Today I’m out early so here is a poem and a story
Stay well
Do Zebras live in Africa
“Is it a Zebra Dad?”
“No son, a Zebra has stripes, that’s a horse.”
“ I want to see a Zebra, where are they”
“ Soon, their in another paddock”
“What’s a paddock Dad?”
“It’s a field with a fence around it”
“Why do they have a fence Dad?”
“So as the animals can’t get out”
“ Will the Zebras have a fence Dad?”
“I’m sure they will”
“Is it far to the Zebras Dad?”
“I don’t know son, we’ll see”
“Are Zebras horses Dad?”
“They are a type of horse, yes”
“Why do they have stripes Dad?”
“I think it’s camouflage when they are in Africa”
“What’s camouflage Dad?”
“It’s a way of not being easily seen”
“We won’t see the Zebras then will we?”
“Yes we will this not Africa”
“Where is Africa Dad?
“It’s a big land mass south of Europe”
“Can we go there Dad?”
“One day son, maybe”
“Are there lots of Zebras there Dad”
“Oh look son, Tigers”
“Tigers”
“Do you know what Tigers eat?”
“No Dad what do they eat?”
“Little boys who ask questions “
“Oh”
When the Circus came to Town
When George was a boy he was fascinated by clowns. Clowns and the Circus. His father had taken him to The Russian State Circus as it passed through town. He was six and the whole thing was a delight. The prancing horses. The trapeze. The jugglers. Beautiful women. A strong man. Most of all the clowns. Not only were the clowns funny and silly but he realised how skilful they were. He begged his father to take him again the next evening. His father said no it was expensive and one circus performance a year was enough. George sulked in his bedroom and tried to give his father the silent treatment only grunting when he spoke to him. It did not work. His father only laughed at him in a good natured way and told him he was not in the slightest bit bothered if George never talked to him again. He managed a whole day but by the evening he could not sustain his silence and broke down and chatted with his father as usual.
“If another Circus comes to town I promise we will go” His father said.
George wondered if he was just saying that to be nice to him but he hoped it was true. He heard his mother mildly tell father off for spoiling the boy but she laughed and he knew she did not really mind.
Six months went by and although George had not forgotten the Circus or his fathers promise the idea of another one coming to town seemed pretty remote. He’d read and looked at everything he could get his hands on about Circuses and especially Clowns. He badgered his teacher at school. At first she was quite indulgent with him but after a while she got a little irritated.
“George Liddle you have got to stop asking me do you understand?”
George said he did and he stopped pestering her and just kept reading and finding pictures to look at.
And then one day while he was out shopping with his mother he saw it. A colourful poster pasted in a shop window advertising Billy Smarts Circus. It had a picture of a white horse with a lady standing on its back. An elephant rearing on it’s hind legs. At the top above the title was a flying trapeze. Below in the corner was a car with Clowns hanging out of it one of them squeezing a huge horn. Best of all the poster declared everyone was welcome and the dates. George stood there transfixed staring at this wonderful world that was coming to town. His mother had not noticed he had stopped and he could hear her calling his name but he could not drag himself away. Suddenly he had his arm grabbed and found himself being pulled along and away from the window. He looked up at his mother she smiled down at him “I thought I’d lost you” She said
He tried to tell her about the poster and the Circus but she did not seem to be listening.
That evening when his father came home he rushed into the hall before he even shut the door and shouted at him that the Circus was coming. His father nodded and said fine and went in the kitchen to to see his mother. George tried to gets his fathers attention almost until it was his bedtime at 8 o’clock but with no success. He went up and changed into his pyjamas cleaned his teeth and came back down to say goodnight.
His mother and father were standing in front of the fireplace smiling. George wondered what was going on and then his father took his hand from behind and in it were three tickets. He ran over to them and grabbed the them. Printed on them was the legend “Admit one Billy Smarts Circus” George started skipping round the room and then hugged both of them. “A promise is a promise George” His father said. That night George went to be d happier then he could ever remember. He was going to the Circus. He was going to see the Clowns.
He counted down the days. It was only three until Saturday but to him it seemed forever. He excitedly told his teacher at school “I’m going to see the Clowns at Billy Smarts” Wonderful George she said, although she was secretly dreading his return to the classroom afterwards.
Saturday morning seemed to take an age to go by. He picked at his lunch to excited to eat. His mother told he needed finish his sandwich but he was to distracted. His father came home from the shop where he worked. It was time to go. George held both their hands as the walked to the field where the Circus had set-up the Big Top. When George saw it he almost couldn’t contain his excitement. It was a huge red striped tent with a big flag sticking out the top with Billy Smart Circus written on it.
Inside it smelt of hay, sawdust and animals. They people sat on long wooden benches all around the ring.
George remembered the Russian State Circus ring but this was bigger, grander and far mor colourful. The tent filled up with mostly families lots of children most of which were as excited as George. His father got them some popcorn and candy floss, it tickled George’s nose. “Special treat” He said and kissed his mother.
Suddenly music started, jolly music, marching music and then a tall man in a red coat and top hat entered the ring bowed and said “Ladies and Gentleman, Children welcome to the magic of Billy Smarts Circus” he swept his hat around and cracked a whip he was carrying.
The rest of the afternoon went by in a blur. George watched as tumblers tumbled, horses galloped, elephants trumpeted and balanced balls with their trunks. The trapeze act was breathtaking and a couple of times he hid his face behind his mothers back thinking they might fall. In between each act were the Clowns. There were at least twelve of them but they moved around so much George was not sure he had counted right. They knocked each other over, threw things, slapped each other and rode the car he’d seen on the poster whilst it fell to bits and they slung each other from it . He could not believe his eyes, they were fantastic. Like all good things it had to end and it did. George did not want to leave and when his mother and father got up to go he hesitated and he was lost. In the large crowd he lost sight of them. He shouted “Mum, Dad” several times but he could not see them.
He began to get frantic where had they gone why had they left him behind. He was sure they would come back for him and did not know what to do. He thought he’d better go looking for them and followed the last of the crowd outside.
“Please try to calm down Mr and Mrs Liddle. We are doing our best to find your boy” The policeman was trying to be reassuring but he did not think it was working. They were blaming themselves for their son’s disappearance and nothing he could do or say seemed to be getting through to them. It had been four hours since George had gone missing and they had searched all around the Circus and they surrounding area but had no luck. His mother and father were frantic and inconsolable. They kept repeating they turned round to find him and he just wasn’t there.
There days passed and he still had not been found. An appeal had gone out on radio and TV. George’s picture was plastered all over the town just like the posters from the Circus. The police were trying to be optimistic but they knew in cases like these it was very rare that the child would be found alive after this length of time. George’s mother and father sat in their house unable to function properly and feeling like the world was collapsing around them.
The Chief Inspector came into their lounge accompanied by a female officer. He looked grave and George’s mother let out a howl of anguish.
“Mr and Mrs Liddle I’m afraid the news is not good. I’m very sorry to tell you that we have found George’s body. He was not alive.”
A week later an article appeared on the front of one of the daily newspapers. A boy called George Liddle had been lost at Billy Smarts Circus after the performance had finished. It went on to say that unfortunately the boy had been found strangled. The police had arrested a man who had been employed by the Circus as one of there Clowns. He was a known pedophile who had used the Circus to hide in and give him the opportunity to have access to children.
George’s mother and father could never forgive themselves for their loss of him. His father developed a serious drinking problem and lost his shop. His mother hardly ever spoke she lost her mind and eventually was committed to an asylum and never came out.
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