Chapter 7 Pippi watching the circus

A circus troupe comes to town, and all the kids beg their mom and dad to let them go to the circus.Tommy and Annika were no exception, and their kind father promptly gave them a few shiny silver coins. They held on to the money tightly and ran to find Pippi.She was on the front porch braiding the pony's tail in little braids, each with a red bow. "I think it's his birthday today," she said, "so I'll have to dress him up." "Pippi," said Tommy breathlessly, for they were running so fast, "Pippi, will you come to the circus with us?" "I can do what I like," said Pippi, "but I don't know if I can see a leech, because I don't know what a leech is. Does it bite?"

"Silly of you," said Tommy, "it doesn't bite! It's just fun! There's horses, and clowns, and pretty girls on ropes!" "It costs money." Annika said, opening her little hands to see if her three shiny silver coins were still there. "I'm as rich as a goblin," said Pippi, "so I thought I could buy a leech if I liked. If I had more horses, there wouldn't be enough room. Clowns and pretty girls could squeeze together in the laundry room." Squeeze, but horses are a problem.” "That's nonsense," Tommy said. "You don't buy it, you pay to see it, understand?"

"My God," Pippi yelled, closing his eyes tightly, "It costs money to see?! I keep my eyes open all day, every day! God knows how much I have already spent!" Then she slowly and carefully opened one eye, rolling it around. "No matter how much it costs," she said, "I must see it now!" Tommy and Annika had a hard time explaining to Pippi what a circus was.Pippi took out some gold coins from her suitcase, put on a hat the size of a waterwheel wheel, and the three of them went to the circus together. There was a huge crowd outside the circus booth, and there was a long line in front of the box office.One by one, it was Pippi's turn.She put her head through the window, stared closely at a kind old lady sitting inside, and asked her:

"See how much you have to spend?" The old lady was from a foreign country and couldn't understand what Pippi said.She replied: "Xiao Guniang, the front seat is worth a silver coin, the back seat is worth a silver coin, and the standing seat is worth a silver coin." "Oh," said Pippi, "but you must promise to show me the rope." At this time Tommy came up and said that Pippi wanted to buy a back seat ticket.Pippi gave the old lady a gold coin.The old lady couldn't believe it, so she bit it to see if it was real.Finally she confirmed that it was a gold coin.Pippi got the bills, and also got lots of silver coins that were given to him.

"What do I want with these nasty little white coins?" Pippi said unhappily. "Stay. Let me see you twice. Stand and watch." Pippi refused to accept the money, so the old lady exchanged a front seat ticket for her, and gave Tommy and Annika a front seat ticket each, not wanting them to pay any more.So Pippi, Tommy, and Annika went in and sat down in comfortable red chairs in the front of the ring.Tommy and Annika turned their heads several times and waved to their classmates who were sitting far behind. "This is a weird hut," Pippi said, looking around the circus shed in amazement, "and there are a lot of sawdust scattered on the ground. It's not my fault, it doesn't look clean."

Tommy told Pippi that circus rings were always lined with sawdust for the horses to run on. On a platform sat the circus band, which suddenly played a lively march.Pippi was so happy that he clapped his hands desperately, and jumped up and down on the seat. "Does it cost money to listen, or is it free?" she was thinking. At this moment, the curtain opened where the actors appeared, and the circus troupe master in a black suit and holding a whip ran out, followed by ten white horses with red feathers on their heads. The host flicked his whip, and 10 white horses jogged around the arena.The leader cracked the whip again, and they put their front legs on the railing around the field at the same time.One of the horses was standing right in front of the three children, and Annika didn't like the horse being so close to her, so she shrank back desperately in the chair.But Pippi leaned out, held up the horse's front foot, and said to him:

