Directions for Playing

Bobby’s First Day at the Circus

Select one person to act as reader. The reader shall take the small printed slips and distribute them equally among the party. In reading pause at each ____ and cast the eye upon some one who must instantly fill up the pause by reading a slip. The slips should not be looked over by any person nor any selection made, but each should be taken when required and read as they may chance to appear.

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It was quite an event in Bobby’s life when he espied the posters which advertised the first circus which ever came to Jonesville. It was to come on Saturday in May, so his father could not object on the plea of school.

From the time Bobby saw the first pictures of the coming circus, he traded off all his ____ and ____ and also his ____ for pennies so that he could buy all the ____ that he wanted. His father gave him ____ and Bobby was up at three o’clock on the great day, supplied with ____ and ready to enjoy himself. He ate ____ and a little ____ before starting and wore ____ instead of his coat and ____ in place of his hat. When he opened the back door he saw ____ in the yard; but without waiting to find out how it came there, he dashed out the ____ and ran down the ____, where he heard the tramping of ____ and knew the circus was coming. He stood at the side of the road very much surprised to see ____ in front of the procession as he had expected to see ____.

A man on one of the first wagons asked him to ride beside him, so Bobby climbed up. When they got to the circus grounds, Bobby saw a great many ____ who were preparing to pitch the tents. Other ____ were building fires ready to get breakfast, which consisted of ____ and ____ fried in ____. This reminded him that he was hungry, so he started home, seeing on his way ____ and ____ and ____ which they told him would perform in the afternoon. When he got home his mother said she feared he had been eaten up by ____. For breakfast he had ____ and ____ which his mother had especially for him and which he said reminded him of ____ he had seen that morning. His father kept him in the yard all morning hoeing ____, and at one o’clock, after having for dinner a great lot of ____, they started out. They took with them ____ who lived next door and said he wanted to see ____ that a boy said was in the tent with ____. First they came to a sort of stand where a man stood and said, “You must pay ____ before you can get in,” so Bobby’s papa had to pay three ____ to let them all in. Then they bought some ____ to feed the elephants, though people usually gave them ____. As they looked around them they saw a large tent and a number of small ones and went into the first one intending to explore them all. A sign had “Come and see the bearded ____,” but when they got in they found ____ in a small cage. The next sign read, “____, come and see it,” while a third one read, “Here you find the only ____ in existence.” They had seen enough of this kind of thing and as they felt very thirsty, hunted up a refreshment stand and ordered ____, but found the many had given the ____.

They found that these small tents they had been in were called side-shows and they saw a larger one which had a big sign on it which said, “Come in and see the only ____ in America and watch the ____ play with the ____ and the ____ eat his dinner.” Now Bobby liked animals and could scarcely wait until they were inside the door. It cost them ____ to enter, but Bobby’s papa was well pleased with the pleasure it gave his little boy. Here they fed ____ to the elephant and as they were walking along towards the lion’s den Bobby felt his hat jerked off his head and turning suddenly saw ____ pulling it into his cage. He was tempted to cry but his papa rescued it and then Bobby carried it and wore on his head ____.

Just then they heard great shouting and a man came running past wearing ____ instead of a coat. He had on one foot ____ and on the other ____. Around his neck he wore ____ and on his head ____. His face was painted the color of ____ and Bobby thought he looked like ____, but he was told he was looking at a clown. This clown was full of queer antics, danced about on ____, made faces and strange sounds. He disappeared through the door of the tent. Just then a band began to play ____ and a man shouted that the show was about to begin. They followed the crowd and found themselves in a very large ____. Three rings were made in the center on the floor. They were made out of ____ and were as large as ____. In one of them were several men and women dressed in ____ and getting ready to climb ____. In the second ring stood the clown who had changed his ____ for ____ making him look very grotesque. He was soon joined by another, dressed like ____ and then a company of trained ____ were led in. These clowns played all manner of tricks but Bobby had to stop watching them, for in the third ring was a lady attired in ____ for a skirt, in ____ for a jacket, and wearing in her hair ____. A number of ____ were led in and started at a rapid rate around the ____, this lade endeavoring to mount them as they passed.

At this moment Bobby’s friend gave a little shriek of delight and in the first ring they saw a troop of ____ each of which wore ____ across its back. These performed in a most wonderful way and Bobby was very much amazed. A man got right in front of him and Bobby, seeing that he had ____ to sell, insisted upon having some. It was fresh but tasted like ____. Bobby’s papa also bought them some ____ but they fed them all to the ____. Into the second ring now a man came and bowed right to Bobby. He wore ____ and in one hand carried ____. A rope was stretched from the floor to the roof of the tent and up this the many walked as easily as ____. He now heard a dreadful noise and saw ____ flying through the air; it had been shot out of ____ and when it reached the other side of the tent it was caught by ____ who put it into ____. The band began to play and a troop of beautiful horses, wearing gorgeous ____ across their backs, and Bobby saw riding on one of them ____ who waved his hand at him. These horses went galloping around the tent ____ jumping on and off as they went by. After this performance ____ came in calling, “Come and see the ____ on exhibition in the next tent.” Our friend followed the crowd into the next tent and found nothing but ____ and the man said they must pay ____ before they could leave. Bobby’s papa called this a bunco game, but Bobby did not know what he meant. To please Bobby they went into the animal tent again. Here they saw ____ in an iron cage. It looked hungry so Bobby fed it ____ and said it looked like ____ while it was eating. They saw one funny animal that was half in and half out of the water, and resembled ____. They stopped at a stand and had a drink of ____ and Bobby found ____ in the bottom of his glass. Bobby lay down on the grass and fell asleep. He awoke with a start, having dreamed that he was ____ climbing a greased ____.

When they got home Bobby was very tired and went to bed after eating for supper ____ which he thought was ____ and ____ that tasted like ____. After he had slept awhile he heard the tramp of many feet, and jumping out of bed, saw dark forms moving down the road. He hurried into his ____ and ran into the ____. The moon was shining and the procession presented a very grotesque appearance. First cam ____ on the back of ____ and wearing ____ to keep from taking a cold. In one arm he carried ____ and had ____ tied to his back. Then came a wagon drawn by four ____, and driven by ____. Running underneath it was the ____ Bobby had seen in a small tent. Bobby went back to bed very well satisfied with his first circus day, wishing he could be ____ and ride in ____.