CHAPTER VIII
The Roly-Polys got out of the wagon and barely had time to see the sign that hung by their tent, for a man hurried them inside.
The sign on the tent said:
MOST REMARKABLE SHOWThe Roly-Polys we have found.They’re always turning round and round.If these wonders you would see,Just step inside and look with me.On the table or the groundThey’re always turning round and round!
MOST REMARKABLE SHOWThe Roly-Polys we have found.They’re always turning round and round.If these wonders you would see,Just step inside and look with me.On the table or the groundThey’re always turning round and round!
MOST REMARKABLE SHOW
The Roly-Polys we have found.They’re always turning round and round.If these wonders you would see,Just step inside and look with me.On the table or the groundThey’re always turning round and round!
The Roly-Polys we have found.
They’re always turning round and round.
If these wonders you would see,
Just step inside and look with me.
On the table or the ground
They’re always turning round and round!
Mama and Papa Roly-Poly stood at the tent door and took tickets.
The little Roly-Polys got up on a high table and pretty soon the people began to come in.
When the tent was full the manager came and whispered something to each of the Roly-Polys.
Did they roll? Well, I should think they did!
Humpty Dumpty stood on his head so much that he nearly fell off the table.
The people in the tent clapped their hands and shouted, and that made the people outside wish to come in.
When one show was over another show began. The little Roly-Polys had to roll until their backs ached.
Just before the last performance was to be given Teddie began to cry and Freddie began to cry, and Humpty Dumpty began to cry, andthey all declared that they could roll no more.
Then Papa and Mama Roly-Poly said they would come inside and that the twins could sell tickets. But the children cried more and more.
The manager came in and asked: “What can you do besides roll?”
Then Freddie and Teddie dried their eyes on their little pocket-handkerchiefs and said together:
“We can all tell fairy tales.”
So it was decided that the Roly-Poly family should sit in a row and tell fairy tales.
The tent filled with people, and the Roly-Poly family acted out the stories as they told them. The people liked the stories.
They went away and told other people about the Roly-Polys. More and more people came and the manager was very much pleased.
The Roly-Poly family stayed with the circus for a month, and they went from place to place.
One night Humpty Dumpty crept out of bed and he whispered something to Freddie, and Freddie whispered something to Teddie, and the twins whispered something to Mama and Papa, and then the whole Roly-Poly family were awake.
What do you suppose the whole family were whispering about?
They were all tired of the circus, and wished to go home.
“How can we find the way home?” asked Mama Roly-Poly.
“How can we get out of the tent?” asked Freddie.
Papa Roly-Poly said, “Follow me, and don’t make any noise!”
If the Roly-Polys had not been able to roll they surely would have made a noise and waked some one up.
They rolled softly out of bed and softly under the wall of the tent and soon they were out in the moonlight.
“Which way shall we go?” they whispered.
Papa Roly-Poly said, “Follow the leader, and keep a stiff upper lip. Remember whatever happens to keep a stiff upper lip.”
“That means that we must not cry,” said Freddie.
“That means that we must be brave,” said Teddie.
They rolled along the railroad track for a long way, for Papa said it must lead somewhere!
They went on all night and by morning they saw, across a meadow, a big red barn. Near it was a hay-stack.
“We will go and rest beside the hay-stack,” said Papa.
So, they went to the hay-stack and crept under the hay. Soon they were all fast asleep.
When morning came Papa and Mama Roly-Poly said they would see if they could find some breakfast.So they left the little Roly-Polys under the hay and went away.
About this time a very exciting thing happened.
Two little girls came and stood by the hay-stack. They said, “The old hen has stolen her nest. We will try to find it.”
Then Teddie and Freddie crept farther under the hay, but Humpty Dumpty rolled out!
The little girls clapped their hands and said, “Here is an egg, but what a queer egg it is!”
