Hetty Feather Read online

  When we reached the stile, Jem lifted me up, and then Gideon, and then we all jumped out into the lane. There was the elephant plodding along the path, a real true elephant with such wrinkled skin, such huge legs, such an immense belly! A man in a military coat and great black boots strode along beside the beast, leading him like a dog on a chain.

  Another man capered about beside them, the oddest creature I had ever seen, with hair sticking up on end and a bright red nose, his feet in great black shoes that flapped comically. He was banging a drum and dancing. Two big boys danced along beside him, dressed in the oddest clothes – sparkly silver shirts and very short breeches and white tights. Jem's mouth hung open in shocked horror, but Gideon pointed in awe. These boys paused and suddenly went forward into a tumble, over and over and up in the air and over and over again.

  'Oh my stars!' said Jem, overcoming his scorn at their girlish garb. He could go head over heels and stand on his hands, and frequently did so to amuse me, but he couldn't possibly caper like these boys.

  Then came great wagons painted scarlet and emerald and canary yellow. There was a message written in curly writing on the sides of each one. I knew my alphabet but I couldn't figure words properly yet.

  Jem read it for us:

  'The Great Tanglefield Travelling Circus.

  Observe Elijah, the largest elephant in the entire world.

  See the exotic animals in our vast menagerie.

  Gasp at Fair Flora dancing on the tightrope for your delight.

  Chortle at the antics of Chino the Comic Clown.

  Marvel at Madame Adeline and her star troupe of horses.

  Hurrah for Tanglefield's Travelling Circus!'

  Almost at the end of this magnificent procession rode a beautiful lady in sparkling pink – wearing no dress at all, just the merest stiff frill. Her long flame-red hair tumbled past her bare shoulders.

  'Just look at that lady with scarcely any clothes!' said Jem.

  'See her tiny shoes! Oh, I wish I had little shoes like that instead of big ugly boots,' said Gideon.

  'Look at her hair!' I said in rapture. 'She has red hair just like mine! See, see!' I repeated, jumping up and down.

  The wondrous woman raised her hand and waved to us, and we waved back wildly, honoured to be noticed.

  Another comical man with a red nose and bizarrely big breeches came capering along at the very end, speaking into a large horn so that his voice boomed out above the hubbub.

  'Come to Tanglefield's Travelling Circus tonight at seven, or Saturday at two. The show will be in Pennyman's Field: adults sixpence, children threepence – a total bargain, so come and see and wonder. Come to Tanglefield's Travelling Circus tonight . . .' He recited it again and again until the procession was out of sight and his voice a tinny whisper.

  'Oh, Jem, Gideon, we must go to the circus!' I said, jumping up and down.

  'We must, we must, we must!' said Gideon, jumping too, pink in the face.

  'But we haven't got ninepence,' said sensible Jem. 'I have the two pennies that Mrs Blood gave me at the Otter Inn for collecting up all the tankards, but that is all.'

  'We will ask Mother,' I said.

  But Mother shook her head. 'Of course I haven't any spare pennies for such a senseless thing as a circus. And even if I had, I wouldn't let you go. Rosie told me they were near naked in that procession!'

  'They were so lovely, Mother, especially the lady all in pink spangles on a white horse. She had red hair, just like mine!'

  'Yes, pink spangles!' said Mother, shuddering. 'A grown woman flaunting herself in front of decent folk, and men capering about foolishly, and a dreaded beast all set to run amok and trample everyone. It shouldn't be allowed. Of course I'm not spending precious money on such a wicked show.'

  'Don't spend your money, Mother, spend mine!' I said.

  'What do you mean, Hetty?' said Mother, frowning. 'You don't have any money, you silly little girl.'

  'I do, I do! The Foundling Hospital gives you money for me.'

  'Don't talk such nonsense, child. That money is to feed and clothe you, not send you to a heathen show like a circus.'

  'Well, don't give me any food any more, and don't make me new frocks or buy me boots. I'd much sooner go to the circus,' I declared.

  'I'll certainly send you to bed without any supper,' said Mother. 'Now hold your tongue, miss.'

  I couldn't hold my tongue. I wanted to go to the circus and see Elijah the performing elephant and all the other animals I'd heard grunting and growling inside the wagons. Maybe there were lions or tigers, wild wolves, even a white unicorn with a silver horn. I wanted to see Flora dancing on the tightrope, I wanted to see the comical clown, and oh oh oh, I so wanted to see Madame Adeline, the flame-haired lady in pink spangles.

  I started to protest bitterly but Jem put his hand over my mouth. 'Be quiet, Hetty,' he said, tugging me away from Mother.

  'But I don't want to be quiet! I want to go to the circus!' I persisted.

  'Ssh! I might know a way,' said Jem. 'Just keep your mouth shut and wait till I tell you.'

  I clamped my lips together and stomped off after him. Gideon stayed with Mother, climbing up onto her lap. He always hated it when I grew stormy. He was so fearful that I'd get paddled – far more fearful than me.

  Jem pulled me out of the door and leaned me up against the side of the pigsty. 'I'll take you to the circus tomorrow, Hetty,' he said.

  'Oh, Jem! You really will? But how will you get the money?'

  'I think I know a way of getting in without needing any money,' he whispered, tickling my ear.

  'But the comic man said sixpence for adults, threepence for children,' I said.

  'I know, I know. But Nat told me a way to get in for nothing,' he hissed.

  'Oh! Truly? Then let's go now!'

  'No, no, we can't go now, Mother would know. This is a bad, secret way, Hetty. We will get into terrible trouble if we are caught,' Jem said, looking wretched. 'Perhaps we shouldn't try. I should set you a good example.'

  'Oh no, we must go! I don't care if we do get into trouble. I want to go to the circus so badly, Jem.'

  'I know. And so do I,' said Jem.

  'And Gideon does too,' I said.

  'Yes, I know, but I don't think we can risk taking Gideon. He will only start wailing or tell Mother,' said Jem. 'This has to be our secret, Hetty.'

  'Our secret,' I repeated solemnly.

  'What are you two up to?' said Mother, coming to the back door with a bucket of potato peelings for the pig.

  'Oh, we – we were just playing circus, Mother,' said Jem. 'Hetty was pretending that our Polly Pig was the elephant.'

  'Yes, yes, and I am the lady in pink spangles on her white horse,' I said, hitching up my skirts and galloping round and round.

  Mother sniffed. 'No more talk of circuses, you silly pair. Hetty, you feed that pig, and Jem, you run up to the top field to see if Father needs a hand with the horses.'

  'Yes, Mother,' said Jem, rushing off.

  'Yes, Mother,' I said too, taking the bucket of peelings. 'Here, Elijah Elephant, eat up – you need to grow a long wavy trunk,' I said, patting our pig on her snub nose.

  'Oh, Hetty, you and your picturing,' said Mother. 'Still, at least you've stopped pestering. You can be a good little lass when you really try hard.'

  I fidgeted under Mother's warm gaze because I was intent on being as bad a little lass as I possibly could. I held my tongue obediently that evening, though Gideon talked non-stop about the circus. He pranced about the table, twirling round and pointing his toes, till Father groaned and gave him a prod.

  'Stop that silly flouncing nonsense, lad.'

  Gideon's face crumpled and he crouched in a heap on the rag rug.

  'He was only dancing, Father, like the circus folk,' I said.

  'Boys don't dance,' Father said firmly.

  I opened my mouth to tell him we'd seen the circus boys dance – and tumble head over heels and do handstands – but Je