“All through, my lad,” was the answer. “We are going to another place soon, to get different moving pictures. But we’ll be here for a day or two yet, at least some of the camera men will. They have to take pictures of a circus parade.”
“Circus parade!” exclaimed Harry. “Is a circus coming here?”
“Well, not exactly here,” replied Mr. Weston. “But it is coming to Rosedale—that’s the next town—and I am going to have some moving pictures made of it.”
“The circus coming to Rosedale!” cried Bert, looking at Harry. The same thought came to both of them.
“Let’s go!” exclaimed Harry, eagerly.
“If our folks will let us,” added Bert.
“Oh, I guess mine will,” spoke the country boy. “Circuses don’t come around here very often, and when they do, we generally go. I do hope they’ll let you come, Bert.”
“It’s going to be a large circus,” said Mr. Weston. “They have a good collection of wild animals.”
“I don’t believe they can beat our combination of a wild cat, Snoop, and a crazy turkey gobbler,” said Bert to Harry with a laugh, when the two boys were on their way back to the farmhouse.
Passing along a country road Bert saw something that caused him to cry out:
“Look, there it is, Harry!”
“What?”
“The circus! See it!” and Bert pointed to a barn.
“Oh, you mean the circus posters,” went on Harry, for Bert had pointed to the bright-colored pictures advertising the performance. There were shown men jumping through paper hoops or hanging from dizzy heights on trapeze bars, ladies riding galloping horses, and all sorts of wild animals, from the long-necked giraffe to the hippopotamus, who appeared to have no neck at all, and from the big elephant to the little monkey.
“Oh, I do hope we can see it!” cried Bert, as he and his cousin stood before the gay pictures.
“I’m going to do my best to go!” declared Harry.
The two boys hurried home, talking on the way of the circus posters they had seen, and wondering if there really would be shown all the wild animals pictured on the side of the barn.
Bert saw his father and mother sitting out in the side yard under a shady tree, and, running up to them he asked:
“Oh, can’t we go? We want to so much! Nan, you ask, too!” he cried.
Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey looked at him rather surprised.
“What’s it all about?” asked Mr. Bobbsey, with a smile.
“And what am I to ask?”
“For a circus—wild animals—moving pictures—the parade—an elephant—lions, tigers—everything!” cried Bert, stopping because he ran out of breath.
“Ask for all that?” exclaimed Nan, wonderingly.
“No, Bert means the circus is coming,” explained Harry, with a laugh. “The moving picture people are going to get views of the parade. The posters are up on the barns and fences. It’s coming to Rosedale, the circus is, and—”
“Oh, do let us go!” broke in Bert. Mr. and Mrs. Bobbsey looked at one another, questioningly.
“Oh, wouldn’t it be just grand!” sighed Nan.
“What is it?” demanded Freddie, toddling up just then. “Is there going to be a fire? Can I squirt with my engine?”
“Always thinking of that, little fat fireman!” laughed his father. “No, it isn’t a fire, Freddie.”
“It’s a circus coming!” cried Bert “Can’t you take us, father?”
“I’m afraid not, son,” he said. “I have just had a letter calling me back to Lakeport on business.”
“Oh!” cried Nan and Bert in a chorus.
“Do we have to go back to the city, too?” asked Bert, after a pause.
“No, I am going to let you and mamma stay here,” said Mr. Bobbsey, “but I have to go. I’ll come back, of course, but not in time to take you to the circus, I’m afraid.”
“Mamma can take us,” said Freddie.
“Hardly,” said Mrs. Bobbsey with a smile. “I want papa along when I have four children to take to a circus.”
“My father will take us,” said Harry. “He always goes to a circus when one comes around here.”
“Oh, fine!” cried Bert. “Uncle Daniel will take us! Uncle Daniel will take us!” and he caught Nan around the waist and went dancing over the lawn with her.
“Now may we go, papa?” asked Nan, when Bert let her go.
“Well, I guess so,” answered Mr. Bobbsey. “Uncle Daniel can look after you as well as I could.”
“If Uncle Daniel goes, it will be all right,” Mrs. Bobbsey said.
