[Illustration: And so this strangest of all circuses began. _Page 83._]
Meanwhile, many willing workers rolled a dozen or more gayly painted “tubs” to the edge of the ring. Then came the band bringing all manner of drums and queer-looking horns, to say nothing of Elephant carrying his mammoth bass viol; after which each player took a seat on one of the tubs and began to “tune up” for the circus.
“Of course, we must have an announcer,” said Lion.
Needless to say, Diggeldy Dan was the clown, while Lion—wearing an old silk hat that Seal sometimes juggled in the real circus, and armed with a whip that Puma had brought from the great tent beyond—played ringmaster.
And so this strangest of all circuses began.
“Just watch my two ears for the tempo and time,” said Elephant, who conducted the band. Thus, with the bow of his great fiddle held firmly in his forefoot, and playing notes that fairly boomed with their bigness, he set his ears to beating: “One, two, three; one, two, three,” while the music tripped forth in a soft, swaying waltz. After a few bars had been played, Tiger raised his paw for silence and then stepped gravely to the front of the ring.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” said he, “I take pleasure in announcing Mademoiselle Monkeyetta, direct from the deepest depths of Jungleland, who, with her marvelous steed, Zebraello, will now astonish you with her wonderful feats of riding.”
At this Seal and his family played a ringing, lingering “ta-ta-a-a-ah” on their horns; the band struck up the liveliest of melodies, while into the ring trotted Zebra with Monkey posed on his back. Close behind came Diggeldy Dan, balancing his round, pointed hat on the tip of his nose.
And then, at a whip-crack from Lion, the riding began.
Around and around went the galloping pair—a maze of black and white stripes surmounted by a higgeldy-piggeldy ball of ruffles of blue, a flopping pink hat, with here and there a brown leg or an arm. At first Monkey did little more than hold fast to Zebra’s short mane. But, gradually becoming used to his steed’s measured stride, the merry-eyed fellow dared to stand on his feet and to dance as they flew round the ring. At this all the animals applauded with glee, while Lion cracked his long whip even more than before.