“Yes,” he said. “I’m coming.”
It was such fun that he did it three times, letting go, being bounced up by the net, and then climbing back up the rope ladder, to let go once again. At the end of net practice, Godfrey and Lisa gave him several lessons in swinging on the trapeze. After that they showed him how Godfrey could hook his knees over the trapeze and then, while hanging upside down, hold onto Freddie. He would swing across like that and pass Freddie to Lisa, who was swinging towards him on another trapeze. Freddie did not have to do anything in that trick, but had to allow himself to be grasped by the trapeze artists as one might grasp a parcel.
“See how simple it is?” said Godfrey. “In fact, I think you’re ready to join us in our act tonight.”
Freddie’s jaw dropped. “In the show? Tonight?”
“I don’t see why not,” said Godfrey. And then to Lisa he said, “Do you agree, Lisa?”
Lisa nodded. “Freddie’s a star,” she said. “He’s got it written all over him.” She paused before continuing, “Welcome to the show, Freddie.”
~ 6 ~
Have you ever tried not to feel nervous? It’s very difficult, isn’t it? You tell yourself that you are not afraid, but that just seems to make it worse. You say to yourself, My hands aren’t shaking, but of course when you look at them they are. And that is exactly how Freddie felt as he waited outside the tent that night with Godfrey and Lisa. All three of them were wearing their sparkling trapeze-artist outfits and all three were listening to the ringmaster’s voice as he addressed the crowd inside.
“And now, ladies and gentlemen,” announced the ringmaster in echoing tones. “Now we have the act that you have all been waiting for.”
There was a murmur of excitement from the crowd.
“Now, ladies and gentlemen, fresh from their tour of the capitals of the world, fresh from their triumph at the International Circus Olympics – we are proud to present …” There was a roll of drums from the band – a low rumble that grew louder and louder until it ended in a clash of cymbals. “Ladies and gentlemen: the Flying Trio – the beautiful and lithe Lisa, star of the high trapeze; the great and fearless Godfrey, superman of the sky-high swings; and introducing the fearless and fantastic Freddie, junior champion of the tent-top!”
The band struck up raucously. Pom, pom, pom de pom … “That’s the signal,” said Godfrey, digging Freddie gently in the ribs. “That’s our cue.”
Freddie took a deep breath and followed Godfrey and Lisa as they ran into the tent. As he entered, his ears rang with the applause of the audience. “Look!” people shouted. “There they are!” yelled others.
The three of them took a deep bow and then began to climb up the rope ladder. Lisa led the way, with Freddie behind her and Godfrey bringing up the rear. As they made their way skywards, the crowd became hushed with anticipation, although there were a few oohs and ahs as people craned their necks to follow them.
When they reached the platform, Freddie had to force himself to look down. He was aware of the faces of the crowd far below him and he thought he could make out the figure of the ringmaster standing at the edge of the ring, peering upwards.
“Right,” said Godfrey, as he moved one of the two trapezes into position. “I’m going to start off swinging. You stand at the edge, Freddie, and hold out your arms.
When I reach you I’ll grab you by your wrists and swing back with you. Then Lisa will swing out and I’ll pass you over to her. She’ll take your ankles and swing backwards and forwards five or six times, then swing back to the platform. Understood?”
He did not give Freddie any time to speak, but instead launched himself into the void. Lisa then moved Freddie to the edge of the platform and held on to him as Godfrey swung back in their direction.
Freddie stood quite still, trying not to look down. He saw Godfrey approaching him, hanging on the trapeze by his knees. Then everything happened rather quickly. He felt his wrists being seized in a firm grip and he felt Lisa push him forwards. And suddenly he was in flight, gripped by Godfrey, his feet pointed downwards, his stomach churning as they made an arc through the air.
They swung several times, and with each crossing there came gasps of wonder and admiration from the audience below. Freddie had calmed down by now, and felt rather proud of what he was doing. He was even enjoying himself until he happened to look down and saw something that turned his heart cold with fear.
“The net!” he gasped. “You’ve forgotten the safety net again!”
Godfrey glanced down. “Oh?” he said. “Oh, how foolish of me. Well, don’t worry, Freddie. We won’t drop you.”
“I want to get down,” Freddie wailed.
“Oh come on, Freddie,” said Godfrey cheerfully. “Everything’s going to be fine. Look, Lisa’s ready to take you now.”
Freddie gave a moan as he was swung back to the platform and another moan as Lisa grabbed him and swung out on her trapeze. He was upside down now, held by his ankles, and he noticed that the ringmaster was doing something down below. It was hard to make out exactly what that was, as he was swinging backwards and forwards so much, but then he realised what it was – the ringmaster was pressing the button on the safety net controls. And yes, there was the net moving into position.
It was just as well. Just as the net moved into position, Lisa said, “I’m going to have to sneeze.” And then, as she sneezed, her grip slackened and Freddie felt himself hanging by only one ankle, and then by none, and then he was falling through the air, head over heels, down towards the ground.
He felt the safety net yield beneath him. He felt himself bouncing up. He felt himself descending into the net again and bouncing once more. He heard the crowd clap and cheer.
He rose to his feet. A spotlight was shining on him and he knew what he had to do. He made a deep bow, and a roar of applause arose from the crowd. They thought that this was all planned – that the fall through the air was really a dive. They thought him very brave.
Freddie became aware that the ringmaster was standing next to him. He bowed to the crowd as well, and they cheered him, just as they had cheered Freddie.
“Well done, Freddie!” said the ringmaster from the side of his mouth. “Excellent boy! Oh, and by the way, I want you to help with the lions at tomorrow night’s show – the lion tamer’s assistant has gone off to Peru, of all places. So inconsiderate of him! But I told Harry – he’s the lion tamer – that you’d be happy to help.”
Freddie froze. “Me?” he whispered. “Me?”
The ringmaster gave another bow to the crowd. He was smiling broadly, his white teeth flashing in the bright light of the ring.
“Yes, Freddie, you. You’ll be fine, believe me. Nothing to worry about – nothing at all!”
~ 7 ~
Freddie did not enjoy his breakfast the next morning. Although the cook had made him a plate of his favourite bacon and eggs, with an extra helping of mushrooms for good measure, he did not feel like eating. And how could he think of anything other than the dreadful ordeal that lay ahead of him?
“Not hungry this morning?” asked Lisa, who was sitting on the other side of the table.
Freddie shook his head. Lisa looked at him kindly. “Not feeling well?”
Freddie stared down at his plate of untouched breakfast. “No, it’s not that at all. It’s the lions.”
Lisa frowned. “The lions? What about the lions?”
Freddie decided to tell her. “The ringmaster told me that I have to help Harry today. He says that his assistant has gone off to Peru and so I have to take his place. And … and …” His voice faltered. Then he finished. “And I’m so scared.”
For a moment Lisa said nothing. Then her face broke into a smile. “Oh, my goodness, you don’t need to be scared of lions … or at least not of those lions.”
“But I saw them,” protested Freddie. “They were very large and they had great big teeth. And they roared in a very frightening way …”
Lisa help up a ha
nd to stop him. There was something amusing her.
“Listen, Freddie,” she said. “It’s perfectly normal to be frightened of lions. But those lions … well, let me come with you. I’ll have a word with Harry and he’ll let me show you something.”
Freddie was pleased that Lisa had agreed to come with him. He was still nervous, of course, but he liked Lisa, and having her with him cheered him up a bit.
As they left the table, Lisa pointed to Freddie’s plate of untouched breakfast. “Those sausages,” she said. “Bring them with you.”
“But I’m not feeling hungry,” said Freddie. “I don’t want them.”
“But the lions will,” said Lisa. “Come on, bring them with you.”
Freddie did as he was told. He did not like, though, the thought of feeding sausages to lions. How would a lion tell the difference between your fingers and a sausage? Would a lion even bother to tell the difference?
The lions were kept in a large metal cage right on the edge of the circus site. Harry, the lion tamer, was sitting in front of this cage, shaded from the sun by a large umbrella. He was filing his fingernails with a large nail-file when they arrived and he continued to do so as Lisa introduced Freddie.
“You’re the new boy,” he said, not looking up from his task of filing his nails. “I’ve heard all about you. They say you’re much better than the last boy.” He paused and looked up. “The lions didn’t like him, you know. Oh no, they didn’t take to that boy.”
Freddie did not know what to say.
“You heard about my assistant?” Harry continued. “He’s gone off to Peru. Just like that. I’ve got half a mind to go myself, you know.”
Lisa shook her head. “You can’t go off to Peru, Harry,” she said severely. “Who would look after your lions?”
Harry made a face. It was a very grumpy face. “Oh, they’d get somebody,” he said. He glanced at Freddie. “Somebody young and keen.”
Freddie looked down at the ground. He did not want to look after lions. He may have been young but he was not in the slightest bit keen – not when it came to lions.
Lisa now suggested that Freddie should be introduced to the lions. “And don’t worry,” she whispered to him. “Nothing bad is going to happen.”
“You go and show him then,” said Harry. “I don’t care.”
They went round to the side of the cage. Freddie looked warily through the bars and saw four large lions sleeping together in a sort of heap. As he and Lisa approached the door of the cage one of the lions opened an eye and looked at them lazily.
“That one’s Ripper,” said Lisa. “And the one next to him is Growler. Then there’s Roarer and Prowler.”
The lions were stirring now. Seeing that they had visitors, they were stretching and scratching, shaking their magnificent manes.
“Give me the sausages,” said Lisa.
Freddie passed her the small parcel of sausages he had wrapped in a paper napkin. Lisa took these and reached for the handle to the cage door. “Are you coming with me?” she asked.
“Inside?” asked Freddie, his voice unsteady with fear.
Lisa did not seem in the slightest bit afraid. “Of course. Come on.”
As they entered the cage, the lions took a few steps away from them. Freddie had not expected this, and nor had he expected what happened next. Lisa held out the sausages, calling out to the lions as she did so. “Come on, boys,” she coaxed. “Nice sausages.”
Very cautiously, the lions approached her, sniffed at the sausages, and then each took one in its mouth and sat down to chew it. Freddie watched in astonishment.
“Where are their teeth?” he asked.
Lisa smiled. “That’s a good question, Freddie,” she said. “You see, these lions are rather old. They used to have teeth, but they lost them years ago. And as for their claws – they still have them, but they’re dreadfully blunt.”
“But I saw their teeth!” protested Freddie. “When I saw them in the show they had great sharp teeth.”
Lisa shook her head. “False teeth,” she said. “Made of plastic. Harry fits them in each lion just before the performance. They can’t really bite anything with them. And when they don’t have them in, they find it a bit difficult to eat anything that needs to be chewed. Even these sausages are a bit of an effort for them.”
“But they were very fierce,” went on Freddie. “I heard them roar.”
“Oh they roar all right,” said Lisa. “But they don’t really mean it. They’ve been trained to act fiercely in the circus ring, but actually they would never so much as say boo to a goose. They’re very gentle lions, these ones – in spite of their names.”
Freddie watched as Lisa bent down to pat Growler, just as one might pat a friendly cat. The lion arched his back and began to purr.
“There,” said Lisa. “You see how friendly he is, Freddie. Why don’t you go and pat Prowler – we don’t want him to feel left out.”
Freddie approached Prowler gingerly. The lion watched him, and then suddenly stepped forward, making Freddie give a start. But it was only to lick Freddie’s hand, which is what Prowler now did.
“He likes you,” said Lisa. “That’s the biggest compliment a lion can pay, you know – to lick you like that.”
