Send in the Clowns
Page 4
While they waited, Mary Beth whispered, “Do your scarf act! I’ll announce it!”
Molly took her soggy cape out of her bag and put it on. Her paper crown had ripped. She took the soggy wool scarf out of the bag and folded it as small as she could and stuffed it into the rubber thumb. Most of it wouldn’t fit. She put the fake thumb on her real thumb. But it kept popping off. Molly was glad magic was not her real job. It would be a terrible way to earn a living.
“Ladies and gentlemen, friends and family, boys and girls of all ages,” Mary Beth announced from the center ring, “I present Molly Duff, famous magician! She will now perform the world-famous magic scarf trick. Note that there is no red scarf anywhere in sight.”
Molly was afraid everyone could see her scarf, but she had to go on now that Mary Beth had started the show. She walked into the center of the ring and took a big breath.
“I will now say the magic words to magically summon a red scarf. Don’t blink or you’ll miss it. Ready, set, ziss, boom, bah!”
At her words Kevin and Roger burst in. The small audience turned around to look at the boys at the same time that Molly tugged the scarf out of her false thumb. When the audience turned back to her, it really did look as if the scarf had appeared by magic!
“Wow!” said Jody. “That was great!”
“Thanks,” Molly said, smiling.
The tent was filled with applause, as seven people clapped loudly.
Molly was excited. She had performed her first trick!
And Roger was here so her act could go on. But Molly didn’t see any rabbit. Where was Fluffy?
CHAPTER
9
The Best Act
of All
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Molly said. “Please excuse me while I talk to my assistants,” She hurried over to the Pee Wees.
“Rat’s knees!” she said, stamping her foot. “Where is Fluffy?”
“Fluffy is having babies,” said Roger. “She can’t be in your act.”
“But you promised!” cried Mary Beth.
“Well, how did I know she was going to have babies this morning?” said Roger. “It’s not my fault!”
“You always say that,” said Mary Beth.
But even Molly knew it would be hard to blame Roger for this. He couldn’t do anything about a rabbit having babies on the day of her circus magic act.
“I’ve got a toy rabbit at home,” said Kevin.
Kevin was always helpful.
“Just do the ventriloquist act,” said Mary Beth, frowning. “That’s more than enough magic to get the badge.”
But Molly dreaded the ventriloquist act the most. Why was it the only one left? She took off her cape and followed Roger to the center ring. Max put a spotlight on her. Roger tripped over an empty pail and fell to his knees. The audience began to laugh. This is not a good start, thought Molly.
“Presenting the world-famous ventriloquist, Molly Duff,” said Mary Beth. “She can throw her voice for miles and no one can see her lips move.”
“Hey!” Roger shouted. “I’m the ventriloquist. She’s the dummy! That was part of the deal!”
“The deal was you’d bring us a rabbit!” Mary Beth whispered loudly. “You didn’t, so you have to be the dummy!”
The crowd laughed harder. They must think this is part of the act, thought Molly.
Molly sat down on a chair Max had put in the ring. She didn’t know if it was better to have to sit on Roger’s knee or to have Roger sit on hers. Neither one would be any fun.
“I’m not sitting on Molly Duff’s lap!” screamed Roger.
“Yes, you are!” said Mary Beth, shoving him onto Molly’s knee before he could get away. Roger fell over backward, and the audience roared. Kevin was laughing loudly. Mary Beth was motioning to Molly to begin.
“How old are you, little boy?” said Molly to the dummy.
Roger had turned red. He said, “I’m seven and you know it and I’m not a little boy.”
“You aren’t supposed to answer!” said Mary Beth. “You’re just supposed to move your lips!”
There was a noise in the back of the tent, and Sonny came in. He pointed at Roger and roared with laughter.
“Roger’s got a girlfriend,” he sang. “Roger’s got a girlfriend.”
Roger turned even brighter red and screamed, “She’s not my girlfriend!”
“Hey, can the dummy sing a song?” called Sonny.
“This is good,” said Mary Beth. “Audience participation! Let’s hear a song, dummy!”
But how could Molly sing a song without moving her lips? A song that looked as if Roger was singing it? She tried, but nothing came out.
