Читать книгу Circus Days Again - Enid blyton - Страница 6

Table of Contents

The second week opened well. The weather was not so good, and the wind blew even more strongly, but this did not seem to stop the Bigminton people from flocking to see Mr. Galliano’s famous circus. Mr. Galliano bought himself a grand new circus-suit, which glittered so much that it almost dazzled Lotta to look at it. “Doesn’t he look grand, standing in the middle of the ring, cracking his whip like that?” said Jimmy admiringly. “I’ll be a circus-owner one day! I’ll be a ring-master in top-hat and top-boots and a glittering suit, cracking a whip till it sounds like a pistol-shot!”

“I wish this wind would stop,” said Lotta, pulling her coat closely round her shoulders. “It’s so cold when it blows. The animals don’t like it either.”

Jimmy had noticed that often with the animals. They were restless and uneasy when the wind blew strongly. There were strange noises that the wind made, rattles and bangs, jiggles and whistlings, which made the animals constantly prick up their ears and turn this way and that.

The horses whinnied and stamped when the wind roared round the field. The dogs whined and growled. The monkeys sat shivering close together in Lilliput’s caravan. They felt cold and frightened. Even Jumbo the elephant flapped his big ears in annoyance when the gale shrieked round his enormous head.

Lucky didn’t mind the wind. She didn’t mind anything so long as she was with Jimmy. But Black Beauty the pony looked round him with startled eyes when the wind flapped at his tail and sent a piece of paper rustling against his beautiful legs. He whinnied for Lotta, and she went to soothe him and comfort him.

“It’s only the wind,” she told him. “Don’t be afraid, Black Beauty. See how it blows my curls—I don’t mind it! See how it flaps at my dress! It’s only the wind.”

The last night of the circus came. The wind had risen to a gale, and all the animals were nervous and restless. Mr. Galliano wondered whether he should put off the last night, but it was difficult to put posters up in the town to tell the people. The circus must open and do its best!

A great many people came, and soon the big top, as the great ring-tent was called, was full. The ring was strewn with sawdust, and the band took their places. Outside the wind roared steadily, drowning even the band at times! All the circus-folk felt they would be glad when the performance was safely over, for the horses and dogs were nervous and disobedient! Sammy the chimpanzee was very difficult. Just before he was due to enter the ring, he went into a corner and took off all his clothes!

“Sammy! How tiresome you are!” cried Mr. Wally. “Jimmy, come and help me to dress him, quickly. He does so hate the wind. He did this once before in a storm.”

Sammy was dressed, but he was so naughty that he had to miss his turn in the ring, and go on later. Even so, he gave a bad performance and Mr. Wally was quite ashamed of him. One of the chimpanzee’s tricks was to ride a bicycle round the ring, waving his hat to say good-bye—and then to ride right out of the ring like that.

But he wouldn’t ride out! He kept on and on riding round the ring, making queer noises! He threw his hat at Mr. Wally, and nearly knocked him over when his trainer went to get him off the bicycle! But at last Jimmy went to help, and between them they got the naughty chimpanzee safely out of the ring and safely back into his cage!

The wind went on howling round and round the tent. The ropes that held down the tent creaked, and the canvas flapped and swayed. Once or twice Mr. Galliano looked uneasily at the canvas walls of the tent, and to Jimmy’s surprise he cut short two or three of the turns, and would not let Lotta go into the ring at all. The little girl was very angry, but she did not dare to grumble in front of Mr. Galliano.

The ring-master’s hat was on quite straight—a thing that only happened when he was worried. Lal and Laddo, Mr. Volla and Mr. Wally, looked worried too. It was not good to know that their animals were nervous and afraid. It is only when an animal is afraid that a trainer finds it hard to handle him.

Lucky ran round Jimmy’s heels, keeping very close to him. She knew that people were worried. When Mr. Galliano brought the circus to an end, half-an-hour before its time, Lotta and Jimmy went to hold torches so that the departing people might see their way out of the wind-swept field.

And no sooner had they all gone than a surprising and alarming thing happened. The gale blew down the big tent, in which was the circus-ring!

SNAP! went the ropes—and with a great flapping and creaking the enormous tent, so carefully put up by Jimmy’s father and the other men, was lifted right up from the ground!

Jumbo the elephant trumpeted in terror—but he was safely tethered by a hind leg to a great tree, and he could not run away. Mr. Tonks ran to him at once.

The horses were all safely in their travelling-stables, for Lal and Laddo would not leave them out in such a gale. The dogs, too, were safe in their cages, and the side-doors were safely closed. Sammy was with Mr. Wally in his caravan, drinking hot milk and eating a bunch of bananas.

