pulling a newspaper to bits. He loved doing that. He looked up when Jimmy came in and stared at him. He made a chattering noise.

  Jimmy went over to him boldly and sat down beside him. The chimpanzee gave him a piece of paper. Jimmy began to do just what Sammy was doing. He tore the paper across very solemnly. The chimpanzee was delighted. This was a game!

  He put his arm round Jimmy’s neck and bit his ear very gently. Jimmy knew that was his way of being friendly. Lilliput’s monkeys did that too. He put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small ball. He gave it to Sammy.

  Sammy was thrilled. He threw the ball into the air and caught it. He threw it at Jimmy, and when Jimmy caught it and threw it back, the chimpanzee was delighted. This must be another chimpanzee come to play with him, he thought! Soon he and Jimmy were having a fine game, and Mr. Wally came to watch them. He liked to see his pet chimpanzee so happy.

  “Come and play with him every day, Jimmy,” said Mr. Wally. “He will love it.”

  “I love it too,” said Jimmy, slipping out of the cage. “Isn’t it a fine feeling you get when animals will play with you and be friends with you, Mr. Wally?”

  “Ah—you have one of the greatest gifts in the world, young Jimmy,” said Mr. Wally. “One of these days you will be famous, for you will be able to do anything you like with animals, and they will love you with all their hearts.”

  Jimmy went red with pleasure. Only Lotta knew how much he loved being with the animals. He was never afraid of them and they were never afraid of him. He knew what they were thinking—he knew what they were feeling. Oh, if only he had an animal of his own—one he could love and teach!

  He went off to have his tea. He could smell something good cooking outside his caravan. His mother looked up.

  “You seem to have grown these last few weeks, Jimmy,” she said. “I believe circus-life suits you.”

  “Of course it does,” said Jimmy. “Mother, I do think our caravan looks nice now, painted such pretty colours—and don’t the new curtains look pretty at the windows?”

  “Yes,” said his mother. “But my word, Jimmy, I miss having rooms to move about in! If only we could have a bigger caravan—but that would cost far too much money.”

  “Mother, I’ll buy you one someday,” said Jimmy, putting his arm round his mother’s waist and giving her a hug. “Dad and I will make so much money at the circus that we’ll be able to give you anything you like.”
/>   “Tell Lotta that after tea I want her to come and do some lessons,” said his mother, as he ate three big brown sausages. “You too, Jimmy.”

  “All right, Mother,” said Jimmy. He liked sitting by his mother, reading to her, or writing from a book, but Lotta didn’t. It was always a great business to find the little girl when lessons were anywhere about.

  He ran off to find her after he had finished his meal. He saw her on the steps of her caravan, and he called to her.

  “Lotta!Lotta!”

  Lotta looked at him. “Coming!” she shouted, and she ran down the steps—but she disappeared round her caravan at top speed, and when Jimmy turned round to see if she was coming she was nowhere to be seen!

  Lal was peeping out of the door, laughing. “Lotta’s gone to hide!” she said. “She guessed it was lessons this evening. Go and find her, Jimmy, and if she won’t come, catch hold of her hair and bring her. She can’t bear her hair pulled.”

  Jimmy went off to look for Lotta, smiling all over his face. He was beginning to learn how to treat that wild little circus-girl now. In two minutes he had found Lotta and was leading her to his mother by a handful of her dark curly hair.

  “Here’s a new monkey, Mother,” he said. “I found her in Lilliput’s caravan, behind his bed. Lilliput said she was too bad a monkey to put with his, so I brought her along to you. See if she can be as clever as Sammy, the chimpanzee, tonight!”

  JIMMY GETS A DOG OF HIS OWN

  The circus was doing well. When its stay at Bigchester came to an end, Mr. Galliano shared out the money with his circus-folk. Everyone was pleased, especially Mr. Brown, for he had earned much more than he had expected.

