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MAKE your poster as nearly as possible like the one on the opposite page. Paint the lettering in gay colors on a big sheet of paper and a day before the show tack it up in a conspicuous place where all the family will see it, for, of course, your show must have an audience, and if you follow out all directions very carefully it will be well worth seeing.

Have your circus on top of a large table, or on the floor, or out of doors on the bare ground. Almost any place will do where there is a good-sized level surface.

Make the circus ring about forty inches in diameter, outline it with chalk and cover the marked line with either sawdust or dry corn meal built into a narrow ridge similar to that of earth around the large rings; then your circle will look just like the ring of a real circus.

Be sure to have some kind of music at your show, if only music on a comb. Place a piece of paper over the comb and play a lively march. Let all the music be sprightly and gay.

Following the method given for making the horse and elephant, you can make various other moving animals.

Fig. 9 shows

Mademoiselle Rosebud

standing firm and upright without the slightest tremor as her Kentucky charger leaps high in the air over an outstretched banner.

Fig. 10 gives the pattern of the horse and rider, which you can trace on stiff cardboard, not too heavy. If enlarged to twice the size given they will be more imposing, but this is not necessary, as the size of pattern is very good.

When outlined cut out the design, let the horse remain white, and with pen and ink draw the lines which give him form, shaping the head and neck, and separating the legs, as in Fig. 9.

Fig. 9.—Making the high jump.

Fig. 10.—Pattern of horse and rider.

Paint Mademoiselle’s face, arms, and neck flesh color; her waist, skirt, stockings, and slippers light blue; make a full double tissue-paper skirt of the same color by gathering a strip of light-blue tissue paper through the lengthwise centre, folding the edges together and tying this double skirt around the little lady’s waist. Cut a narrow strip of the same blue paper and fasten one end around each wrist that it may float freely in the air as she gallops around the ring.

To Give the Horse Ability to Move,

pierce four holes through the body with a large needle, as in Fig. 10. Be sure to have the holes in the right places that the horse may balance perfectly; then when the threads are in position there will be no difficulty in making the horse stand and walk alone, as a well-trained steed should.

Use four pieces of strong black thread, all of the same length, about forty inches, for leading the horse. Tie all four ends of the thread together, and make a large knot in each strand seventeen inches from the joined ends. Run each thread through a separate hole in the body of the horse. Slide the horse against the knots tied in the thread and then tie a second knot in each thread close up to the other side of the horse.

Be very particular about these knots; they should rest against the body of the horse, that the animal may be firmly inserted between eight knots, four knots tight up against each side of his body. Sew a tag of black tape on the thread where the ends are tied together and pin the tag down to the floor in the centre of the circus ring.

Tie the Ends

E and F (Fig. 11) together and fasten them to a piece of pasteboard; do likewise with the ends of the threads G and H, then hold the two threads which are near the front of the horse, E and F (Fig. 11), in one hand and the other two threads, G and H, in the other hand while you walk slowly around the outside of the ring, allowing little Rosebud to ride demurely around in a circle, as such performers always do when they first enter a real circus ring.

Fig. 11.—Threads showing how to make the horse dance.

After the audience has been duly impressed by the novel sight of a paper horse and rider moving, apparently without aid, around the ring, the black threads being practically invisible, let the horse stand alone while you bring out two or three brightly colored tissue-paper banners, with each end of each scarf pasted on the top of a spool. Place the banners at various distances around the ring; then again take up the threads and

Make the Horse Run and Jump Over Each Banner.

This done, remove the banners and let the horse with his pretty rider dance around the ring, sometimes on his hind feet, as in Fig. 12, and again on his fore feet (Fig. 11), while little Rosebud easily retains her footing, looking more than ever like a real circus rider.

Fig. 12.—Horse and rider dancing around the ring.

Fig. 13.—Pattern of Bob the elephant.

Fig. 13 gives the different parts of

Bob the Wonderful Elephant.

Make them all of stiff cardboard and larger if possible than the diagram; then with pen and ink draw the ears, eyes, and tusks (Fig. 14); waterproof drawing ink is best for this purpose, but common ink will do. When the ink is dry give all parts, except the tusks, a light wash of India ink, to turn the animal a natural dull gray color. With black thread fasten the leg A on the far side of the elephant, running the thread through the hole A in the elephant and tying the thread into a large knot on the leg, then making another knot on the near side of the body; the leg and body are fastened to each other in this way between two knots of thread. Have the pieces close together, but loose enough to allow the leg to move easily. Attach the next leg, B, on the near side of the body at the hole B. The leg C goes on the far side of the body at the hole C, and the leg D on the near side at the hole D. The legs A and C are on the far side, and B and D on the near side of the animal (Fig. 14). Sew one end each of two strands of black thread to a small piece of black tape. Make a large knot in each thread, eighteen inches from the tape, run the free end of each thread through one of the two holes high on the elephant’s body (Fig. 13), and slide the elephant on the threads close to the knots. Make other knots on this side of the body, in the same way you managed the Kentucky charger, then pin the tape to the centre of the ring and

Start Your Elephant on a Walk

around the ring.

Fig. 14.—“I’ll walk.”

Fig. 15.—“Won’t go another step.”

Fig. 16.—“See me sit up.”

Fig. 17.—“I can dance.”

If the horse and rider interfere, take them away and let the unparalleled animal have the field to himself. When Bob goes around the ring he always gets tired and draws back, declining to move another step. Make him do this by gently pulling the back thread backward. Bob is very comical when assuming this pose (Fig. 15). Raise the front thread and the little fellow will sit up (Fig. 16). Slowly and gently raise both threads a trifle and Bob will begin to dance (Fig. 17). Raising the back thread a little, not enough to take his foot from the ground, and at the same time lowering the front thread, will cause Bob to crouch and crawl along (Fig. 18). Fig. 19 shows Bob when he is in a hurry. Make this by lowering the front thread of Fig. 18.

Fig. 18.—“I am coming.”

Fig. 19.—“Hurry! Get out of the way.”

Fig. 20.—“Here goes.”

Fig. 21.—“How is that?”

Fig. 22.—“Difficult, but I can do it.”

Now Stand a Spool in the Ring

raise the clumsy little fellow up on his feet and walk him over to the spool, where he will naturally rest one foot on top while he takes a long breath before climbing up (Fig. 20). Move the threads carefully and the elephant will climb on the spool (Fig. 21). Lift the back thread, and Bob will slowly and cumbersomely raise up until he balances himself on one fore foot on top of the spool (Fig. 22). By cautiously moving the threads you can make the elephant lower himself and step down and off (Fig. 23). When the animal is entirely off the spool, raise up and back the front thread and he will sit down upon the top of the spool to rest (Fig. 24). Without any trouble Bob can stand erect on the spool, as in Fig. 25.

Fig. 23.—“I’m coming down.”

All the poses given were taken direct from those actually assumed by Bob while he performed to the accompaniment of music, when rehearsing to a small but appreciative audience, preparatory to appearing before the public in print. The Kentucky charger also went through all his acts to the same music.

Fig. 24.—“Must rest.”

Remember to mark and color the wrong side of each figure as it should appear, so that the animals and rider may look well from all sides of the ring.

Fig. 25.—“Just balance like me.”

The horse can go rapidly, but the elephant, to be lifelike, must move slowly. When the circus is over roll the threads on their respective pieces of cardboard and bits of tape to avoid tangling them, and have a box ready in which the animals may lie flat until again needed.

This little circus will make a fine parlor entertainment, or would do admirably as a side show at your next fair, when a small extra admission could be charged and wee glasses of lemonade and tiny popcorn balls passed around to the audience in true circus style.