But Mr. Volla and his five bears were walking together across the dark, wind-swept field to their cage when the great white tent rose into the air and flew flapping over the grass. The bears saw the big white thing coming and they were terrified. They couldn’t imagine what it was! Mr. Volla knew it was only the tent, and he pulled quickly at the thick rope which guided the bears. The tent missed them and flapped away—but the bears howled in fright. Two of them, Dobby and Grizel, broke the rope that held them, and ran grunting across the field.

“Help! Help!” yelled Mr. Volla. “Two of my bears have escaped. Jimmy! Brownie! Wally! Where are you? Take my bears so that I can run after the others.”

Jimmy heard him yelling and at once he and Lucky ran to help Mr. Volla. Brownie, Jimmy’s father, ran too, and soon they were leading three frightened bears to their cages, whilst poor Mr. Volla ran wildly about the field shouting for his beloved bear-cub, Dobby, and the bigger bear, Grizel.

The whole circus turned out to help. The hedges and banks and ditches were thoroughly searched, and torches flashed all about the cliff-side. Mr. Volla yelled the names of his bears at the top of his voice, but they did not appear.

And then another thing happened! The big tent flapped itself round the field—and then laid itself very carefully right over the top of Madame Prunella’s caravan! She was safely inside with her parrots, with all the windows shut. Her parrots, scared of the gale, were screeching loudly, and she let them screech. Other people might not like her parrots’ harsh voices, but to Madame Prunella they were as sweet as the sound of larks or nightingales!

Madame Prunella did not know that the tent had draped itself over her caravan. She could hear nothing but her parrots. The birds knew that something strange had happened, and they squealed and screeched all the more.

Nobody noticed what the tent had done. Jimmy’s father, who was the carpenter and handy-man of the circus, noticed only that the tent had come to rest—and he quickly pegged it down where it was, meaning to see to it in the morning. He was thankful that it had not blown down when the people of Bigminton had been inside!

Nobody guessed that Prunella’s caravan was hidden beneath the tent. It was quite dark, and only the big white bulge of the enormous tent could be seen dimly by the light of the torches.

So there the tent was left, with Madame Prunella’s caravan beneath it, till the morning.

Every one was worried about the bears. Mr. Galliano knew only too well what might happen to escaped circus-animals. They would be shot without a doubt. Jimmy knew that too. He remembered how once Sammy the chimpanzee had escaped, and how he, Jimmy, had only just managed to find and save Sammy before he was killed.

He went to find Lotta. The little girl was with Black Beauty, who was trembling nervously at all the shouting and upset.

“Lotta,” said Jimmy. “Will you come with me? I’m going to find Mr. Volla’s bears. Lucky can trace them for me, I’m sure—and if we manage to get on their track soon, we could bring them back before they are captured and shot by someone who doesn’t know they are only harmless circus-animals.”

“They may be harmless in the circus, Jimmy,” said Lotta, “but when they are away from us and frightened and lonely, they may not be so harmless! They might hurt someone! All right—I’ll come. Just give me time to put Black Beauty safely into his stable.”

She slipped away. Jimmy went to the bears’ cage and took Lucky to Dobb’s sleeping-straw.

“Smell it, Lucky, smell it,” said Jimmy, pressing his dog’s sharp nose down into the straw. “Then we’ll follow! Where’s that cub, Dobby?”

Lucky yelped joyously. She liked Dobby, the comical, clumsy bear-cub. Dobby and she very often played together, and although the bear was heavy and powerful, he was always very gentle with the small dog.

Lucky sniffed eagerly, and then Jimmy took her to where the bears had escaped. Lucky put her nose to the ground and then, with a yelp, tore across the field! She had found Dobby’s trail!

“Hie, Lucky! Come back!” cried Jimmy, looking round for Lotta. “Let me put you on a lead! I can’t see you or follow you if you go tearing off like that!”

Lucky came back. Lotta appeared, wearing a thick coat and scarf, for the wind was still strong and bitterly cold. She held out a woollen scarf to Jimmy.

“Come on,” she said. “Your mother has told Galliano that she can’t find you, and if Galliano roars for us, we’ll have to go to him. Hurry, before we’re missed!”

So through the dark, windy night the two children followed little dog Lucky. She was on a lead, and she pulled and strained at it, as her sharp, doggy nose smelt the strong scent of the smell left by Dobby and Grizel, the two escaped bears.

“I hope they haven’t gone too far!” said Jimmy anxiously. “Goodness knows where they might be by morning!”

“Well—we’ll be there, too!” said brave Lotta. “I’ll walk all night if it means we can get the bears before anything happens!”