“And cross, I expect,” said Tinker. “People are always cross when they’re tired. Except you, dear, dear Jenny.”

“Ha! You want something else out of my cupboard, calling me your dear, dear Jenny,” she said with a twinkle.

“Could we have some sugar-lumps?” asked Tinker. “Oh, Jenny, there are the loveliest horses you ever saw down in the circus field. I want to give them a sugar lump each.”

“And yourself a few as well!” said Jenny. “All right. I’ll pack up everything for you, and give you a few enamel plates and mugs and knives. What about Timmy? Doesn’t he want a meal too?”

“Wuff!” said Timmy, glad that someone had remembered him. Jenny patted his big head. “It’s all ready in the larder for you,” she said. “George, you go and get it. He must be hungry.”

George fetched a plate of meat and biscuits from the larder and Timmy fell on it with happy little barks. Yes — he was very, VERY hungry!

At last all the food was ready-packed to take down the garden to the field. What a lot there seemed! Well, they would certainly have plenty to spare for their circus friends. They said good night to Jenny, and set off down the garden again. They thought they had better not disturb Professor Hayling.

“He might be cross and forbid us to go and feed with the circus-folk,” said Tinker. “Mischief, come off that basket, and don’t pretend you weren’t fishing in it for a banana. And please put on your best table-manners tonight, or Charlie the Chimp will be ashamed of you!”

It was fun going back down the garden and over the fence into the field again. The sun was sinking fast and soon the shadows would fall. How lovely to sit round a fire and eat supper with the kindly circus-folk — and perhaps to sing old songs with them — and hear Fred the Fiddler fiddle his old, old tunes! What fun to creep into a tent, and sleep with the cries of owls around, and stars shining in at the tent opening!

There they go, over the fence, handing the food one to another. Take your paw out of that basket, Mischief! That’s right, Timmy, nibble his ear if he’s as mischievous as his name! You’re all going to have some fun tonight!

Chapter Nine

A wonderful evening

As soon as Jeremy saw the visitors climbing over the fence, he ran to help them. He was very excited at the thought of having guests. He took them over to old Grandad first, to be welcomed.

“Now I expect your friends will like to see round a bit,” said Grandad. “Charlie the Chimp can go with you. We’ve a rehearsal on tonight, so the ring has been set up. You can watch some of the show.”

This was grand news. The children saw that curved pieces of painted wood had been set together to make a great ring in the field, and as they went across the grass, the Musical Horses began to troop into the ring, the leading one ridden by Madelon, a lovely girl, dressed in shimmering gold.