“Oh, Pretty Lady, it was a wonderful story,” cried Little Black Bear. “You see—”
“Not yet,” answered she, “It’s not to be told until we get back to the menagerie tent. So make haste to scramble to the top of yonder treestump, while I bring the White-White Horse to the side of it.”
A moment later, Little Black Bear had climbed to his place and, just as half-past twilight was about to begin, the three travelers set off with all speed to rejoin those whom they knew were awaiting them.
CHAPTER XXII
IN WHICH DAN MEETS BEADER, OF THE JUMPING DRAGOONS
Just at the moment when the White-White Horse left the forest’s edge to carry the Pretty Lady and Little Black Bear back to Spangleland, Diggeldy Dan might have been seen flitting in and out between the big and little tents on his way to the one which contained “the monkeys, and lions, and tigers and things.” Indeed, the funny old clown in the polka-dot suit skipped along even faster than usual; for he knew that this was the evening that was to bring forth a wonderful story.
As for the animals, they knew this, too. And so, no sooner had Dan’s face appeared through the rift in the wall at the far end of the tent than there arose a cry that threatened to waken all the people of the circus—soundly though they slept. But they slept on, while, as Mrs. Shagg would have put it, Dan and Monkey released the impatient ones in “three whisks and a whee.” To the center they trooped, coming from this cage and that, or out the corrals—leaping and laughing with glee. And just as Lion had brought them to order, in galloped the White-White Horse, bearing his two precious passengers.
“Home again!” cried the welcoming crew.
“Home again!” echoed Little Black Bear; while all rose to their feet to pay homage to the one with the dancing blue eyes. Dan assisted her to alight while Elephant’s trunk lifted Little Black Bear to a place on the ground.
“Now, then,” said Lion, “I know I speak the wish of every one of you when I say that all are most eager to hear of Little Bear’s adventure in the great, wide world. So if you, Pretty Lady, will accept a seat to my right and Little Black Bear take one at my left, I’m sure we’ll prove a most attentive audience.”
“I’m most agreeable,” the Lady replied.