“How on earth does he do it?” wondered Julian, amazed. “He bends his arms and legs all the wrong ways! Mine would break if I did that!”

“Oh, it’s easy for him!” said Jeremy. “It’s just that he’s completely double-jointed — he can bend his arms both ways, and his legs both ways, and make them seem so loose that it looks as if he really is boneless. He’s a nice chap. You’d like him.”

Anne felt a bit doubtful. What queer people made up a circus! It was a world of its own. She jumped suddenly as there came the sound of a trumpet blowing loudly.

“That’s for supper,” said Jeremy gleefully. “Come on — let’s go to old Grandma and her pot! Buck up, all of you!”

Chapter Ten

Round the campfire

Jeremy led the way out of the circus-ring. It had been well-lighted, and the night seemed very dark outside the ring. They went over the field to where a large fire was burning, cleverly set about with stones. An enormous cooking-pot was hung over it, and a very, very nice smell came to their noses as they went near.

Old Grandma was there, of course, and she began stirring the pot when she saw them. “You’ve been a long time in the ring,” she grumbled to Grandad. “Anything gone wrong?”

“No,” said Grandad, and sniffed the air. “I’m hungry. That smells good. Jeremy, help your Grandma.”

“Yes, Grandad,” said Jeremy, and took a pile of plates to the old lady, who at once began ladling out pieces of meat and potatoes and vegetables from the steaming pot. Old Grandad turned to Julian.

“Well — did you like our little rehearsal?” he asked.

“Oh yes!” said Julian. “I’m only sorry you didn’t rehearse all the turns. I badly wanted to see the acrobats and the clowns. Are they here? I can’t see them.”

“Oh yes — there’s one clown over there — look — with Madelon, who had the horses,” said Grandad. The children looked — and were very disappointed. “Is he a clown?” said Dick, disbelievingly. “He doesn’t look a bit funny. He looks miserable.”

“That’s Monty all right,” said Grandad. “He always looks like that out of the ring. He’ll make you double up with laughter when the circus is on, he’s a born clown — but a lot of clowns are like Monty when they’re not performing — not much to say for themselves, and looking miserable. Winks is a bit livelier — that’s him, pulling Madelon’s hair. He’ll get a smacked face in a minute, he’s a real tease. There — I knew he’d get a clip on the ear!”

Winks went howling over to the children, boo-hooing most realistically. “She smacked me!” he said. “And she’s got such p-p-p-pretty hair!”

The children couldn’t help laughing. Mischief ran to the clown, jumped up on his shoulder and chattered comforting monkey-words into his ear. Charlie the Chimp let himself out of his cage, and came to put his great paw into Winks’s hand. They both thought that Winks really was hurt.