Oddfellow's Orphanage (11 page)

Delia walked through the crowd with Ava and Ollie. It reminded her of a time with her family, one of the memories that would dash away and hide every time she got close to it. Delia was so busy watching the circus folk, she didn’t notice when Hank and the bears disappeared into the tent.

Suddenly, a man with a curling moustache grabbed Ollie by the trouser pocket with his cane. Ollie came to a sudden halt, and Delia and Ava jumped back in surprise.

The man unhooked his cane and bowed. “We could use a fellow of your talents here in my show, young man,” he said, looking at Ollie and twirling his cane.

“Talents?” Ollie asked.

“Well, your, ahem, unusually fantastic head, of course,” the man explained.

Ava and Delia exchanged worried looks.

“No one has ever said it’s
fantastic
before,” Ollie said, beaming.

“Well, think about it. We would love to have you in our
family!” The man gave a wink and vanished as suddenly as he had appeared.

The sky began to grow dark, and a golden string of lights flickered on.

People coming to see the circus were lining up around the tent. Two tiny men in tiny black suits pulled back red velvet curtains that marked the tent’s entrance. “The circus begins!” they called out, tipping their hats and bowing.

The audience made their way into the tent, which glowed inside like a magic lantern. Delia, Ava, and Ollie were giving the little men their tickets when they ran into Imogen, who had lost her group. Inside, they each bought cotton candy, and the four friends picked their seats.

Together they looked around at the great tent. On the walls hung painted pictures of circus performers with names like Fiona, the Fire-Breather! There was a big painted platform in the middle of the floor, with smaller ones around it. They were lit by brilliant spotlights.

The man with the curling moustache walked out grandly and stood on the red center platform. He raised a red megaphone to his mouth. The audience clapped.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” the man called, and the crowd hushed. “Welcome to Curioso’s Circus! I, the official ringmaster, will lead you through our world of magical and marvelous sights tonight.”

Music began to play, the lights flashed, and a parade began! There were tigers and lions, kind-eyed elephants and tumbling acrobats, silly clowns in pedal cars and beautiful, glittering ladies. They circled the inside of the tent to the music, and then the parade wound off the stage and out of view.

The ringmaster spoke again. “First! Our wild beasts from Africa—three majestic lions and two fearsome tigers with their brave tamer, the Amazing Bruno!”

The tamer led the parade of big cats onto the floor. They gave terrifying roars! The Amazing Bruno cracked his whip, and the lions climbed onto their small platforms. He cracked his whip twice, and the tigers (one white and one orange) rolled over onto their backs. The tamer scratched their furry bellies as if they were overgrown house cats.

The crowd cheered.

“That was my favorite part so far!” Imogen exclaimed, clapping as the lions and tigers were led away.

After the lions and tigers, there were acrobats, who swung from ropes that hung from the top of the tent. They swooped through the air and grabbed each other’s ankles to make great chains.

Then came the tightrope walkers, who balanced on slender cables high above the floor.

Next the clowns swarmed the stage, and Ollie watched, entranced. The clowns raced after little dogs in ruffled collars, while the crowd chuckled. They tumbled after each other, tripping over their flopping trousers and silly giant shoes.

Ollie whispered, to nobody in particular, “I could do that!”

Ava heard him, and worry flashed across her face.

Next the elephants appeared, and the clowns scrambled out of sight.

“This is
my
favorite part,” Ava whispered to Delia.

Ladies in sparkles, feathers, and glittering fringe rode on the backs of the elephants. The ladies did flips and twirled as the gray giants paraded across the stage. Some of the ladies juggled, some danced, and then a lady in a gown of silver blew a blast of fire into the air!

The audience gasped, and their applause rang out loudly.

The ringmaster announced the final act. “Tonight, my friends, we have a very special surprise treat for you. Tonight, and
only
tonight, I give you”—the tent was silent—“Oddfellow’s Dancing Marvels!”

Out came Boris and Greta, dressed in beautiful satin ruffs. The music changed, and the mama and papa bear waltzed across the floor. Then Boris and Greta parted and held out their paws toward the baby. He wore a feathered cap and a satin vest and, to everyone’s surprise, was riding a small bicycle! He
pedaled in a dozen speedy circles around his parents, then, at last, climbed off and took a dizzy bow. He got the biggest applause of the whole night.

Delia wrote in her notebook and showed it to Ava.

IT
was dark when the Oddfellow’s party returned to their carriages. The headmaster counted everyone and came up one head short—one onion head, that is!

“Oh, no!” Ava cried. “Ollie’s run off with the circus.”

The orphans turned to each other in shock. Just as Hank and the headmaster were about to march back to the tent to find Ollie, they heard a scurrying sound coming through the trees.

“Ollie!” everyone cried out as he came into view.

“So you haven’t left us to join the circus, my boy?” the headmaster asked.

“Of course not!” Ollie exclaimed, smiling. “I just had to try on some of those clown shoes.” Then quietly he added, to nobody in particular, “I’ve already got a family, thankyouverymuch.”

BACK
at Oddfellow’s, everyone tumbled out of the carriages.

All the bears—the ones Hank unharnessed from the carriages, and the bear family—were yawning already.

“Looks like it’s time to say good-bye,” Hank said. “Or maybe good night. They need to get started on their long winter sleep.”

Delia went to the bear cub. How tall he had grown since she had first met him! While he was still small as bears go, he stood almost nose to nose with her now. Delia looked into his sleepy eyes and told him silently what a good job he did at the circus. He blinked back in a way that made her certain that he understood. Delia flung her arms around him, burrowing her nose in his soft fur.

The other children
gathered around the bears, petting them and hugging them around their great, warm necks.

“I’ll miss you, fella,” said Felix, scratching under the baby bear’s chin.

“Good night, you fine bears! We will see you sooner rather than later,” called Oddfellow Bluebeard.

They all watched as Hank led the dark, drowsy shapes back to their quarters, where they would soon burrow into a mountain of blankets and fall asleep, dreaming of honey or leaping fishes or whatever it is that bears dream of, until the warm spring air woke them.