Going to the Circus

“Hello Jake,” called Midge as she ran up the steps to the front porch where Jake was laying on the porch swing.

“Hi Midge,” greeted Jake. “Wasn't Booker-T going to come with you today?”

“He had to go to the vet's this morning” said Midge. “He wants us to wait for him. He will come when he and his owner get home.”

“Was he sick?” asked Jake jumping down from the swing.

“No,” said Midge. “He said it was time for his yearly shots.”

“Oh,” sighed Jake. “I think it is almost time for me to go for shots too.”

“I don't think I have to go until next month,” said Midge. “I always forget, but owner never forgets.”

“Mine don't forget either,” agreed Jake. “She always writes things down in her appointment book.”

“Does it hurt when you get your shots?” asked Midge.

“I never feel anything,” said Jake. “The vet has his assistant give the shots and she is good.”

“Sometimes I feel it,” said Midge. “But it only hurts for a little while. The vet always gives me a nice treat when she is done.”

“Here comes Booker-T,” smiled Jake.

“Hi guys,” said Booker-T as he hurried up the steps.

“Hey,” said Midge. “I'm not a guy. I'm a gal.”

“Oh!” said Booker-T. “Who says?”

“Says me,” replied Midge. “You and Jake are guys and I'm a gal.”

“Wow,” said Jake. “I think you have been watching TV again.”

“Maybe,” said Midge.

“I think so too,” said Booker-T.

“My owner was watching a movie last night and I heard them talking about guys and gals on there,” said Midge. “I never thought about it before I heard it.”

“Okay,” said Booker-T. “Hi guy and gal! Are you ready to go to the park? They are setting up the tents for the circus now. We drove past the park coming home from the vet's.”

“I'm ready,” smiled Midge. “I am so excited. I just love watching the funny clowns. They are so funny.”

“You want to go see the tigers?” asked Jake.

“Oh no,” said Booker-T. “Lets stay away from the tigers and the elephants. We had a close call with the elephants last year. We don't want to go there again.”

“I don't want to get squashed by the elephants or eaten by a tiger,” said Jake. “We can look at them from a long way.”

The three agreed to stay away from the big animals as they hurried to the park where the circus was setting up their tents. As they neared the park, they could see the big tents and all the circus wagons around them.

“When will they do their first show?” asked Midge. “Do you know?”

“I heard my owner telling her friend on the phone, that their first show will be this afternoon,” said Jake. “But today's show would be a small one and the bigger shows will be after the circus parade through town tomorrow.”

“I want to see the parade,” said Midge. “The wagons and the clowns are all pretty and so colorful. Do you want to go see the parade tomorrow?”

“We can sit on my front porch and watch it,” said Jake. “I heard my owner say that the parade would come down past the house.”

“Oh, Jake,” smiled Midge. “I will be there. Are you going to come see the parade too Booker-T?”

“I will be there too,” agreed Booker-T. “We can check to see if Misty would like to come along. Maybe she can come tomorrow.”

“That will be nice,” said Midge. “I hope she can come.”

“Me too,” said Booker-T.

“Hurry,” said Jake. “Let's go peek in the big tent over there.”

They hurried around the tents checking things out and trying to keep away from all the people rushing around here and there setting up every thing. They were setting up the popcorn stands and the drink stands.

“It must be almost time for the show to start,” said Midge.

“How do you know?” asked Jake.

“Midge has a crystal ball in her head,” laughed Booker-T.
“Ha ha,” said Midge. “You are too funny today.”

“I thought it was kind of cute,” said Booker-T.

“See all the people coming into the parking lot now,” said Midge. “And all those clowns over there are all ready for the show.”

“I think you are right,” said Jake.

“And don't you smell the popcorn being popped over there and I'll bet the hot dogs are being cooked now too,” smiled Midge.

“Think we can sneak into the tent,” said Booker-T. “I think if we go around to the back of the tent, we can crawl under and will be under the bleachers where they won't see us.”

They hurried toward the back of the tent. People were lining up to buy tickets for the show. Midge was looking at all the kids with their parents starting to enter the tent. She wasn't watching where she was walking and ran into a big gray stand. “Ouch!”

“Midge,” said Jake. “Are you okay?”

She looked up at the man standing near the stand. He was busy and didn't seem to notice her. “I'm okay,” said Midge.

“What is that guy doing?” asked Booker-T.

Midge stepped back to see what the man was doing. “I don't know what he is making. I don't think I ever saw that before,” said Midge. “Jake, what does that sign say?”

“It says, cotton candy,” read Jake.

“Cotton candy?” questioned Midge. “What is cotton candy? I didn't know people ate cotton. My owner uses that stuff for cleaning her face.”

“That is different,” said Jake. “This is candy.”

“But how do you turn cotton into candy,” asked Booker-T. “I don't think I want to eat cotton.”

“It must be sweet cotton,” said Midge. “He is dumping a bag of sugar in there.”

“Wow,” said Jake. “That is a lot of sugar.”

The man noticed the three dogs sitting there and set some of this cotton candy down on the ground for them. “Here you go little ones,” he said as he tossed some more out to them.

Midge looked at the man and then at Jake and Booker-T. “Taste it Jake.”

“You taste it Midge,” suggested Booker-T. “It looks like pink cotton. I thought the cotton was white. My owner has cotton and it is white balls.”

“It smells sweet,” said Midge as she got her nose close to this pink stuff laying on the ground.

“Try it Midge,” said Jake.

Midge took a small piece and smiled, “It is really sweet. Just melts in your mouth when you pick it up.”

“It is very sticky too,” said Booker-T trying to touch it and it stuck to his paw.

“Come on,” said Midge. “Lets go check out the circus. Lot of people are already in the tent and the music has started.”

The three ran around to the back of the tent and crawled under and found a good spot under the bleachers.