to perform. Do you mind putting your legs down flat? That's right. Now look—this is the ring—and you are the people looking on, so you must clap when anything good is done."
"But where's the circus?" asked Eileen.
"Just a minute, just a minute," said Mr. Pink-Whistle, and he ran into the room next door, which was Eileen's nursery. There were plenty of toys there—and it didn't take Pink-Whistle long to rub a little magic on to the ones he wanted for his circus! His magic made them all come alive, and in half a minute he had told them all what to do. Then he went back into the bedroom.
"The circus is coming!" he said. "Listen to the band!"
In came the band! It was the baby doll carrying the musical box, playing a merry tune by turning the handle round and round—and the pink cat playing the little drum in time to the tune—rum-ti-tum-ti-tum, rum-ti-tum-ti-tum! They climbed up on to the bed and settled down to play their little band together. Eileen was so surprised!
Then in came the toy elephant, Jumbo, led by his keeper, one of the boy-dolls! They climbed up on to the bed, too, and to Eileen's great joy they played cricket together just like the real Jumbo and his keeper at the big circus. Her toy elephant was very clever at hitting the ball that the doll threw to him, and once he hit it so hard that it bounced on Mr. Pink-Whistle's nose with a loud "ping"!
That made everyone laugh. Eileen clapped loudly. "Now come the next performers," said Pink-Whistle. The band struck up a merry tune again, and rum-ti-tum-ti-tum went the drum. In came the sailor doll with all the teddy bears tied together in a row.
"The performing bears!" said Pink-Whistle. "Play up, band—the bears want to dance!"
Well, those teddy bears did dance! They danced all over the bed, they rolled about, they grunted and growled, and they had just as good a time as Eileen herself had.
"Well, I'd no idea my bears could be so funny, Mr. Pink-Whistle!" she said. "If I laugh much more I'll get a stitch in my side."
Then in galloped the little brown horse without the wooden cart it usually pulled along. Riding on its back was the fairy doll! She did look simply lovely, and Eileen was most surprised to see how clever she was! She stood up on the horse's back, and galloped over the bed like that. Then she stood on one leg only and didn't fall off once.
"Marvellous!" said Eileen. "Oh, Mr. Pink-Whistle, this is simply lovely. What's next?"
"Your two monkeys come next," said the little man. "Here they are."
THE FAIRY DOLL LOOKED SIMPLY LOVELY.
And in they came, grinning all over their faces. What a time they had! They didn't stay on the bed. They leapt all over the room, and swung by their tails from the lamp that hung down from the ceiling. They climbed all over Pink-Whistle, and when he took some bananas from his pocket and gave them to the monkeys, they peeled them neatly and gobbled them up.
"Aren't they clever?" said Eileen. "Oh, Mr. Pink-Whistle, I think I'd rather see your circus than even Mr. Galliano's—because, you see, your circus is made of all my own toys, and I really didn't know they were so clever. Oh, look—here come all my toy soldiers on horse-back!"
The soldiers galloped in. The band struck up again—and hey presto, all those horses began to dance prettily round the bed in time to the music—just like the horses do in any circus. It was marvellous to watch. Suddenly the front door opened. It was Mother back from her walk. Eileen stared at Mr. Pink-Whistle.
"That's Mother!"-she said. "I wonder what she's bought me. Oh, Mr. Pink-Whistle, do stay and let her see the circus, too."
"Sorry, little girl, I can't," said Pink-Whistle. "I don't want your mother to see me. I'm going to disappear and slip down the stairs. Watch me!"
Eileen watched him—and to her very great amazement the merry little man seemed to dissolve like sugar in a cup—and then he wasn't there at all! But his voice came to her from near the
"But where's the circus?" asked Eileen.
"Just a minute, just a minute," said Mr. Pink-Whistle, and he ran into the room next door, which was Eileen's nursery. There were plenty of toys there—and it didn't take Pink-Whistle long to rub a little magic on to the ones he wanted for his circus! His magic made them all come alive, and in half a minute he had told them all what to do. Then he went back into the bedroom.
"The circus is coming!" he said. "Listen to the band!"
In came the band! It was the baby doll carrying the musical box, playing a merry tune by turning the handle round and round—and the pink cat playing the little drum in time to the tune—rum-ti-tum-ti-tum, rum-ti-tum-ti-tum! They climbed up on to the bed and settled down to play their little band together. Eileen was so surprised!
Then in came the toy elephant, Jumbo, led by his keeper, one of the boy-dolls! They climbed up on to the bed, too, and to Eileen's great joy they played cricket together just like the real Jumbo and his keeper at the big circus. Her toy elephant was very clever at hitting the ball that the doll threw to him, and once he hit it so hard that it bounced on Mr. Pink-Whistle's nose with a loud "ping"!
That made everyone laugh. Eileen clapped loudly. "Now come the next performers," said Pink-Whistle. The band struck up a merry tune again, and rum-ti-tum-ti-tum went the drum. In came the sailor doll with all the teddy bears tied together in a row.
"The performing bears!" said Pink-Whistle. "Play up, band—the bears want to dance!"
Well, those teddy bears did dance! They danced all over the bed, they rolled about, they grunted and growled, and they had just as good a time as Eileen herself had.
"Well, I'd no idea my bears could be so funny, Mr. Pink-Whistle!" she said. "If I laugh much more I'll get a stitch in my side."
Then in galloped the little brown horse without the wooden cart it usually pulled along. Riding on its back was the fairy doll! She did look simply lovely, and Eileen was most surprised to see how clever she was! She stood up on the horse's back, and galloped over the bed like that. Then she stood on one leg only and didn't fall off once.
"Marvellous!" said Eileen. "Oh, Mr. Pink-Whistle, this is simply lovely. What's next?"
"Your two monkeys come next," said the little man. "Here they are."
THE FAIRY DOLL LOOKED SIMPLY LOVELY.
And in they came, grinning all over their faces. What a time they had! They didn't stay on the bed. They leapt all over the room, and swung by their tails from the lamp that hung down from the ceiling. They climbed all over Pink-Whistle, and when he took some bananas from his pocket and gave them to the monkeys, they peeled them neatly and gobbled them up.
"Aren't they clever?" said Eileen. "Oh, Mr. Pink-Whistle, I think I'd rather see your circus than even Mr. Galliano's—because, you see, your circus is made of all my own toys, and I really didn't know they were so clever. Oh, look—here come all my toy soldiers on horse-back!"
The soldiers galloped in. The band struck up again—and hey presto, all those horses began to dance prettily round the bed in time to the music—just like the horses do in any circus. It was marvellous to watch. Suddenly the front door opened. It was Mother back from her walk. Eileen stared at Mr. Pink-Whistle.
"That's Mother!"-she said. "I wonder what she's bought me. Oh, Mr. Pink-Whistle, do stay and let her see the circus, too."
"Sorry, little girl, I can't," said Pink-Whistle. "I don't want your mother to see me. I'm going to disappear and slip down the stairs. Watch me!"
Eileen watched him—and to her very great amazement the merry little man seemed to dissolve like sugar in a cup—and then he wasn't there at all! But his voice came to her from near the
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