“And will you go, too, mamma?” asked Bert, slipping up to her, and giving her a kiss.
“Oh, yes, I suppose I’ll have to help feed the elephant peanuts,” she laughed.
“Hurray! Hurrah!” cried Bert, swinging his cap in the air. “We’re going to the circus! We’re going to the circus!”
The children were delighted with the pleasure in store for them. They talked of little else, and when they found that Tom Mason and Mabel Herold were also going to the show, they were more than delighted.
“Oh, what fun we’ll have!” cried Nan.
“I—I hope none of the wild animals get loose,” said Flossie, with rather a serious face.
“Nonsense! Of course they won’t!” cried Bert.
“If they do, I—I’ll squirt my fire engine on them!” cried Freddie. “Lions and tigers are afraid of water.”
“But elephants aren’t, are they, mamma?” asked Flossie. “I saw a picture of an elephant squirting water through his nose-trunk just like your fire engine, Freddie. Elephants aren’t afraid of water.”
“Well, elephants won’t hurt you, anyhow,” spoke the little fat fellow. “And if a lion or tiger gets loose, I’ll play the hose on him, just as I did at The Five-Pin Show.”
Mr. Bobbsey was obliged to go back to the city next day, but he said he would return to Meadow Brook as soon as he could.
“And if you see that poor boy, bring him back with you, and we’ll take him to the circus with us,” said Freddie.
“What poor boy?” asked Mr. Bobbsey.
“You know, the one who had the no-good money, and who ran away when we were out with you in the auto that time, and the two girls in the boat—don’t you remember?” asked Freddie, ending somewhat breathlessly, for that was rather a long sentence for him.
“Oh, you mean Frank Kennedy, who worked for Mr. Mason,” said the lumber merchant.
“Yes, that’s the boy,” went on Freddie. “If you see him, tell him to run this way, and we’ll take him to the circus with us.”
“Poor boy,” sighed Mrs. Bobbsey. “I wonder what has become of him?”
“I don’t know,” answered her husband. “I’ll ask Mr. Mason, if I see him. He said Frank was sure to come back. It is a hard life for a boy to lead. Well, take care of yourselves, children, and I’ll come back as soon as I can. Have a good time at the circus.”
“We will, papa!” chorused the Bobbsey twins.
Uncle Daniel readily promised to take the whole family to the circus. Rosedale, where the show would be held, in the big tents, was not far from Meadow Brook.
“I’ll just hitch up the team to the big wagon,” said the farmer, “put plenty of soft straw in the bottom, and we’ll go over in style. We’ll take our lunch with us, and have a good time.”
“Is Dinah going?” asked Flossie.
“Yes, I think we’ll take her and Martha, too,” said Mrs. Bobbsey, but when Flossie went to tell the colored cook the treat in store for her, Dinah cried:
“’Deed an’ I ain’t gwine t’ no circus. I doan’t want t’ be et up by no ragin’ lion who goeth about seekin’ what he may devour, laik it says in de Good Book. Dere’s enough wild animiles right yeah on dish year farm—wild bulls, wild rams an’ turkey gobblers, what pulls cats by dere tails. No, sah! honey lamb—I ain’t gwine t’ no circus!”
CHAPTER XIV
Freddie Is Mis
sing
Flossie came back from her talk with Dinah, looking very disappointed.
“What is the matter, dear?” asked her mother, noting the sorrowful look on the little girl’s face.
“Dinah isn’t going to the circus,” said Flossie, almost ready to cry, for she was very fond of the faithful and loving colored woman.
“Oh, I guess she’ll go with us,” said Mrs. Bobbsey. “Why doesn’t she want to come?”
“She’s afraid of the wild animals,” answered Flossie.
“Pooh! I’m not afraid!” boasted Freddie. “You tell her, Flossie, that I’ll take my fire engine along an’ scare ’em. Wait, I’ll tell her myself.”
Out Freddie ran to the kitchen, where Dinah was helping Martha with the baking.
“Don’t you be afraid, Dinah!” he cried. “I won’t let any of the wild animals get you!”
“Bress yo’ heart, honey lamb!” exclaimed the colored cook with a laugh that made her shake “like a bowl full of jelly.”
