Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-08-16

most WOnO0r1ul I6llOW. NO DlSScl
than a minute and dressed In gar
ments made of white fur and hum
ming-b1rds' wings, he looked queer tn
deed. His face was old and wrinkled
yet smiling and kind and jolly. Two
little horns that stuck straight VI
from his shiny, bald head gave him 6
most comical appearance, and he car
ried magic wand that could make
good little boys as small as he was
and able to understand many of the
wonderful things he himself knew
about the animals, the birds. the trees
and the flowers. He was very fond OF
Donald and often showed him things
in the Zoo that most little boys and
mere "grown-ups" never saw at all.
Here we are, Donald" he ex
claimed with merry little chuckle
you see before you the most wonder
full acrobats in all the world. Watch
big, brown Alfred walk that tight.
rope; do you suppose any human aero.
bat could skim along 1t the way he
does? And, see, he's jumped clear
across the cage and caught that fly
ing ring-no, he missed it with his
hands-but caught it with his tail!
"And just look at little Billy, over
there on the flying trapeze! Watch!
See how he jumps from one to the
other, as easily as you can step over a
mud-puddle. Why, Donald, he's hold
ing on to 1t with but one foot no.
he won't fall, monkies never do!
Nov, come over in the corner here
and see the champion contortionists
of the globe. They always have con-
tortionists people who bend and
squirm and twist themselves into all
sorts of pastures, you know-at cir
Gus, but here before you are the most
of all. They can tie them
selves into knots that not even sailor
could untangle them. All, you under
stand now-the snakes, to be sure!
"And now, across the aisle, you see
before you the best long-distance dan
GERS in existence. Watch. see how
they whirl round and round, some
times alone and often in pairs. You've
heard Of the whirling dervishes Of the
Orient haven't you? Well. these tiny
little fellows before you can out-whirl
any Of them. They-yes,. Donald,
they are mice, Waiting mice. It comes
natural to them to waltz around that
way.
"And over here, Donald, you see the
champion strong-man of this wonder
full animal circus. Just think, he can
carry a load that weighs three times
more than he does. And, If he wants
TO- he can carry that same load q
long, long way. Now try to imagine
the strong man in a human circus car
rying q load that weighs even five
pounds for hours and hours.
He couldn't do It! Oh, almost for
got-this champion weight-lifter Of
the animal Kingdom is-the turtle"
Just then another skurrying breeze
came along, picked up the oak leaf
upon which sat Donald and the Old
Man and waited them out Of the
building, over the flower beds and the
walks and set them down, gently. be-
fore a long row of out-of.door cages
for the ANIMALS. r
"Ah, here We are now" said the Old
Fellow. You've watched the bears
many time, but did you ever think
Of them as tumblers and wrestlers
that far surpass those In the average
circus? See how they grapple with
each other and struggle and push and
throw each other about. Watch them
a moment, Donald, and you'll see that
they are more comical than clowns.
the way they lumber about and Dowl
each other over.
"And when It comes to runners, tho
ostrich has got all others beaten So
watch out, Donald! Hold Tight"
There was need of the warning, too,
Tor Just then a strong puff of wind
had seized the oak leaf and whisked it
on in a jiffy. It whirled them along
10 fast that little Donald could scarce
" get his breath and then dumped
:hem-right down at the foot of the
oak tree under which Nurse sat talk
ng with her friend, the Keeper!
Donald found himself sprawled out
IN the ground. He sat up quickly and
-ubbed his eyes. There was peculiar
little kink In one leg and he was GER
lain he must have hurt it when the
wind let go OF the oak leaf and 1t fell
10 earth.
And there, right there before him,
ay-an oak leaf! Donald was posi-
i've It was the one on which he had
sailed. He looked around for the Old
Man of the Woods, but he was no.
where's to be seen.
Circus! Circus!" exclaimed Nurse,
With q laugh Mercy sakes, what do
YOU suppose ever made that child
dream Of circuses!"
The Keeper laughed back at her
and reached out and tousled Donald's
hair.
"Hey, little man," he said, you've
been talking about going to the circus
In your sleep. Well. Just you wait
until one comes to town again and
we'll go-all three Of u.s."
Mary Josephine Wants to