Untitled

OFF TO JOIN THE CIRCUS

by Mabel Kaplan, 1996

Jeb lived with Ben and Lindell and two grown-up people called Mum and Dad. He had bright eyes and a shiny black nose. He was a small brown dog with a funny black patch on the tip of his left ear.

One day Jeb curled up in Mum's chair and went fast asleep. He began to dream. In his dream he found a delicious bone. But just as he was about to start chewing on it he heard a shout. It sounded like Mum's voice. It was Mum. Jeb was wide awake now. "Jeb! OUT! Shoo!" Mum clipped him with the newspaper and chased Jeb out the door.

Jeb hid in a bush until Mum went back inside. Then he looked about him. He was in the garden. It felt warm and damp. Here was a good place to dig for another bone - a real one! Jeb set to work. He dug quickly letting the dirt fly up behind him. This was fun. Soon he had dug quite a deep hole. Jeb was about to put his nose into the hole to sniff out a bone when he heard a yell. It sounded like Dad's voice. It was Dad. "Jeb! OUT! Shoo!" Dad turned the hose on him and Jeb scrambled out of his hole and away.

Soon he found himself a safe new hiding place in the children's play house. He looked about him. Ben's kite was on the shelf. It's long tail was dangling invitingly near his nose. Jeb grabbed it in his teeth and pulled and chewed until a piece of the tail came loose. Then he looked about for something else to do. He saw Lindell's big brightly coloured beach ball. He gave it a knock with his paw. It rolled away. Jeb chased it. The ball went under the table. Jeb went after it. He caught the edge of the tablecloth as he went and EVERYTHING came tumbling down. Spoons, forks, plates of play food and cups of drink. Jeb began to lap up some spilt milk. Then he heard a cry. It sounded like Ben's voice - and Lindell's too! "Jeb! OUT! Shoo!"

Jeb's tail sank down between his legs. He looked up at Lindell's face. She was not smiling. He looked to Ben. But Ben was too busy looking at his chewed kite to take any notice. Jeb felt BAD. First Mum, then Dad, and now Lindell and Ben. They had all said, "Jeb! OUT! Shoo!"

Nobody wanted him. It was time to leave home - to run away. "Yes," thought Jeb, "I'll run away and join the circus."

He ran down the pathway, out the gate and across the park. He was on his way. He passed the school where Ben went. He crossed the road to avoid the big black guard dog that lived at the warehouse. Soon he was far from home. But which way should he go to find the circus? He asked a horse, a cow, a sheep and a pig - but they did not know.

It was getting dark. Jeb found a bush in which to hide. He curled himself up and went to sleep. Deep into the night he woke with a start! The sounds of the night were all around him - crickets chirping, mosquitoes buzzing and somewhere close by an owl hooted. But in the distance there were other sounds. Grrr ...grrrr! Could it be a lion? Hoop-hoop, hoop! Hoop-hoop, hoop! That sounded like ... like a ... monkey. Then came the unmistakable trumpeting sound of elephants! Jeb stood up and shook himself. He moved away from the shelter of the bush and looked up into the night sky.

At first all he saw was the twinkling lights of the stars and the rounded light of the crescent moon. Suddenly, balls of coloured lights showered across the sky and then there was the sound of music - a band was playing and there was clapping.

Jeb ran toward the lights and the sounds. As he came nearer he could see large shadows in the night and then - there it was - a huge tent! Jeb had found the circus.

He crept up to the side of the tent and crawled under a flap. There inside were lots of people clapping. A clown stepped into the ring. He did three cartwheels and then began to juggle coloured balls. Jeb thought it looked great fun. He jumped into the ring and began to follow the clown. He ran a little, then he crouched, then he ran a little more. The people cheered and clapped. Jeb felt very proud. He watched the balls - sometimes high, sometimes low. The clown threw and caught every one of them. Again, Jeb watched the balls - sometimes high, sometimes low. Then, he pounced! He caught a low ball in his mouth and ran with it around the ring. The crowd cheered and cheered. The clown looked puzzled. Where had one of his balls gone? Then he spotted Jeb. "Hey you, come here!" he called. And he chased Jeb round and round the ring. Jeb was having a fine time. He joined the next act by sitting in the passenger seat of a little red car driven by an acrobat who stood on his hands as he drove. Jeb was so glad he had joined the circus. No-one here said, "Jeb! OUT! Shoo!" He thought he would stay forever.

Soon the show was over. The people went home. The circus was packed up. The light went out. The circus people got ready for bed. Jeb was left alone. He felt hungry. There was no dish of nibbles by the door for him here as there were at home. There was no bowl of water ... no blanket in a basket ... and no Ben ... for Jeb to creep into his bed and lick his face. All at once Jeb felt very lonely.

He crept around the tents in search of a friendly voice ... but all he got was: "You! OUT! Shoo!" And Jeb knew it was time to go home.

It was still dark as Jeb set off. He passed the field where the horse, cow, sheep and pig had been - but they were fast asleep.

The big black guard dog that lived at the warehouse barked as Jeb passed by. Jeb went by the school where Ben went. Soon he was close to home.

The sun cast an orange light across the sky as Jeb crept into the house. He found his dish of nibbles by the door and his bowl of water. He sniffed at the blanket in his basket. Then he sneaked into Ben's room, hopped up on the bed and licked Ben's sleeping face. Ben rolled over and, still more asleep than awake, put his arm around Jeb, and said in a sleepy kind of voice: "Oh, Jeb! You're home."

This Story is Copyrighted, if in doubt, please read COPYRIGHTS section at TALESetc.com