A Visit to a Circus
Essay # 1
The morning paper announced the arrival of the Gemini Circus close to our place. Needless to say, it became the topic of the day. I pleaded with my parents to take me to the circus. I was very impatient, but we could get tickets only for the fifth night. Finally, the day arrived. I counted the hours as they slowly slipped by.
As evening approached we dressed up and reached the groundswell in time. A huge tent had been put up. We took our seats in the tent. At exactly 6 p.m. the show commenced.
A girl, dressed in a skirt made of glittering stars, walked on a rope tied high up. She moved with confidence and ease and performed many acrobatic feats. Then a fat, muscular man walked in. There was much clapping as he showed his muscles. He bent some iron rods and picked up heavyweights. It was the clown’s turn next. He had lots of make-up on his face, with red lips and a large cherry red nose. Everyone laughed at him.
After the elephants, horses, and monkeys had finished performing their tricks, lions were brought there in iron cages. There was utter silence as a man in black clothes with a whip in his hand entered the cage. The three lions were brought out and made to jump through large rings of fire. Everybody held their breath as they did this, one after another, to perfection.
The trapeze was the most thrilling and dangerous event for this was done on swings that hung high up from the ceiling of the tent. Then came the climax, the motorcycle show. Two planks were kept slanted near the entrance of the tent. There was a gap of about thirty feet between them. A shot was fired, and within seconds a motorbike shot past, up in the air, and landed on the planks on the other side! Everybody clapped and the marvelous show came to an end. It was indeed the best circus show I had seen in my life.
A Visit to a Circus
Essay # 2
Yesterday morning a circus came into our town in a grand procession, with a band playing. Horses and donkeys, an elephant and a camel, and other big animals led along a lot of big vans drawn by horses, from which came roaring and all kinds of queer sounds. We boys were wild with excitement, and we got our fathers to let us go to see it last night. We had a grand time.
The circus people had taken the big field outside the town, where they put up their big tent. I tried to slip in underneath without paying, but the man caught me, and we all had to pay to go in. Inside, the seats were arranged in a huge circle round an open place, which was covered with the tan. It was all lit up with big lamps, and there was a big crowd there to see the sights.
Then came a grand procession of animals, and men and girls all dressed up very well, round the ring: and then the show began. The band played all the time.
First came in six fine horses, and on their backs, five men dressed in red, blue, and yellow, and a girl dressed very grandly. The band played a dance tune, and all the horses went round dancing in tune to the music. Then the riders got up and stood on the backs of the horses, which started galloping, and as they galloped the riders jumped from horse to horse, and turned somersaults in the air, and came down on their feet on the saddles. It was very fine, and we cheered till our throats were sore.
Then the elephant was brought in and did a lot of funny tricks. He sat down on a tub, and read a newspaper; he stood up on his hind legs and danced, and he took a man’s hat off with his trunk and threw it up in the air.
Then two very funny clowns came, with their faces painted, and made silly jokes, and played such tricks on each other that we laughed till our sides ached.
There were also performing monkeys and dogs that played wonderful tricks. But the great thing was to see the tame lion made to do all kinds of things by a fine man in a long coat with a long whip. I guess he was pretty brave.
We had a very happy evening, and I was sorry when it was all over.