The first little girl caught Humpty Dumpty up in her apron and the second little girl looked under the hay at the foot of the hay-stack.
Teddie and Freddie were very much frightened. They went under the hay-stack so far that no one could find them.
Then the little girls ran to the house, carrying Humpty Dumpty with them.
“See, Grandma,” they shouted, “the old hen has stolen her nest beside the hay-stack, and here is one of the eggs.”
“The idea of any one calling me an egg!” thought Humpty Dumpty.
He was angry. He was frightened, and kept saying to himself, “Keep a stiff upper lip.”
Grandma could not see very well, but she said, “I do not believe it is a good egg. I think it is cracked.”
Then the little girls said, “May we take it up to the play-house? May we, Grandma?”
Grandma nodded and the little girls carried Humpty Dumpty off to their play-house.
The little girls left Humpty Dumpty on top of their play-house and forgot all about him. Soon they ran off to play.
Humpty Dumpty began to look about. “I am glad Grandma did not think I was a good egg,” he said to himself. “They might have put me into a cake.”
“Tick, tock,” said the clock in the play-room.
“Oh, ho! so you can talk, too,” said Humpty Dumpty. He climbedup to the chimney of the play-house to see the clock better.
Then the clock said in a sweet voice:
“How do you do? I’m lonely, too.Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
“How do you do? I’m lonely, too.Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
“How do you do? I’m lonely, too.Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
“How do you do? I’m lonely, too.
Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
Humpty Dumpty begged the clock to tell him how to get out of the house, and back to the hay-stack.
The clock said:
“Well, well, I will tell.Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
“Well, well, I will tell.Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
“Well, well, I will tell.Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
“Well, well, I will tell.
Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
Humpty Dumpty yawned and said, “Then hurry up, please. I am in a hurry.”
The clock said:
“Don’t tease, if you please.Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
“Don’t tease, if you please.Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
“Don’t tease, if you please.Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
“Don’t tease, if you please.
Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
Then Humpty Dumpty was stillfor a long time and the clock begged for a story.
“THEN HURRY UP, PLEASE”
“THEN HURRY UP, PLEASE”
Humpty Dumpty told the clock all about the circus parade.
Then the clock said:
“Go by the stair, but take care.Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
“Go by the stair, but take care.Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
“Go by the stair, but take care.Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
“Go by the stair, but take care.
Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
Humpty Dumpty made his very prettiest bow, and slipped off the play-house and rolled out at the door and down-stairs.
He rolled right down upon a soft white rug.
The door was open and he rolled out of doors and rested under a maple tree.
The clock hung near the play-room window. It called out:
“Turn heels over head. The barn is red.Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
“Turn heels over head. The barn is red.Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
“Turn heels over head. The barn is red.Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
“Turn heels over head. The barn is red.
Tick, tock, tick, tock!”
Then Humpty Dumpty turned a somersault and there, sure enough, was the red barn and the hay-stack.
It did not take him long to get there, you may be sure.
Teddie and Freddie and Mama and Papa all ran to meet him.
They cried, “Hurrah for Humpty Dumpty! Hurrah for the stiff upper lip!”
Mama and Papa had not found anything to eat.
“We shall have to wait till we get home,” said Papa.
“Before we start for home we must rest a little,” said Mama.
So they all went back to the hay-stack.
If in the woods you chance to meetA gentleman both round and neatAnd if you say, “How do you do?”Old Grandpa Grimes will smile at you!
If in the woods you chance to meetA gentleman both round and neatAnd if you say, “How do you do?”Old Grandpa Grimes will smile at you!
If in the woods you chance to meetA gentleman both round and neatAnd if you say, “How do you do?”Old Grandpa Grimes will smile at you!
If in the woods you chance to meetA gentleman both round and neatAnd if you say, “How do you do?”Old Grandpa Grimes will smile at you!
If in the woods you chance to meet
A gentleman both round and neat
And if you say, “How do you do?”
Old Grandpa Grimes will smile at you!