“I—I’ll scare ’em off with my fire engine,” Freddie went on.
“Will yo’, honey lamb? So yo’ won’t let ole black Dinah get hurted, eh? Well, honey, lamb, I’d gib yo’ all a hug but mah hands am all flour,” and Dinah held them up for Freddie to see.
“Never mind, you can hug me some other time—you can hug me twice to make up for this,” said Freddie. “Now you’ll come to the circus, won’t you?”
“I—I’ll see, honey lamb,” Dinah half-promised.
Later Mrs. Bobbsey told the colored cook there would be no danger, and when Dinah learned that Uncle Daniel was going, as well as one of his hired men, she made no more objections.
The day of the circus came, bright and sunny. Everyone was up early in the farm-house, for Uncle Daniel said they wanted to be in time to see the morning parade. Then they would eat their dinner, which they would take with them, as though it were a picnic, and go to the show in the afternoon.
“Oh, I wish papa were here!” sighed Nan, as she and Bert left the breakfast table.
“Why, you’re not afraid, are you?” he asked.
“No, only I’d like him to see the show,” she said. Nan was always thoughtful for her father.
“Yes, it would be nicer if he could come with us,” agreed Bert. And then he forgot all about it, because he and Harry had a discussion as to whether an elephant or a hippopotamus could eat the most hay.
Work on the farm was almost forgotten that circus day. Uncle Daniel and the hired man did what had to be done, and then the horses were hitched to the big wagon, which was filled with straw.
Mrs. Bobbsey and Aunt Sarah were busy dressing Flossie and Freddie. Bert, Harry and Nan could look out for themselves. Dinah and Martha were busy in the kitchen putting up the lunch.
“Here comes Tom Mason!” called Bert to his cousin, as he saw the country boy, dressed in his best, coming up the walk.
“Oh, I do hope Mabel isn’t late,” exclaimed Flossie. Mabel and Tom were to go to the circus with Uncle Daniel, as the guests of the Bobbsey twins.
“There she comes—down the road,” announced Harry, after greeting Tom. “Here comes Mabel!”
The children gathered out on the lawn to wait for the older folks. Finally everything was in readiness, the wagon, drawn by the prancing horses, rattled up, and into it piled the children, sitting down in the soft, clean straw.
“Where’s Dinah?” called Flossie.
“Heah I is, honey lamb,” answered the colored cook, as she came out with a big basket of good things to eat.
“Oh, I’m going to sit next to Dinah!” cried Bert with a laugh. “I always did like you, didn’t I, Dinah?” he demanded.
“Go ’long wif you, honey!” she exclaimed.
“Yo’ all doan’t git none ob de stuff in dish yeah basket ’till lunch time—no, suh! No mattah how lubbin’ yo’ is!”
Off they started, with laughter and shouts, Uncle Daniel and his hired man sitting on the front seat, taking turns driving the horses. Freddie wanted to hold the reins, but his uncle said the animals were too frisky that morning for such little hands.
“When they come back they will be tired, and won’t be so anxious to run away,” the farmer said. “Then you may drive, Freddie.”
All along the road were circus posters, and at each new one which they saw the children would shout and laugh in delight. They saw many other farm wagons going along, also filled with family parties, who, like themselves, were going to the circus.
“Hurrah for the big show!” Bert or Nan would call out.
“Hurray! Hurray!” the children in other wagons would answer back. “Isn’t it jolly?”
And indeed it was a jolly time for everyone. Even Dinah forgot her fear of the wild animals when from a distance she caught sight of the white circus tents with the gaily colored flags streaming from them.
Uncle Bobbsey found a shed, near the circus grounds, where he could leave the horses and wagon, for he did not want to take the team into town, for fear the sight of the circus animals, and the music of the band, and the steam piano, or Calliope, might scare them, and make them run away.
“We’ll watch the parade,” Uncle Daniel said. “Then we’ll come back here, eat our lunch, and go to the show in the afternoon.”
This plan was carried out, and a little later the children and the old folks were standing in line in the big crowd, waiting for the circus parade to come past. Every once in a while someone would step out into the middle of the street, and look up and down.