Freddie smiled at the thought. He had decided that he liked the lions, and he was pleased to discover that they liked him, too. And over the next half hour they got to know one another even better. Lisa showed him the games the lions liked to play, including fetch-the-ball, lion-tag, and hide-and-seek. Then they left them, as Freddie had to go off and help polish the spotlights.
“Good luck this evening,” said Lisa.
“Thank you,” replied Freddie. His fear had gone and he was looking forward to the evening show when he would enter the lion’s cage with Harry and his new friends. He had never imagined – never in his wildest dreams – that he would be a lion tamer, but now that it was happening he was rather proud of himself. Freddie Mole, he muttered under his breath. Freddie Mole, Lion Tamer. Yes, it sounded rather good, he thought. Not that he was a boastful boy, but if something sounded rather good one might as well mutter it.
~ 8 ~
The tent was full that night. Freddie watched as the crowds streamed in, and then took up a place near the entrance, ready to help Harry with the lions. Harry had lent him a uniform: a splendid pair of khaki jodhpurs – a special sort of riding trousers – a brown tunic top, and gleaming leather boots. “You look quite the lion tamer,” said Lisa, admiringly.
The circus started with the clowns. The crowd loved them and roared with approval each time one clown threw a custard pie at another clown. Then there were the performing dogs and the dancing horses – both brought prolonged applause and cheers. After that, Lisa and Godfrey did their act, although they did not have Freddie to help them.
As the trapeze artists swung backwards and forwards at the top of the tent, the ringmaster made his way to Freddie’s side.
“Where’s Harry?” he asked. “Have you seen him this evening?”
Freddie shook his head. “He told me to meet him here ten minutes before we were due to go on. But he hasn’t turned up yet.”
The ringmaster glanced at his watch. “It’s too bad,” he complained. “Harry promised me that he would never miss another performance. Now he appears to be doing exactly that.”
“I’m sure he’ll turn up,” said Freddie.
“Well, I’m not so sure,” snapped the ringmaster. “I suspect that he’s gone off to Peru, or somewhere like that. He’s let us down before.” He looked at his watch again. “He’s got another four minutes – that’s all.”
Freddie felt a pang of disappointment. He had been looking forward to getting into the ring with lions and he did not want the show to be cancelled. Without thinking too much about it, he made his offer.
“I’ll do it,” he said.
The ringmaster looked at him in astonishment. “By yourself?” he asked.
Freddie sw
allowed hard. Was he brave enough? He thought of the lions – they looked fierce, but he knew they were really rather shy. And as for their teeth – he knew that they were false and could not really bite. And he knew, too, that their claws were blunt … He made up his mind. “Yes,” he said. “I want to help.”
The ringmaster was doubtful – but only for a moment. Then he smiled, thumped Freddie on the back (in a friendly way), and said, “That’s my boy! That’s the true spirit of the circus! You’re on, Freddie!”
The lions had already been moved into a small pen near the big tent. Together with the ringmaster, Freddie now went there while, inside the tent, their show cage was being assembled. The lions were anxious to begin the show, as they always received treats for performing. They were very obedient, sitting down without complaint and opening their mouths widely for the fitting of their false teeth. That took only a few moments, and then they eagerly, but very politely, followed Freddie in a long line back to the circus tent itself.
When Lisa and Godfrey finished their act and had taken their final bow, the ringmaster entered the tent. Waving his top hat in the air to show that he was about to make an announcement, he shouted out: “And now, ladies and gentlemen, the most thrilling part of this evening’s entertainment – the lions, those four kings of the jungle, Ripper, Roarer, Growler and Prowler, with their trainer, the world-famous (or soon to be world-famous) Freddie Mole!”
Hearing this, Freddie blushed to the roots of his hair. He was not world famous, but then everything the ringmaster said was a little bit made up, and perhaps that was just the way circuses worked. But there was no time to worry too much about that. Hearing the roars of the crowd inside, the lions themselves gave an answering roar, and in they all bounded, followed by Freddie.