Under The Big Top

See me with my red blazer, top hat, leotards, black shiny boots, a piston in a holster on my side, and holding a whip. I am standing in the middle of the central ring.

The crowds go wild clapping. I remove my top hat, raise my arms and slowly turn around so everybody can get a good look at me. I take a final bow and skip very manly into the rounded cage in the ring.

My lovely female assistant raises the gate that lets a little black feisty dog from the smaller cage into the cage with me. It lets out a yip.

The dog, Willow the Man Eater Whippet, is glad to see me and jumps happily up at me. I pop the whip and say “Down!”

The noise of the whip crackling made the audience go “Ooohhhh!” One little child cried loudly. The mother took him outside the tent.

Sadly, Willow jumps down from leaning on me and holds her head down.

“Sit!” I command. Willow sits.

I slip her treat.

The crowd roars with approval.

I get up and brush the sawdust off my white leotards and say, “Stay!”

Willow stays. I slip her another treat.

The suspense building of the rattling of the drums build in tension at I put my hand in Willow’s mouth. She just licks the back of my hand. It is very quiet for a moment – it took the audience a while to comprehend what just happened.

The crowd all around me stands to give me a standing ovation.

I bow, call my lovely assistant over and she bows too, then I say “Willow!” and she runs over to enjoy the applause also. I slip her another treat.

We broke the training barrier – we taught her to sit and to stay. Who knows what is next.

A tiny little VW bug drove in the center ring and a dozen clowns got out, a comic relief was in order.