Karen's Big Top Read online

  “Well, maybe you could be a clown,” suggested Mr. Willie. “You could make up a routine today.”

  I knew Mr. Willie was trying to be nice.

  “Thank you,” I said. “It is a good idea.”

  But I did not want to be a clown. A clown would not wear a hot pink spangly tutu.

  I did not know what to do. I felt like crying.

  Everyone was going to be at the circus. Mommy, Seth, Andrew, Daddy, and my whole big-house family. Jillian would be watching me, too. I did not want to mess up in front of them. I would be so embarrassed.

  Just then, Jillian ran over.

  “Grandpa!” she cried. “Todd’s father just stopped by. Todd has a fever. He cannot be in the circus tomorrow. The doctor won’t let him.”

  I knew who Todd was. He was supposed to be the ringmaster. If he could not be ringmaster, someone would have to take his place.

  “Mr. Willie?” I said. “Could I be the ringmaster? I know all the acts.”

  “You know, that is not a bad idea at all,” said Mr. Willie. “You really have done everything there is to do in this circus. I do not think anyone could do a better job than you.”

  “Yipee!” I shouted. “Can I wear my spangly tutu?”

  “The ringmaster always wears a tuxedo jacket. But I do not see why our ringmis-tress cannot wear a tutu underneath,” said Mr. Willie.

  Perfect. I could wear the jacket open. Then everyone would see my spangly letter K.

  Karen Brewer, Ringmistress. Whew. I made it through another close call.

  Karen’s Big Top

  “Ladies and gentlemen! Children of all ages! Welcome to the B. F. Willie Big Top!” I cried.

  I looked around at all the people watching me. I started to get nervous. It felt like there were butterflies in my stomach. But somehow I just knew everything would be okay.

  I looked gigundoly beautiful. I was wearing a black top hat, black tuxedo jacket, my hot pink tutu, black tights, and black ballet slippers. I checked to see that my jacket was open. I wanted to make sure everyone could see my spangly K.

  The next thing I knew, I heard a drumroll from the band. Suddenly my butterflies were gone. I was ready to introduce the first act.

  “Please cast your eyes upward to the flying trapeze. See three fearless campers perform amazing feats of daring!” I said.

  Nancy and her partners took turns swinging from the flying trapeze. They looked very brave. (For a minute I wished I were up there too. But only for a minute. I was happy being ringmistress.)

  When they finished, horns blew and cymbals crashed. The audience clapped and cheered. Then there was another drumroll. (The drumroll meant I was supposed to announce the next act.)

  “Now you will see our amazing juggling team. Let’s hear it for the jugglers!” I said.

  They walked to the center of the ring. My husband, Ricky, was at the front of the line. The jugglers had on matching red capes, with black shirts, leotards, and sneakers.

  They each sent three beanbags flying up in the air. Then they juggled the nine bags back and forth between them.

  “Ah … ah … ah … choo!” sneezed Ricky.

  Oh, no. My very own husband missed the bean bag. That set everyone off. Nine beanbags came sailing down to the ground.

  “Gesundheit, Mr. Juggler. You get A for effort,” I said. “Let’s hear it for our jugglers.”

  The crowd went wild. The band played “All Around the Mulberry Bush.” Then came the drumroll.

  “Get your funnybones ready, everyone. Here come the B. F. Willie clowns!” I called.

  Honk! Honk! Natalie came scooting out, honking her nose and pulling up her socks. (Her socks really do droop all the time.) A clown car rolled up and six clowns climbed out. Natalie jumped in the car and drove away. The other clowns chased her around and around the circus ring. Honk! Honk!

  “Hip, hip, hooray for the B. F. Willie clowns,” I said.

  I waited for the drumroll. Then I introduced the next act.

  “Here comes Hannie Papadakis, riding bareback on the beautiful pony, Lulu!” I called.

  Hannie looked like a real and true circus star. She had on a white leotard with gold sequins. She wore a band around her forehead with a big feather stuck in the front. (I gave Hannie the feather I found. I decided I did not need a feather for my tutu after all.)

  Hannie rode Lulu around and around the ring. She even turned around and rode backward. Then she galloped away.

  “Bravo! Bravo for Hannie Papadakis!” I cried.

  I introduced all the acts in the circus. I did not make one mistake. I loved every minute of it.

  And do you know what? At the end of the circus the audience stood up and clapped for me.

  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

  So Long

  “Karen, honey, you were terrific,” said Mommy.

  “We were all so proud of you,” said Daddy.

  “How about a trip to the Rosebud Cafe for an ice-cream celebration?” suggested Elizabeth.

  “All right!” I said. “Can Jillian come with us?”

  “Thanks, Karen,” said Jillian. “But I have to stay here. We’re going to be packing up and hitting the road again.”

  A minute ago I was so happy. But now I was sad. I forgot that when camp was over, the B. F. Willie Big Top was leaving town. That meant that Jillian was leaving town. She would not be back for a whole year. It was time to say good-bye to my friend.

  “Um, can I talk to Jillian? Alone? I will not be very long,” I said to my family.

  “You go ahead. We will wait here for you,” said Elizabeth.

  Jillian and I walked out back where it was quiet. We sat on the bale of hay.

  “The circus is leaving tomorrow,” said Jillian. “We never stay anywhere for very long. Our month in Stoneybrook is our longest stop.”

  “I guess it is exciting going to new places all the time. Right?” I asked.

  “Sure. It is exciting performing in a circus and seeing new places. But I get pretty tired of it sometimes. I wish I could live in one place the way you do,” said Jillian.

  “I guess I am pretty lucky,” I said. “I have to go back and forth between two houses. But they are not very far away. And I see my same friends all the time.”

  “Every time I make a new friend, I know I am going to have to say good-bye,” said Jillian. “But I hardly ever make new friends because we are never in one place long enough. I am really glad I made friends with you, Karen.”

  Jillian had tears in her eyes again. Just the way she had at Nannie’s party. I felt my eyes filling up, too.

  “You really will come back next summer, won’t you?” I asked.

  “I sure will. And I will write to you while I am gone. I will send you funny postcards from everywhere I go. Will you write back?” asked Jillian.

  “I sure will,” I said. “I have to go see my family now. So long, Jillian.”

  “So long, Karen.”

  Jillian and I gave each other big hugs. Then we walked inside. Jillian went off to start packing.

  I went off to have an ice-cream celebration. Then I was going home to pack, too.

  July at the big house was fun. Now I was looking forward to August at the little house.

  “I really am lucky,” I thought. “I really and truly am.”

  About the Author

  ANN M. MARTIN is the acclaimed and bestselling author of a number of novels and series, including Belle Teal, A Corner of the Universe (a Newbery Honor book), A Dog’s Life, Here Today, P.S. Longer Letter Later (written with Paula Danziger), the Family Tree series, the Doll People series (written with Laura Godwin), the Main Street series, and the generation-defining series The Baby-sitters Club. She lives in New York.

  Copyright © 1994 by Ann M. Martin

  All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC, BABY-SITTERS LITTLE SISTER, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First edition, 1994

  e-ISBN 978-1-338-05712-6