The Circus Adventure of 1938

The Circus Adventure of 1938

I was awestruck the moment I walked through those golden gates. I could see the lights sweeping over the heads of the crowd to shine on some unseen wonder. I felt the heat of the day through my tweed jacket to cause a bead of sweat to roll down my side. The roar of the tigers and the trumpet of an elephant could scarcely be heard in the distance over the clamor of the throng of people around me. I could smell the salt of sweat from the people near me, and could almost taste the fried foods in their hands.

Rushing through the sea of legs pressing in on me, I squirmed through the press to grab at my brother’s hand. I dragged him to the side and begged him for a quarter for popcorn. He handed me a dollar and asked for his change back at the end of the day. I gazed at him in amazement for a split second, then after a hug and a thank you dashed back into the crowd. I weaved between families and ducked under workers carrying boxes of unknown goods with stickers saying, “California’s Traveling Circus – 1938”, until I found the popcorn stand. Impatiently, I stood in line and coughed up a nickel for the biggest bag I could carry.

Satisfied with my haul, I strolled along the dirt road looking at the attractions. I saw the monkeys and zebras in their cages, inspected the bearded lady and the strong-men, and took a ride on the merry-go-round. Finally, I entered a small tent to find an immense bear in fierce battle with an immense man. Still munching on my snack I grabbed a seat. The bear was sitting on its hind legs and swatting at the man’s head. The man was dodging and diving to avoid the blows with a casual nonchalance about his manner. All of a sudden and with lightening quick speed, the man dashed behind the bear and jumped onto its back. The bear lasted a few minutes under the man’s choke hold but eventually sank to its knees and slumped over in a deep sleep. Both contestants left the ring with a round of applause; me clapping loudest of all.

I was sitting there waiting for the next show when a manager stopped and told me no children under the age of ten were allowed in the tent without adult supervision. I gathered up my popcorn and stomped out as angrily as my short legs would let me. For a few minutes I stood there in a white rage, blinded by anger. Once I calmed down a little I set back off down the lane and found my family looking at the monkeys. I handed my brother his coins back and followed Mom and Dad into an enormous tent. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness within but I could sense the excitement before I could see the cause of it. Standing in the middle of a ring was an elephant balancing on its hind legs.