"The bow is tied not on the head, but on the tail." Luckily, Pippi let go of the horse's front legs, because at this moment the master flicked the whip again, and all the horses jumped off the railing and started running around the field again. After the show was over, the host bowed gracefully, and the horse quickly entered the arena.After a few seconds, the curtain opened again, and a black horse came out, and on the horse stood a beautiful girl in a tight green silk dress.Her name was Miss Carmenchita, so it said on the program. The horse galloped round and round on the sawdust, and Miss Kamenchita stood securely on the horse's back, smiling.But something happened at this time.Just as the horse ran past Pippi, something whizzed through the air.What else could this be?It's Pippi herself!Suddenly she was on horseback and stood behind Mademoiselle Carmenchita.Miss Carmenchita was at first so frightened that she nearly fell off her horse.Then she got angry and pushed her hand back, trying to make Pippi jump off the horse.But it can't be done.

"Don't lose your temper," Pippi said. "Not only you like to play, but others like to play too. Believe it or not, they even paid for it!" Then Miss Carmenchita wanted to jump off the horse herself, but she couldn't, because Pippi held her tightly around the waist.The audience couldn't help laughing, thinking it was so funny that the beautiful Miss Carmenchita was hugged tightly by a red-haired rascal.The little rascal stood on horseback in her big leather shoes, as if born for a circus. Only the master of the circus troupe didn't laugh.He gestured to his attendants in red jackets to come forward and stop the horses.

"Is the show over?" Pippi said disappointedly. "We were having a good time." "Keep's little girl," the head teacher gritted his teeth and said, "Zhou Kai!" Pippi looked at him regretfully. "I said," she asked, "why are you so mad at me? I thought everybody was going to have a good time here." She jumped off her horse and went back to her seat.But at this time, two tall waiters came to drive her out.They grabbed her and tried to pick her up. It can't be done.Pippi sat motionless, and the two waiters tried their best to hold her but they couldn't get up.They just shrugged and walked away.

Then the next show begins.This show is Miss Elvira walking the ropes.She is wearing a pink gauze dress and holding a small pink umbrella in her hand.She ran out with nimble little steps and reached the rope.She turned her legs and made various graceful movements.It looks great.She can also walk backwards on the thin rope.But she had just returned to the small platform at the end of the rope, and when she turned around, Pippi was already standing there. "What did you say?" Pippi asked, feeling very happy seeing Miss Elvira's surprised expression. The lovely Miss Elvira said nothing, jumped off the rope and ran to hug the neck of the master, who was her father.The class leader asked his waiter to drive Pippi out.This time he sent five.But the audience shouted:

