Brownies: Their Book

<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</SPAN></span></p> <h2>THE BROWNIES' CIRCUS.</h2> <div class='poem'> <span class='smcap'>One</span> night the circus was in town<br/> With tumbling men and painted clown,<br/> And Brownies came from forest deep<br/> Around the tent to climb and creep,<br/> And through the canvas, as they might<br/> Of inner movements gain a sight.<br/></div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i073.png" width-obs="302" height-obs="308" alt="On the tent ropes" title="" /></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</SPAN></span></p> <div class='center'> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="poem and illustration"> <tr><td align='left'><ANTIMG src="images/i074a.png" width-obs="113" height-obs="165" alt="Pointing to self" title="" /> </td><td align='left'>Said one, "A chance we'll hardly find<br/> That better suits the Brownie mind;<br/> To-night when all this great array<br/> Of people take their homeward way,<br/> We'll promptly make a swift descent<br/> And take possession of the tent,<br/> And here, till morning light is shown,<br/> We'll have a circus of our own."<br/></td></tr> <tr><td align='left'>"I best," cried one, "of all the band<br/> The elephant can take in hand;<br/> I noticed how they led him round<br/> And marked the place he may be found;<br/> On me you may depend to keep<br/> The monster harmless as a sheep."<br/> <br/> The laughing crowd that filled the place,<br/> Had hardly homeward turned its face,<br/> Before the eager waiting band<br/> Took full possession as they planned,<br/> And 'round they scampered left and right<br/> </td><td align='left'><ANTIMG src="images/i074b.png" width-obs="256" height-obs="237" alt="Running for the whip" title="" /> </td></tr> </table></div> <div class='poem'> To see what offered most delight.<br/> Cried one, "If I can only find<br/> The whip, I'll have a happy mind;<br/></div> <div class='center'> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="poem and illustration"> <tr><td align='left'><ANTIMG src="images/i074c.png" width-obs="85" height-obs="147" alt="standing bowlegged" title="" /> </td><td align='left'>For I'll be master of the ring<br/> And keep the horses on the spring,<br/> Announce the names of those who ride,<br/> And snap the whip on every side."<br/> Another said, "I'll be a clown;<br/> I saw the way they tumble down,<br/> And how the cunning rogues contrive<br/> To always keep the fun alive."<br/></td></tr> </table></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</SPAN></span></p> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i075.png" width-obs="465" height-obs="185" alt="On the high wire" title="" /></div> <div class='poem'> With such remarks away they went<br/> At this or that around the tent;<br/> The wire that not an hour before<br/> The Japanese had traveled o'er<br/> From end to end with careful stride,<br/> Was hunted up and quickly tried.<br/> Not one alone upon it stepped,<br/> But up by twos and threes they crept,<br/> Until the strand appeared to bear<br/> No less than half the Brownies there.<br/> Some showed an easy, graceful pose,<br/> But some put little faith in toes,<br/> And thought that fingers, after all,<br/> Are best if one begins to fall.<br/> <br/> When weary of a sport they grew,<br/> Away to other tricks they flew.<br/> They rode upon the rolling ball<br/> Without regard to slip or fall;<br/> Both up and down the steep incline<br/> They kept their place, with balance fine,<br/> Until it bounded from the road,<br/> <span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</SPAN></span>And whirled away without its load.<br/> They galloped 'round the dusty ring<br/> Without a saddle, strap or string,<br/> And jumped through hoops both large and small,<br/> And over banners, poles and all.<br/> <br/> In time the elephant was found<br/> And held as though in fetters bound;<br/> Their mystic power controlled the beast,&mdash;<br/> He seemed afraid to move the least,<br/> But filled with wonder, limp and lax,<br/> He stood and trembled in his tracks,<br/> While all the band from first to last<br/> Across his back in order passed.<br/></div> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i076.png" width-obs="506" height-obs="396" alt="tumbling" title="" /></div> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</SPAN></span></p> <div class="figcenter"> <ANTIMG src="images/i077.png" width-obs="508" height-obs="591" alt="Over the elephant" title="" /></div> <div class='poem'> So thus they saw the moments fly<br/> Till dawn began to paint the sky;<br/> And then by every flap and tear<br/> They made their way to open air,<br/> And off through lanes and alleys passed<br/> To reach their hiding-place at last.<br/></div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />