Rags entered Papa’s study.
She jumped onto Papa’s favorite chair and saw
the newspaper on the floor.
“I’d like to join the Circus,” she thought.
Rags closed her eyes and imagined
walking down the Midway.
Rags jumped on the roller coaster. Up and up it went.
Clickety Clack, Clickety Clack, Clickety Clack.
The roller coaster reached the top and started down.
Faster and faster it went.
Rags screamed and held up her paws.
Then –
Rags ran to the Merry-Go-Round and jumped on.
Up and down the horses went.
Round and round they raced.
When the Merry-go-Round stopped,
Rags saw …..
Professor Bugsby’s Flea Circus.
Freddy Flea saw Rags.
He jumped in the air,
did a summersault, landed on Rag’s back,
and burrowed into her soft fur.
Rags walked toward the circus tent
scratching her ear.
Rags entered the big-top.
“May I join your Circus?”
Rags asked the Ringmaster.
“What can you do?” He asked.
“I can stand on my hind legs.
And I can jump very high,”
Rags said with a smile.
The Ringmaster scratched his chin.
“I’ll give you a try, he said.
So, in the center ring –
The silly clown held a hoop for Rags.
She jumped into the air, and sailed through the hoop.
The crowd cheered and clapped.
Rags bowed to the left and bowed to the right.
Then she heard a ROAR.
Oh my, it was a
LION!
“I can be a wild animal tamer,” Rags said.
She entered the cage.
The lions and tigers circled her showing their pointy teeth.
Rags ran out of the cage,
slamming the door behind her,
and ran to the –
Prancing ponies galloping around and around in the ring.
Rags jumped on the back of a pony.
She stood on her hind legs
and danced an Irish jig.
Then Rags saw the big ELEPHANTS.
An elephant lifted Rags up.
Higher and higher she went.
Rags closed her eyes
and sat very, very still
until the elephant
lowered her to the ground.
elephants
Next …
Rags put on a red cape and goggles.
She climbed into a big cannon.
With a loud boom and a cloud of smoke.
Rags sailed across the tent,
and plopped into a net.
Then…
The clowns gave Rags their
balloons to hold.
Up and up went the balloons.
Up and up went Rags.
She was saved by the acrobats, and,
Rags wanted to fly on the trapeze.
High up in the air,
Rags soared from one flying acrobat to the other.
The crowd cheered, and Rags thought ….
“I’ll be a tightrope walker.”
On the high-wire Rags put one leg in front of the other.
Then, she lost her balance.
Up in the air went one leg.
Rags slipped off the tightrope
and began –
Falling Falling Falling
Rags tumbled head over tail, head over tail,
down and down until finally she landed
with an Oomph.
Rags opened one eye.
She was on the rug in Papa’s study.
Rags had fallen off Papa’s chair, and landed upside down,
her four paws in the air.
The Midway and the Circus were all a dream.
“I need a nap,” she said with a big yawn.
writer of children's books 