  Even Jimmy was paid by Mr. Galliano. This was a surprise to him, for he had not expected to earn any money.

  “You work for me—yes?” said Mr. Galliano, when he saw Jimmy’s astonished face. “You care for the animals—yes? Then you must be paid.”

  Jimmy put his money away in a box and hid it in a special place under his caravan. It might come in useful some day when he himself performed in the circus. For that was what Jimmy had set his heart on now—he wanted to be a real circus-boy—one who went into the ring at night and did something clever to make the people laugh and cheer, just as Lotta did. She rode the horses and looked as beautiful as a fairy each night as she jumped from one horse to another. If only he could do something like that!

  But Jimmy was not very good at riding. He would never be as good as Lotta.

  “You have begun too late, Jimmy,” said Laddo, Lotta’s father. “I put Lotta on a horse when she was nine months old—she could ride when she was a year old. That is why she is so good now.”

  Jimmy thought perhaps he might be a clever acrobat like Oona. But he was too stiff. Oona said the same thing to him as Laddo had said. “You are too old to begin now, Jimmy. You walk the tight-rope quite well—but you will never be able to do all the things I do. I began when I was one year old.”

  Jimmy wondered if he could be a clown—but he felt sure he would never be able to say funny things quickly enough. Sticky Stanley always had a funny answer ready for everything—but Jimmy had to think quite a long time before he could say anything funny, and then perhaps it wasn’t funny at all.

  “Oh, well, never mind—at any rate I get on with the animals better than anyone else,” thought Jimmy. “And just wait till I get a dog of my own. I’ll teach it tricks that Lal has never thought of. She’ll be able to take my dog into the ring and it will be more clever than any of hers.”

  Lal had not forgotten her promise to give Jimmy a puppy when she heard of a good one. One day she came to Jimmy and gave him an exciting piece of news.

  “I have had a message from my brother, who lives in the next town we are going to,” she said. “He always looks out for good dogs for me, and he says he has found a good little pup who will be clever at circus work. If you like to go and see him with me, I’ll buy him for you if you like him.”

  Jimmy was thrilled. A dog of his own at last! He beamed all over his face and thanked Lal. He longed for the circus to be on the move again so that he might see the little puppy with Lal.

  Soon everything was packed up once more. Sammy the chimpanzee left before the others, for Mr. Wally said his caravan was faster than the others, as it was pulled by his car. Jimmy waved to Sammy, who went off sitting beside Mr. Wally in the car, wearing a new straw hat with a blue ribbon on. Jimmy had become very fond of the chimpanzee—but he hadn’t managed to teach it to clean its teeth yet.

  The circus was on the road again. Down the lanes went the long procession of caravans and cages and carts, with old Jumbo in the middle as usual, plodding along happily, swishing his tail and napping his ears. He looked round for Jimmy. He loved having the little boy beside him. Sometimes he lifted Jimmy up to his head and the little boy travelled like that, much to the envy of all the other boys he met on the road.

  They soon settled in the next big town. Jimmy was impatient to go and see the puppy that Lal had heard about. The next day, when the camp was more or less settled, Lal called to Brownie, Jimmy’s father. He was making some new benches, for Mr. Galliano expected even bigger crowds here.

  “Brownie! Where’s Jimmy? I want to take him into the town to see the new pup.”

  “He’s down at the stream with Jumbo,” said Mr. Brown.

  Lal sent Lotta for Jimmy. He led Jumbo back to his tent and fastened him to his post. Then he sped off to Lal.

  They caught a tram to the town. Lal knew the place well and led him to her brother’s. She went into a little sweetshop and called loudly:

  “Benjy! Here’s Lal!”

  A small man with ginger whiskers came running out of the back of the shop in delight. He flung his arms round Lal and hugged her.

  “Back again!” he cried. “It’s a whole year since I’ve seen you, Lal. Have you come to see the pup I told you about?”