When Roger heard the people shout “Song! Song!” he felt a sudden urge to show off. He began to sing “Three Blind Mice.” When the audience clapped, he stood up and sang more loudly. Soon the whole audience joined in. Max handed Roger a cane and he began to strut around the center ring, dancing and doing cartwheels.
The response was so great, and everyone was having such a good time, that Roger sang another song. And another. All eyes were on him!
“It’s your act,” said Mary Beth glumly. “I don’t like how he’s taking it over!”
But the audience was in stitches. It was a good act, no matter who did it.
When Roger finally stopped singing, Max grabbed the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, how about a hand for Molly Duff and her funny dummy, Roger?” The crowd clapped and people came up front to congratulate Roger and Molly on their comedy act.
“It isn’t a comedy act,” Molly said to Mary Beth. “It’s a magic act.”
“It’s better as a comedy act,” whispered Mary Beth. “Just let them think that.”
Now everyone was shaking Molly’s hand and Roger’s hand and saying they didn’t know when they’d had so much fun. Max was passing out free popcorn and everyone ate as much as they wanted. By the time Roger and Molly had finished taking their bows, the sun was out!
“Look!” said Mrs. Peters. “Your act was so good it made the storm go away!”
Max gathered the group around. “Sea Bees, thank you for your help. This was a great two-day circus. We’ve never had two shows in one town before. It was fun—and we made lots of money for charity. Now, just leave it to us to pack everything up. We’ll see you the next time the circus comes to town!”
On the way home, Molly’s mom said, “I had no idea you had such a big song-and-dance act planned!”
“It was the best act of all,” said her dad.
Molly decided no one had to know that her comedy act was an accident and not what she had planned.
The next Tuesday meeting at Mrs. Peters’s house was badge day. Roger had Fluffy and her babies in a big cardboard box. Everyone stood in line to see them.
“Aren’t they cute!” said Rachel. “They look sooo soft!”
“It’s good Fluffy had these babies,” said Mary Beth to Molly. “I don’t think the hat act would have been as good as the one you did.”
She was definitely right, thought Molly. The comedy act was a lot more fun than pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Maybe she should be a comedian when she grew up. Make people laugh. Although she was not sure she could do it on purpose. And she wouldn’t want to work with Roger!
Mrs. Peters clapped her hands and everyone sat down at the table.
“I think the circus project was a big success,” she said. “We helped earn lots of money for charity, and we had fun at the same time. And that’s the best way of doing things. All of you worked very hard at your acts, and they were all a success. So let’s pass out the new badges!”
The Pee Wees whistled and shouted and stamped on the floor. They loved new badges. Molly’s worry and work were always worthwhile when she got that new badge to put on her shirt.
Mrs. Peters called out their names and handed each Pee Wee a badge with a trapeze embroidered on it in red and a little acrobat wearing blue tights.
“That’s Roger!” yel
led Sonny. “In those girl’s tights!”
Roger got up and punched Sonny on the arm. “Take that, Sonny Stoke!” he said. “Little Sea Bee Stoke the Bloke!”
Everyone laughed and began to chant, “Sea Bees, Sea Bees, Sea Bees!”
“I think we should change our name to the Sea Bees,” said Lisa. “We could wear yellow uniforms with wings on them and look like real bees.”
Rachel groaned. “Dumb,” she said.
“I think the Pee Wees is a great name,” laughed Mrs. Peters. “You can’t top the Pee Wees!”
Their leader was right, thought Molly. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t top the Pee Wees.
“I wonder what badge we’ll earn next,” said Tim. “Maybe it will be a zoo badge.”
“Or a camping badge,” said Patty. “I like to camp out.”
Whatever it was, Molly knew it would mean a good time.
The Scouts ate their cupcakes and sang their song and said their pledge. Rat’s knees, Pee Wee Scouts was fun!
Pee Wee Scout Song
(to the tune of
“Old MacDonald Had a Farm”)
Scouts are helpers, Scouts have fun,
Pee Wee, Pee Wee Scouts!
We sing and play when work is done,
Pee Wee, Pee Wee Scouts!
With a good deed here,
And an errand there,
Here a hand, there a hand,
Everywhere a good hand.
Scouts are helpers, Scouts have fun,
Pee Wee, Pee Wee Scouts!
Pee Wee Scout Pledge
We love our country
And our home,
Our school and neighbors too.
As Pee Wee Scouts
We pledge our best
In everything we do.