Chapter 14 Chapter Twelve

As soon as no one noticed, I fled into the tent. I change dressing for a giraffe's neck.A camel's foot seemed to be showing signs of an abscess, and I soaked it in cold water.I performed the first treatment for the big cat, with Cliff stroking Rex's head while I worked out his claws.Then I went around to find Bobo, and took him on a tour of other animals.The only ones I don't look at or touch are the work horses, but that's because they're working all the time, and if they show signs of illness, I'm bound to be called over. It was past ten and eleven and I was nothing more than a laborer in a tent.Clean the cages, chop and chop food, and drag out the excrement with the rest of the workers.My shirt is soaked and my throat is parched.When the kitchen flag was finally hoisted, Diamond Joe and Ortiz and I walked out of the tent and headed for the kitchen.

Cliff followed and walked side by side. "Stay as far away from August as you can. He's having another fit," he said. "How? What's the matter?" said Joe. "He's pissed off. Uncle Allan's going to let the elephants go in today's parade, and August is going to take it out on everyone, like that poor bastard over there." He pointed to three people walking through the camp. . Bill and Grady helped Lao Luo through the camp to the flying train.The two of them put Lao Luo in the middle, and Lao Luo's feet fell behind and dragged. I turned sharply to Cliff. "August didn't hit him, did he?"

"No. Just let him eat the head. It's not even noon, and he's drunk. As for the other guy staring at Marina, tsk tsk, he won't dare to look at her again for a while .” Cliff shook his head. "How's that stinky elephant going on a parade. August has trouble getting him from the car to the tent," Ortiz said. "Everyone knows this, but Uncle Ailan obviously doesn't know it." Cliff said. "Why is Alan so eager to let the elephants parade?" I asked. "Because he's been waiting his whole life for the day when he can say, 'Stop the horses! Here comes the elephants,'" Cliff said.

"Damn it. Who's got horses these days? Besides, we don't have any elephants, just one," said Jo. "Why is he so eager to say that?" I asked. They all turned to look at me. "Good question," Ortiz finally said, but he obviously thought I was out of my head. "Because that's what the Linling Brothers Circus say. Of course, they really have more than one elephant." I watched as August tried to line up Rosie with the parade caravan.The horses bounced sideways, kicking nervously under their saddles.The drivers gripped the reins tightly, yelling and threatening them to be quiet.Panic ensued, and soon those who were leading the zebras and llamas were desperately trying to hold them back.

A few minutes later, Uncle Ailan came.He gestured at Rosie and cursed endlessly.When he finally shut up, August spoke.He also gesticulated at Rosie, swung the elephant hook, and slapped her on the shoulder.Uncle Ailan turned to his followers, and two of them turned around and galloped across the camp. A short time later, six extremely hesitant Percheron horses, dragging a hippo wagon, pulled up beside Rosie.August beats Rosie until she climbs into the wagon. An hour later, they came back.Many locals followed and stayed on the edge of the camp.Word spread that the circus had elephants, and the crowds grew.

Rosie's caravan drove straight to the rear of the big tent, which was connected to the animal tent at this time.August took it to the old seat of the animal tent.The animal tent was not open for viewing until it stood behind the rope and one leg was chained to an iron stake. I watched in awe as adults and children surrounded Rosie.It is definitely the most popular animal.Flapping its large ears back and forth, it grabs candy, popcorn, and even gum from everyone.One was bold enough to lean forward and toss a whole box of popcorn into its open mouth.It also reciprocated, picked up his hat and put it on its own head, and then curled up its proboscis to pose.The crowd roared with joy, and then Rosie returned the hat without haste.August stood beside it with the elephant hook, beaming like a proud father.

How could it be, Rosie was not stupid at all. When the crowd had all left the animal tent and entered the big tent, and the entertainers were positioned to perform a grand spectacle, Uncle Allen pulled August aside.I looked at August from the other side of the animal tent, and he was shocked from ear to ear, and then he became furious, yelling and complaining.His face turned sour, and he waved his top hat and elephant hook.Uncle Ailan stared at him intently, completely indifferent.Finally he raised a hand, shook his head and walked away.August stared at his back, stunned. "What do you think the two of them are up to?" I asked Pete.

"God knows. But it looks like the answer will be revealed soon." It turned out that Uncle Ailan was very happy to see Rosie's popularity in the animal tent. Not only did he insist on letting Rosie participate in the grand spectacle, but he also asked Rosie to perform a full set of programs in the center of the stage at the beginning.When I heard the news, the backstage members were already betting wildly on how the elephant show would end. All I can think about is Malena. I turned around and ran as fast as I could to the back of the big tent, where the entertainers and animals were all preparing for the spectacle.Rosie was first in line.Marlena straddled Rosie's head in a pink sequined dress, clutching Rosie's hideous leather head harness.August stood next to Rosie's left shoulder, with a gloomy expression on his face, grasping and releasing like a hook in his hand.

