“How beautiful they are!” thought Anne, as she watched. “Look at their great feathery plumes, nodding on their magnificent heads.”

The Bonzo Band struck up just then, and the horses at once trotted in perfect time to the music. The band looked a little peculiar as the bandsmen had not put on their smart uniforms. They were saving those for the opening night!

The horses trotted prettily out of the ring after two or three rounds, the beautiful Madelon on the leading horse.

Then in came Fred the Fiddler and played his violin for a few minutes. First the music was slow and solemn, then Fred began to play quickly, and the children found themselves jiggling about, up and down and round about. “I can’t keep still!” panted Anne. “The tune’s got into my feet.”

Charlie the Chimp came up just then, walking on hind legs, and looking unexpectedly tall. He usually walked on all fours. He began to jig about too, looking very funny. He ran right into the ring and put his arms round Fred the Fiddler’s legs. “He loves Fred,” said Jeremy. “Now he’s going to rehearse his cricket act. I must go and bowl to him.”

And off went Jeremy into the ring. The chimpanzee rushed over to him and hugged him. A bat was thrown into the ring, and Charlie picked it up, and made a few swipes into the air with it, making delighted noises all the time.

Then a cricket ball was thrown to Jeremy, who caught it deftly. A small girl appeared from somewhere and set up three stumps for a wicket. “Can’t find the bails, Jeremy!” she called. “Have you got them in your pocket?”

“No,” said Jeremy. “Never mind, I’ll knock the stumps right over!”

But that wasn’t so easy with Charlie the Chimp at the wicket! He took a terrific swipe at the ball, and it went right over Jeremy’s head, too high to catch.

The chimp lost his balance and sat down on the wicket, knocking the stumps out of the ground.

“OUT!” yelled Jeremy, but the chimp wasn’t having that. He carefully put up the stumps again, and then set himself in front once more, waggling the bat.

It was the funniest cricket that the children had ever seen! The chimpanzee was very, very clever with the bat, and sent poor Jeremy running all over the place. Then finally he chased the boy all round the ring with the bat making curious chortling noises. The children didn’t know if he was amused or angry! Finally he threw the bat at Jeremy and walked off, scratching himself under one arm.

The children roared with laughter at him. “He’s as good as any clown!” said Dick. “Jeremy, does he do this cricket act every night when the circus is open?”

“Oh yes — and sometimes he hits the ball into the audience,” said Jeremy. “There’s great excitement then. Sometimes, for a treat, we let one of the boys in the audience come down and bowl to Charlie. One bowled him right out once, and Charlie was so cross that he chased him all round the ring three times — just as he chased me just now. The boy didn’t like it much!”