  “Yes,” said Lal. “This is Jimmy, Benjy. He’s with the circus. He saved a dog of mine for me when it was very ill, and I want to give him a dog of his own.”

  “I’ll take you now,” said Benjy. Jimmy liked the little man very much. He had the most twinkly eyes, and a mouth full of the whitest teeth Jimmy had ever seen. He fetched a cap and took Lal and Jimmy a good way away. He went into a small back-yard, and showed them a kennel.

  “There you are,” he said. “In that kennel you’ll see some of the finest little dogs that can be had. The mother is with them. I’d better get Mr. Jiggs to let you look at them. The mother’s a bit snappy with strangers.”

  Mr. Jiggs came out of his house at that moment—an untidy man with a long straw in his mouth that he chewed all the time he was talking.

  “We’ve come to see your dogs, Jiggs,” said Benjy. “This boy here wants one.”

  Mr. Jiggs pulled the mother-dog out of her cosy kennel, and following her came four beautiful little terriers, all with wagging tails and cocked ears.

  “This is the one I thought would do for you, Lal,” said Benjy, pointing to a sandy-headed dog with bright eyes.

  “Yes,” said Lal, running her fingers over him. “He’s a fine fellow. He’ll be as smart as paint. What do you think, Jimmy?”

  Jimmy looked at the four dogs. They all looked up at him, wagging their short tails. The little boy looked at each one carefully. There was one sandy-headed one, two black-headed ones, and one that was half brown and half black, with a brown spot and a black spot on its back.

  Jimmy looked at the little half-and-half one. Its eyes were soft and brown, and seemed to speak to Jimmy.

  “Choose me!” the little dog’s eyes seemed to say. “Choose me! I’m your dog! Oh, choose me, Jimmy!”

  The smart little sandy-headed one rubbed against his legs like a cat. The others stood back, waiting. They all seemed to know that Jimmy was choosing one of them. The little half-and-half one gave a small whine and threw herself on Jimmy. Jimmy picked her up.

  “This is the one I want,” he
said.

  “But don’t you want the smartest?” said Lal in astonishment. “That one won’t learn tricks quickly.”

  “Yes, she will,” said Jimmy, cuddling her. “I know she will. I don’t know how I know, Lal—but I just know this is the dog that will learn most from me.”

  “Let him have the one he wants,” said Lal to Mr. Jiggs, who was still chewing his straw, “This boy knows more about animals than all of us put together. He’s a wizard with them! How much is it?”

  Jimmy was so happy. The little dog was loving, and cuddled under Jimmy’s jacket all the way back to the circus. Jimmy wondered what to call her.

  He shouted for Lotta when he got back. She came running over to him. She had not been able to go with him because Laddo had wanted to teach her a new trick. She was longing to see the puppy.

  “Oh, Jimmy!” she cried in delight as the little puppy peeped at her. “She’s sweet! Oh, I do like her brown-and-black head. It’s lucky to have an animal that is half and half. What are you going to call her?”

  “You name her for me, Lotta,” said Jimmy. “I simply can’t think of a single name. Tell me one that is simple.”

  “I know! I know!” cried Lotta dancing about. “Let’s call her Lucky! I’m sure she’ll bring you luck, Jimmy. And it’s a fine name to call—listen! Luc-ky Luc-ky! Luc-ky!”

  “Yes—that’s a good name,” said Jimmy, pleased. “Well, Lucky, how do you like your new name and your new master?”

  Lucky nearly wagged her little tail off. So the two children thought she must like both her name and her master very much indeed.

  “Is she to live with our dogs?” asked Lotta.

  “No,” said Jimmy firmly. “She is to be my very own dog, and I shall let her sleep on my feet at night.”

  “She’ll chew your blankets to bits,” said Lotta. “Your mother will be cross.”

  “No, she won’t,” said Jimmy. “Because it’s too hot for me to have blankets on now, so there’s none to chew. Ha, ha!”