“Is it coming? Is it coming?” others in the crowd would ask.
“Not yet,” would be the answer.
“Oh, look!” suddenly exclaimed Bert, pointing to the window of an office building near which they were standing. “There’s Mr. Westen taking moving pictures!”
“Oh, so he is!” cried Nan. And there indeed, with his camera pointed out of the window, was their old friend.
He saw the children and waved to them.
“Here it comes! Here it comes!” was the sudden cry, and from the distance came the sound of music.
“The parade has started! The parade has started!” was the cry that ran through the crowd.
“Oh, isn’t this great!” cried Nan, clasping her chum Mabel by the arm.
“It’s just lovely!” the country girl said, “and so nice of your mother and uncle and aunt to ask me.”
“Oh, we were only too glad to have you,” said Nan, politely, but she meant it.
Freddie snuggled close up to fat Dinah.
“Don’t you be afraid,” he said to the black cook. “I—I won’t let any wild animals get you!”
“Dat’s a good boy, honey lamb!” she murmured, as she took hold of his hand.
Louder played the music. The children in the crowd began dancing up and down, so excited were they.
“Here it comes! Here it comes!” they cried over and over again.
Then swept past the horses, gay with plumes, and covered with blankets of gold and silver, of purple and red. On the backs of the horses rode men and women with scarlet cloaks, carrying spears tipped with glittering silver.
Then came a herd of elephants, swinging themselves along, now and then sucking up dust from the street and blowing it on their big backs to keep off the flies. Men rode on top of the elephants’ heads.
“Don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid, Dinah!” said Freddie over and over again.
Ponies, camels, donkeys, more horses, more elephants and other animals went past in the parade.
Then came the gilded wagons, filled with gaily dressed men and women who nodded, smiled and waved their hands at the crowds in the streets.
Bert looked up at the window where Mr. Weston was perched with his camera, and saw him taking moving pictures.
“Oh, look! There’s a lion in a cage!” cried Freddie, suddenly.
Just then the big beast sent out a roar that seemed to shake the very ground, and he threw himself against the bars of his cage.
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br /> “Oh, he’s going to get out! He’s going to get out!” came the cry and the people rushed back away from the street.
“No danger! No danger!” shouted the circus men.
“Hold on to me, Dinah!” cried Freddie. “Hold on to me. I won’t let him bite you!”
More cages of wild animals rumbled past, but most of the beasts slept peacefully. Only the lion seemed to want to get out, and far down the street his roar could be heard.
“He’s a new lion,” said someone in the crowd. “He isn’t used to being shut up, and he is trying to get out.”
“Well, I hope he done stays shut up,” murmured Dinah.
The parade came to an end at last, with the steam piano bringing up in the rear of the procession. The man played puffy little tunes, with a tooting chorus that made one want to dance.
“Now for lunch, and then to see the big show,” said Uncle Daniel, as he led the way back to where the wagon had been left.
And what a jolly party it was, to sit in the straw and eat nice sandwiches, pies, cookies and cakes Martha and Dinah had put into the baskets. There was lemonade, too, and if it was not pink, like the kind the circus men sold, it was much better and sweeter.
“But when are we going into the circus?” Freddie wanted to know.
“Soon now,” said Uncle Daniel.
A little later they made their way to the big tents. First they went in the one where the wild animals, in cages, were drawn up in a circle inside. There were lions, tigers, bears, giraffes, rhinocerosi, hippopotami, and elephants, to say nothing of the cute monkeys.
“Are dem cages good an’ strong, mistah?” asked Dinah of one of the circus attendants.
“Oh, yes,” he answered, as he passed a carrot in to one of the monkeys.
“Well, dat’s good,” she said. “’Cause I doan’t want none ob dem bears or lions t’ come after me when I’se watchin’ de circus performers.”
“I’ll see that none of them get loose,” promised the circus man with a laugh at Dinah’s fears.
Then the Bobbsey party went on in to the main tent. I wish I could tell you all they saw, but I have not the room in this book. There was a parade around the ring to start with, and then in came rushing the comical clowns, the men and women who rode on horses and who jumped from one trapeze to another.
The Bobbsey Twins Megapack Page 77