“Hoh never! You woulden’ let any such awful thing come an’ whistle itself to pieces around Happy Hills, would you?” cried Maggie fearfully.
“No; besides, it is impossible to get a calliope without hiring a lot of performers with it, and we are going to supply our own talent, you see.”
“Thank goodness! If one of them screech-enjuns came here I’d run and run till I was out of hearin’ of it!” said Maggie, decidedly.
“I suppose you heard that we are to have wild animals and other wonderful side-shows, eh?” asked Uncle Ben.
“Yes, an’ I wuz thinkin’, Mister Uncle Ben: You’d have to be mos’ pertickler about handlin’ them animals! It takes a man what knows wild beasteses to look after ’em proper. You might git bitten er killed if you don’t look out. I saw some at Central Park Zoo, an’ at the Bronx too, an’ the keeper had to keep safe away from ’em, I tell you!”
“My wild animals won’t hurt anyone. In fact the ‘lion shall lie down with the lamb’ and the wolf will never think of killing,” laughed Uncle Ben.
“Is it a joke?”
“If I tell you my secret, will you promise never to tell anyone?” whispered Uncle Ben.
Maggie quickly agreed, and thereupon she heard the most remarkable secret as was yet connected with the circus.
“Oh Mister Uncle Ben! How funny! Won’t everyone laff!” said she after a hearty laugh. But she kept the secret.