"Keep her! We want to see this little red-haired girl!" They stamp their feet and clap their hands. Pippi ran to the rope.Compared with Pippi's current performance, Miss Elvira's performance is nothing at all.Pippi came between the ropes and raised one leg straight up in the air, and the big leather shoe hung like a roof over her head.She turned her foot to scratch behind the ear. Pippi is performing in the circus troupe, and the troupe master is not happy at all and wants to send her away.He sneaked up and turned the capstan, loosened the taut rope, and decided that Pippi must fall. But Pippi didn't fall off.She began to use the loose rope as a swing.The rope swayed back and forth, and Pippi fell faster and faster, and then she flew into the air all at once, and landed right on the head of the class.The class leader ran away in fright. "This horse is more fun," said Pippi, "but why don't you have tassels in your hair?" At this point Pippi decided it was time to go back to Tommy and Annika.She jumped off the host, went back to sit down, and then the next show was about to start.However, the show was delayed for a while, because the host had to come in to drink a glass of water and brush his hair.Then he came out and bowed to the audience saying: "Female masters! Ancestors! Next, you will see a strange man with unprecedented swords, Adolf the Hercules who is the enemy of the world. Look clearly, female masters and forerunners, this power is——Hardo the Hercules husband!" A tall and big man enters.He wore a scarlet bodysuit with leopard skins around his stomach.He bowed to the audience, looking smug. "Please take care of his muscle oil." The class leader pinched the arm of the strongman Adolf who entered the field and said, the muscles on the arm bulged like two bowls. "First of all, female masters and pioneers, I will give you a chance! May I ask which strongman Adolf will fight? May I ask which strongman Adolf will fight against the world's black enemies? Defeat Hercules Adolf offers one hundred silver coins. One hundred silver coins, please have a look, ladies and forerunners! Come to the field! Who will give it a try?" Nobody played. "What did he say?" Pippi asked. "Why Arabic?" "He says there's a hundred silver pieces for whoever can beat that giant," said Tommy. "I can beat him," said Pippi, "but he seems to be a good man, and it would be a pity to beat him." "But you can't beat him at all," Annika said, "he is a strong man who is invincible in the world!" "Strong man, yes," Pippi said, "Don't forget, I am the world's invincible strong woman!" At this time, the strong man Adolf was lifting dumbbells and bending thick iron bars in the arena to show everyone how strong he is. "Okay, okay, ladies and stars!" the class leader shouted. "Does anyone know the hundred silver coins? Is it really worth it for me to put the hundred silver coins in my pocket?" He waved a banknote and said. "No, I 100% think you don't need to put the hundred silver coins back into your pocket." Pippi said as he stepped over the railing around the field. "Zhou Kai Zhou Kai! I don't want to see you." The head teacher gritted his teeth. "Why are you always so rude?" Pippi scolded him. "I'm just going to fight Adolph the Hercules." "Let's start laughing when I have time," said the class leader, "Before Hercules Adolf returns and my sister hears about your reckless tricks, hurry up!" But Pippi had already passed in front of the class leader and came to Adolf the Hercules.She took his big hand and shook it warmly. "Come on, let's compete, you and me, okay?" Pippi said affectionately to Hercules. Adolf the Hercules looked at her, not understanding what was going on. "One, two, three, I'll start," said Pippi. She walks the talk.She clung tightly to Adolph the Hercules, and before everyone could see what was going on, she had let the Hercules lie flat on the carpet.Adolph the Hercules got up, his face flushed. "Long live Pippi!" cried Tommy and Anita.As soon as the audience heard it, they also shouted: "Long live Pippi!" The class leader sat on the railing and pinched his hands, terribly angry.But Adolf the Hercules was even more angry.He had never lost such a big face in his life.He wanted this little red-haired girl to see how powerful the Hercules Adolf was.He pounced on her and grabbed her hard, but Pippi stood there solid as a rock. "Put on harder." Pippi encouraged him.Then she broke free from his grip, and in a second Adolph the Hercules was lying flat on the carpet again.Pippi stood beside him and waited.She won't have to wait long.With a roar, Adolph the Hercules stood up and rushed towards her again. "Baby, go to sleep," Pippi said. The audience stamped their feet, threw their hats into the air, and shouted, "Long live Pippi!" The Hercules Adolf threw himself at Pippi for the third time.Pippi lifted him high, supported him around the field with her straight arms, and then put him on the carpet and let him lie there. "Okay, buddy. I reckon that's enough of it," she said. "It's more fun than anything else, honestly." "Pippi won: Pippi won!" The audience cheered in unison.Adolf the Hercules slipped away as fast as he could run.The class leader had no choice but to go forward and give the banknote to Pippi, although he looked like he wanted to eat Pippi. "Here, my sister Xiao, here is your hundred silver coins!" "This?" Pippi said dismissively. "What do I want this paper for? Use it to wrap fish if you like!" Then she returned to her seat. "It's a long-lived circus," she said to Tommy and Annika, "and it ain't bad at forty eyes. But wake me up if you need my help with anything." After she finished speaking, she collapsed on the chair and fell asleep immediately.In the arena, the clown, the sword swallower, and the snake player performed to Tommy and Annika and the audience, while Pippi snored loudly in her seat. "Anyway, I think Pippi's show is the best," Tommy whispered to Annika.