One Clown Short of A Circus

One Clown Short of Circus

Chuckles, the dancing clown, woke to the sounds of her shutters flapping back and forth against her trailer. A fierce thunderstorm was brewing. Chuckles flipped, climbing out of her hammock to shut the window.

"Ouch!" She'd landed flat on her nose.

"Are you alright," the ringmaster stuck his head in her doorway.

"I guess," Chuckles rubbed her aching nose.

"Looks like you won't need a big red nose for tonight's show," he snickered. "Practice for tonight's show is in fifteen minutes. We already have a small audience."

"I will meet you in the ring."

"Be prepared to jump into the ring if something goes wrong; there's bad mojo in the air today."

Chuckles put her black and white checkered ballerina outfit with an orange tutu on and proceeded to the main tent. Whenever they had an audience, they were expected to give their all.

"Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, we are proud to present James E.'s Amazing Circus. Today, we have new shows, great circus acts, and pure entertainment. And to get started, we are going to shake a leg..."

Chuckles was late entering the ring, but the rest of her teammates: Bongo, Buttercup, Jimmo, and O-Jim, dressed in various clown costumes, were already on the floor, shaking their legs as the ringmaster presented the opening speech.

"They fly through the air with the greatest of ease..." the ringmaster was in the middle of introducing the daredevil high wire act, performing without a net, when Jean-Francois swung through the air missing Philippe's extended hands. He plummeted sixteen feet to the ground, landing on top of Buttercup as he tried to break the falling performers fall.

Stunned, at the sight of her injured fellow entertainers, Chuckles trembled with concern.

"It appears we are one clown short of a circus!" The ringmaster bellowed.

Parents covered their children's eyes. The clowns rolled and bounced onto the scene, distracting the families while the emergency crew did their job.

"The show goes on.." the ringmaster declared after the ring was cleared.

Once the ringmaster introduced the animal show, Isaac revved his motorcycle. A signal for Chuckles to release his two favorite lions: Caesar and Nero. Scurrying, Caesar ran in front of the bike as if he were afraid. The children could be heard cheering the lion onward. Nero jumped on the back of the motorcycle and rode along in pursuit with his trainer. Thunderous clapping overlapped the rumble from the approaching thunderstorm. Isaac and Nero jumped off the bike after Caesar had been lassoed. Instead of returning to his cage, Nero turned and unexpectedly bit Isaac on his leg.

Shocked, Chuckles and her team ran into the ring, flipping and kicking to capture the lion's attention so Nero could be returned to his cage without causing any more harm.

Although his leg was severely mangled, Isaac managed to finish his show. The crowd exploded with cheers and whistles, praising him for a job well done.

While the lion tamer was loaded into an ambulance, Chuckles stepped into the ring to perform her goofy ballerina act. In the middle of her performance, she did a high-kicking movement, and her leotard split down the seam revealing her 'I love cheese' undergarments. The audience pointed and roared with laughter.

With the elephant trainer, William, taking the center ring, Chuckles didn't have time to change. Tonight, she was William's assistant, riding Mumbo the elephant into the ring. On Mumbo's back, Chuckles twirled while he did various stunts. She was stepping on pointe when she felt the animal jump. Something had startled him. Involuntarily, he kicked out, catapulting William twenty feet onto concrete.