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Show SAMMY'S CIRCUS WISH. f-'nmmy wanted to be a clown. Uowi.h could he funny. Clowns did not have to think hard, and thinking li'inl was n great effort. Clowns nin t have to practice for music les-fcoiiR. les-fcoiiR. When they played In the circus they pluyed wrong notes and everyone laughed nnd clapped. Clowns could say miy silly old thing nt all nnd people thought they wer funny. At least It seemed that way. w the circus was coming to town In n few dnys and Sammy wns making nls plans. He would get up very early, as ho always did when the circus came to Iowa and he would help unload and he would help when they put up the lent ut the old fair grounds where they always hnd the circus. And then he would talk to ono of the clowns and he would tell him how he longed to he a clown and he would ask to go along too, nnd he would explain that he had brought along n bundle of clothes so thnt he would not be n burden to them when he knew Ihey were busy traveling from town to town. He could Just see the clown grin at him and clap his knee nnd sny: "Well, you're the line little manly chap." Now on circus days Sammy's family fam-ily had always allowed him to spend the whole day at the fair grounds. They had let him get up early to meet the train. Hut lie hail always been Tr--PlT''i "Became Clreat Friends." with n group of hoys who lyid spent the day together around the circus so that Sammy's futility didn't worry about him. The boys always ctayed for the ee nlng show too. It wnB such ftm to see he tent when It wns lighted ut night. Itut this tlmo Sammy did not go nlth the other hoys or rather he left I lie other hoys early during the day, Ves, he left the other boys and became be-came great friends with one of the inwns. The clown wns a particularly nice clown Just us Jolly as he could be, ami everyone seemed to like him. He was Invited by the circus people to have dinner with theiu. How thrilled he was, hut as he watched the dinner cooking his apKilte somehow left him. The soup smelt of grease and the potatoes po-tatoes looked so unattractive In such great numbers. And ho didn't eat the way the others did. They enjoyed what they ate, It was true, but he couldn't somehow enjoy their food. There was bo much of It. Not that he hnd ever before complained of too much food ! No, Indeed no I Itut this wns too much. The potatoes pota-toes were piled much too high; there was so much of everything (for of course there were so ninny people) Hint It took away his uppctltc. And then, too. the smell of grease I lie didn't like that In tho least. Hut oh dear, oh dear, when he talked to the clown he found that one hud to practice In mnke funny mistakes. 1 The couldn't Just be mistakes. They had to be fuiy. And In order to 1 make Inem funny oto had to practice. nd after dinner, when he watched 1 the performers going Into the tent for 1 the afternoon show and bowing before the people when their acts were over, he began to care loss and loss about being In the background of a circus. It was In the audience where the fun was. I'or when the performers came out Ihey didn't come with a dash and H wine of tho arms and a Joyous shout such as Ihey did Inside. As soon as thej got beyond where the people were Uiev all look It as a part of u day's wiirlt and not as though It were thrilling thrill-ing work. 01l no, Sni y would not Join the circus I'or If he did he knew Hint the circus would no longer bo Iho thrilling thing that U now was but that It would be woik-Jusf like school uud such tilings I And the circus must Swr be like that to him. So ho decided de-cided he would not Join the circus, after all! |