The band fell silent.Before going on stage, the entertainers adjusted their stage costumes, and the animal trainers checked their animals again.Then the soundtrack of the great spectacle began. August leaned forward and yelled into Rosie's ear.The elephant hesitated, August swung the elephant hook and hit it down, so Rosie galloped into the performance area of ​​the big tent.Malena flattened the elephant's head so as not to hit the pillars of the tent and fall off the elephant's back. I gasped and ran forward along the canopy wall. Rosie ran to about six meters inside the performance area and stopped.Then Malena made various undeniable actions.For a while, it hung sideways on the side of Rosy's head, with her body flat against the elephant, and then jumped up again, smiling, and raised an arm high in the sky.She arched her back and stood on tiptoe.The audience went crazy, clapped and whistled, and threw peanuts into the arena.

August chased after him, raised the elephant hook high and stopped it, turned his head to look around the audience, and his hair suddenly fell to his forehead.With a grin on his face, he lowered the elephant hook, took off his top hat, bowed deeply, and saluted three times in total to the audience in different directions.When he faced Rosie again, his face became serious. He prodded Rosie in various places on the inside of her leg with an elephant hook, directing her around the performance area.They would sometimes hold each other, and then start moving again, so often that the rest of the great spectacle had to adapt, and give way when it saw them, just as water diverts from both sides when it hits a stone.

