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Mitchell, Lebbeus, 1879-1963

"The Circus Comes to Town"

"
Jerry was aware that he was crooning, but did not know that he had risen
to his feet and was repeating those two lines of verse out loud.
The band suddenly stopped playing, and in the ensuing silence the
childish treble of Jerry's voice was heard by every one in that section
of seats saying:
"Great Sult Anna O'Queen, in the jungle,
Carryin' water for the ellifants."
He had hardly finished the words when the leader in the line of
elephants turned small, beady eyes towards Jerry, lifted up its trunk
and trumpeted aloud. Jerry was not frightened at all by that cry, but
held out his arms toward the elephant, crying, "Up! Up! Sult Anna!" as
though that were the most natural thing in the world to do and he had
been doing it all his life.
The elephant trumpeted again and lumbered heavily towards the tier of
seats where Jerry stood, lowered its trunk and curled it about Jerry's
body.
A great gasp went up from the people about Jerry and then some women and
men cried out and a girl screamed.
"It's mad! It's run amuck!" some one cried, and in an instant there was
an uproar of terror as the people left their seats and surged back to
higher tiers where they hoped the elephant could not reach them.


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