"No, it was real," replied Marmaduke. "I saw a lot of wagons, hundreds 'n thousands, in a big line miles long. And there were wild animals in the wagons."
"I'll bet that was a dream," his big brother insisted, but the Toyman said:
"No, it wasn't a dream, it was the circus coming to town."
Then Father spoke up:
"That's so, I most forgot."
He looked at the Toyman:
"Frank," he said, "I've got to go over to the Miller farm to buy some yearling steers. You'll have to take the youngsters to that circus."
The Toyman didn't seem worried about that. He looked just "tickled," "like a boy himself," Mother said.
So, after dinner, old Methuselah was hitched up, and away they drove,—the Toyman, Jehosophat, Hepzebiah, and Marmaduke, with little Wienerwurst, as usual, in back. He was very happy, barking at all the carriages hurrying up the road to the circus.
They came to the field with the big white tents and were just going to turn in, when they heard music way off in the streets of the town.