The audience was overjoyed.Every time Rosie jogged in front of August and then stopped, the audience roared with laughter.Every time August approached Rosie, blushed and waved the elephant hook, the audience burst into laughter again.Finally, three-quarters of the way around, Rosie, her proboscis curled up, began to run, letting out a series of thunderous farts as she charged behind the canopy.I was at the entrance, being pushed into the auditorium.Malena clutched the bridle with both hands, they were getting closer and closer to me, and I couldn't catch my breath.Unless she manages to get out, she'll be knocked down by a tent post. One meter away from the entrance, Malena let go of the bridle and leaned desperately to the left.Rosie left the tent, and Malena was hanging from the tent poles.The audience fell silent, no longer sure it was part of the show. Malena hangs there feebly, less than three meters away from me.She was out of breath, closing her eyes and hanging her head.I was about to step forward to hug her down, but she opened her eyelids, let go of her left hand, swung gracefully, and faced the audience. Her face glowed, her toes were on the ground.The conductor of the band was paying attention here, and upon seeing this, he quickly ordered the drums to be played.Marina began to sway. The drums became more and more urgent, and her movements became louder and louder.After a while, her body was swinging parallel to the ground.I was wondering how long she was going to swing like this, and why she wanted to swing like this, she suddenly let go of the tent pole, flew into the air, curled her body into a ball, rolled forward twice, then turned to the side, stabilized The ground stood still in the rising wood dust.She looked at her feet, straightened her back, and raised her arms.The band played triumphant music, and the crowd applauded wildly.Moments later, copper plates rained down on the performance area. As soon as she turned around, I could tell she was hurt.She limped away from the tent and I rushed after her. "Marlena—" She turned around and fell into my arms.I held her waist and supported her body. August caught up. "Darling—my heart! You're so good, so good! I haven't seen more—" When he saw me hugging her, he stopped talking halfway. She raised her head and wailed. August and I met our eyes, and then we joined our arms, two hands behind her, two hands under her knees, making a human chair.Marlena whimpered, her head resting on August's shoulder, her shoed foot tucked under our arm, muscles tensed with pain. August kissed her hair. "It's okay, honey, I'm here, shh...it's okay, I'm here for everything." "Where to? Her vanity?" I asked. "No one can lie down there." "Back to the train?" "It's too far. Let's go to the koch dancer's tent." "Barbara's tent?" August glanced over Marina's head and gave me a glare. We broke right into Barbara's tent.She was sitting in a chair in front of the dressing table, in a dark blue dressing gown, puffing.Her bored contempt vanished as soon as she saw us. "My God, what's the matter?" she said, pressing out her cigarette and jumping up. "Come on, put her on the bed. Come on, this way." She led the way hastily. We put Marlena down, and she rolled over on her side, clutching her feet, her face contorted, her teeth clenched. "My feet—" "Okay, honey. It's all right, everything will be all right," Barbara said, bending over to undo the ribbon on Malena's shoe. "Ouch, ouch, it hurts..." "Bring the scissors from the top drawer." Barbara glanced back at me. I ordered scissors, and Barbara cut the toe of the pantyhose, rolled the sock up her leg, and moved Malena's bare foot onto her thigh. "Go to the kitchen and ask for ice," she said. "I'll be right back." I said. Just as I was flying towards the kitchen, Uncle Allen shouted behind me: "Jacob! Wait!" I stopped and waited for him to come. "What about them? Where did they go?" he said. "At Barbara's." I gasped. "what?" "That Kutch dancer." "What are you doing?" "Marlena is hurt, I have to get some ice." He turned and yelled at one of his servants, "Go get the ice cubes and send them to the tent of the kookie dancer, hurry up!" Then he turned to me and said, "Go and get me that smelly elephant, or we'll be kicked out .” "where is it?" "I ran to someone's backyard to eat food. The lady was very upset. It's on the west side of the camp. Before the note arrives, you should bring it back quickly." Rosie was standing in a messy vegetable garden, lazily sweeping the vegetable bed with her proboscis.I walked up to it, and it looked me straight in the eye, plucked a purple cabbage, threw it into its shovel-shaped mouth, and picked a cucumber. The housewife of the house opened the door a crack and screamed, "Get that thing out! Quick!" "Ma'am, I'm really sorry, I will try my best." I stood by Rosie's shoulder. "It's time to go, Rosie, will you?" It flaps its ears forward, then stops to pick a tomato. "No! Bad bad!" I said. Rosie tossed the red tomato into her mouth, chewing and laughing.Definitely teasing me. "Oh my God." I'm completely clueless about it. Rosie rolled up some turnip leaves with her nose and pulled the turnips out of the soil.Still staring at me, it brought the turnip to its mouth and began to chew.I turned around and put on a hopeless smile on the still-watching housewife. Two people came over from the circus.One was wearing a suit, a daily top hat, and a big smile.I recognized him as one of the lawyers in the group and was greatly relieved.Another man was wearing dark overalls and was carrying a bucket. "Good afternoon, ma'am," said the lawyer, raising his hat a little, and walking cautiously through the untidy vegetable garden.The vegetable garden looked as if it had been run over by a tank.He climbed the concrete steps leading to the back door. "Looks like you've met Rosie. He's the biggest and most beautiful elephant in the world. Luckily for you, he doesn't usually come to visit." The woman's face remains in the crack of the door. "Huh?" She was dumbfounded. The lawyer smiled brightly. "Yeah, it's an honor. I'll bet none of your neighbors, hey, probably the whole city of Chicago doesn't have an elephant at their door. Of course, our guys will take it and fix it Your vegetable garden, and compensate you for the loss of fruits and vegetables. Would you like to take a picture of you and Rosie so that you can show it to your family and friends?" "I...I...what?" she stammered. "Ma'am, let me be bold," the lawyer nodded slightly, as if saluting, "Maybe it's more convenient for us to talk in the room?" The woman hesitated and opened the door unwillingly.The lawyer entered the room and I turned to face Rosie. Another man stood directly in front of it, carrying a bucket. It was overjoyed, and the proboscis moved over the barrel, sniffing, trying to slip through his hand and stick its nose into the clear liquid. "Przestan! (Stop!)" he said, pushing it away, "Nie! (No!)" My eyes widened. "Why, don't you like it?" He said. "It's okay, I'm also Polish." I answered hastily. "Oh, sorry." He waved away his lingering proboscis, wiped his right hand on his thigh, then reached out to me and said, "I'm Greg Gorborski, just call me Greg." "I'm Jacob Jankowski," I said, shaking his hand.He withdrew his hand to protect the liquid in the bucket. "Nie! Teraznie! (No! Not yet!)" he huffed, pushing the indefatigable proboscis. "Jacob Jankowski? Ah, yes, Lao Luo mentioned you to me." "What the hell is in the bucket?" I asked. "Gin and ginger beer," he said. "You're kidding." "Elephant likes to drink, see? With this, he loses interest in greens. Hi!" He knocked the proboscis away. "Powiedziabemprestan! Pozniej! (Do you want me to tell you no! Wait a minute!)" "How do you know such a thing?" "The last circus I was in had twelve elephants, and one of them pretended to have a stomachache every night so we could give him some whiskey. Now, go get the elephant hook, shall we? He'll probably behave for the booze Come back with us, won't you, mojmahlutkipaczuszek? (My little rose?) But get the elephant hook, just in case." "Of course." I took off my hat and scratched my head, "Does August know?" "what do you know?" "Know how much you know about elephants? I bet he'd hire you if he knew—" Greg raised his hand quickly, "No, no, absolutely not. Jacob, I don't mean to offend, but I wouldn't kill myself to work for that guy. I won't do it. Besides, I'm not a mahout, I just like these big guys .Okay, can you run back and get the elephant hook, please?" When I got back with the elephant hook, Greg and Rosie were gone.I turned around and scanned the camp. In the distance, Greg is walking towards the animal tent.Rosie followed a few feet behind.He stopped now and then to let Rosie dip the trunk into the bucket, and then he pulled the trunk out again and went on.And Rosie followed suit like a good dog. After Rosie made it back safely to the animal tent, I went back to Barbara's tent with the elephant hook still in my hand. I stand outside the lowered curtain. "Um, Barbara, can I go in?" "Come in," she said. She sat alone in a chair with her bare legs crossed. "They're going back to the train to wait for the doctor." She took a deep breath. "Is there anything else?" I blushed and looked at the wall of the canopy, at the top of the canopy, and at my feet. "Oh, hell, you're so cute," she said, shaking the ashes on the grass, bringing the cigarette to her lips, and taking a deep draw. "You're blushing." She stared at me for a long time, obviously amused by my embarrassment. "You go." She finally said, blowing out the smoke from the corner of her lips, "You go, lest I change my mind and play with you again." I staggered out of Barbara's tent and bumped into August head-on.His face was gloomy like a rainstorm. "How is she?" I asked. "The doctor hasn't come yet. Got the elephant back?" "In the animal tent." "Very well," he said, snatching the elephant hook from me. "August, wait! Where are you going?" "I'm going to teach it a good lesson." He didn't stop walking. "August!" I yelled after him. "Wait! He's good! He came back on his own. Besides, there's nothing you can do now, the show isn't over yet in the tent!" He stopped suddenly, and a puff of smoke temporarily covered his feet.He stood motionless, staring at the ground. After a while, he said, "That's great, then its cry will be covered by the music." I stared at his back, mouth shut in shock. I went back to the show carriage and lay on the bunk, sick at the thought of Rosie being beaten in the animal tent, and sick at the thought of my failure to stop August. A few minutes later, Walter and Queenie returned.He hadn't changed out of his stage clothes yet, and he wore fluffy white things with colorful polka dots, a three-cornered hat, and an Elizabethan round collar around his neck.He is wiping his face with a cloth. "What the hell is that up to?" he said standing up, and I looked at his red shoes, which were too big. "What?" I said. "During the great spectacle. Is that the originally arranged bridge?" "No." I said. "Wow, that's a beautiful rescue. Malena is not easy, but you should know that?" He clicked his tongue and bent over to poke my shoulder. "Don't mess with me, okay?" "How?" He spread his hands and pretended to be innocent. "It's not fun. She's hurt, get it?" He suppressed his smirk. "Oh hey bro, sorry I didn't know. Will she get well?" "Not yet. They're waiting for the doctor." "Damn, I'm sorry, Jacob, I'm so sorry." He turned to the door and took a deep breath, "but that poor elephant will regret it twice as much as I do." I hesitate. "It's already regretting it, Walter, trust me." He stared out the door. "Oh, my god." He put his hands on his hips and looked at the field, "Oh my god, it must be so." I stayed in the carriage, didn't go out to dinner, didn't go out at the evening show, afraid that if I saw August, I would kill him. I hate him, I hate him for being so rough, I hate working for him, I hate that I'm in love with his wife, I hate that I have almost equal affection for that elephant, and I especially hate that I let Marlena and Rosie down up.I don't know if Rosie was smart enough to realize that I had something to do with his punishment, and wonder why I didn't stop him from being beaten.But I know I am responsible. "It's the ankle," said Walter when he came back. "Come on, Queenie, come on! Come on!" "What?" I murmured.During the time he was out, my body never moved. "I mean you probably want to know that Marina hurt her ankle and she'll be fine in two weeks." "Thanks." I said. He sat on the bed and stared at me for a long time. "Well, what's going on between you and August?" "what do you mean?" "Are you two dead?" I propped myself up and sat up, leaning against the wall, and finally said: "I hate that bastard." "Aha!" snorted Walter, "well, you have some brains at last, so why do you hang out with them all the time?" I don't answer. "Oh, sorry, I forgot." "You're completely mistaken," I said, straightening my upper body. "How to say?" "He is my immediate boss and I have no choice." "It's a good word, but that girl can't get rid of it. You know that in your own mind." I looked up and glared at each other. "Okay, okay." He raised his hands in surrender, "I'll shut up, anyway, you have your own account of the truth." He turned and rummaged in the wooden box. "Here." He threw a yellow comic, and the comic slid across the ground and stopped beside me. "This isn't Marlena, but it's better than nothing." He turned over and I picked it up and looked through it.Even though the comics were explicit and exaggerated, I just couldn't bring myself to watch the three hundred rounds between the big director and the skinny rising star with a horse face.