CLEO AND THE CHINA CIRCUS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22501, 8 September 1938, Page 8 (Supplement)

CLEO AND THE CHINA CIRCUS

The China Ornament, country lies between Laquerland and the Glass sea. it is bounded on the west by the Porcelain plains, and on the east by the Brass mountains. All the houses are made of china, land so are- the fences and gates. (If. a gate is allowed to bang it often breaks in half, so people have to be careful.) ‘ All the flowers are of china, and the lawns, and the roads. Walking on roads in the China country is like walking on our roads after there has been a hard frost, but the people there are very sure footed. They have to be, for if they fell they might be broken.' Cleo - lived in a yellow china house with a twisted chimney. Her Aunt Hilda .often looked at that chimney and sighed. • “The man who designed us, Cleo, was ;an,artist,” she : would say. “That is i why the chimney has a twist. That is why my dress is patched, and why . your poor uncle has a humped hack.” Then she would look sad, and Cleo would know she was thinking, “and that is why you are so fat.” Then Cleo would say quickly, ’“But, auntie,' he did give us the forget-me-nots.” The forget-me-nots grew in the garden. They were scattered over Cleo’s frilly white dress, her aunt had a little bunch of them at her neck, and even her uncle, had three of - them" tucked into the band of his shabby hat. “Yes,” her aunt would agree, “and that, too, was because he was- an artist.” . Cleo had very yellow hair,.very blue eyes, very pink cheeks, and if. she was also very plump, she did hot; mind. At least she did , not mind until the circus came. , .She' thought the circus was wonderful.. The acrobats were so gay and daring, the riders 'in their fluffy dresses were so dainty, and the clown was so funny she nearly cracked herself laughing at him. ■ JWhen it was all over, Cleo went ringmaster and said, “Please, the circus’”

(By l. O. Laing)

I “What can you do? You couldn’t swing on the trapeze." “Oh, no.” “You couldn’t ride a horse.” “Oh, no.” "What did you think of doing?” Cleo felt suddenly shy, but she said, “Could I be a clown?” “Oh, no! There is no such thing as a lady clown.” Cleo went home feeling very sad. “If I were not so fat, I- might have ridden a horse,” she thought, “but what can I do? I did so want to join the circus.” Next’ night she went to see it again. It was just as wonderful, and she wanted to join it more than ever. But half-way through the performance there was a terrible rumbling sound, and the floor of' the tent shook. Everyone was frightened. “It is the volcano in the Brass mountains,” they cried. “It is erupting again.” Jumping up they ran outside. The tent, jarred and shaken by the earthquake, was in danger of breaking at any moment. The acrobats clung to their swaying trapezes, looking very scared. The wild animals roared. None of the circils folk knew what to do, but suddenly Cleo had an idea. “Make the elephants. lift the tent pole.” she cried to the mahouts. . The elephants lifted it up, and held the tent safe above the ground. It looked like a huge umbrella. When the earthquake was over they put it down again. The ringmaster was grateful. “You have saved my acrobats and my tent,” he said. “What can I do for you?” . . “I should like,” said Cleo, “to join the circus.” “Quite right,” said the Mayor, who had . come back as soon as the danger was over. “But what can she do?” asked the ringmaster. The mayor did not like to admit he did not know, so he beckoned to the professor and asked him what he would suggest. The professor looked very wise. He had large round spectacles, and

he carried a book under his arm. (It is true the book would not open. In the China country books that are shut never open, and books that are open never shut. They are made that way.) The professor looked at Cleo and he, said, “She is very clever and very pretty. I think she should be very useful to the circus. She can think what to do when there is trouble, and when all goes well she can be a procession leader.” “Of course!” said the mayor. “Of course!” said the ringmaster. “Sirs, she shall ride upon my largest elephant,” said the leading mahout. “She is a great lady.” The first time Cleo came riding into the circus ring at the head of the procession, all the people cheered her. (People never clap their hands in the China country. They might break them.) Cleo waved and smiled, and her smile was so friendly the people cheered louder than ever. As Cleo looked at all the shepherds and shepherdesses, at the milkmaids and the pretty ladies and gentlemen, she thought how different her aunt looked with her patched dress and her uncle with his hump. , • “Yet though I travel to the other end of the China country I will never forget them,” she thought. “They have such kind faces, while the. shepherdesses and pretty ladies all look alike. “I expect I look different, too, being so fat and riding on an elephant, but I don’t mind. I am glad I was designed by an artist.” This is the true story of how Cleo came to join the circus. HAPPY SPRING

(By Juliet Deans, 11 years)

The birds are singing in the trees, And daffodils with yellow coats Are swaying gently in the breeze In happy springtime. The lambs are frolicking about, While birds are nesting in the trees. And all the early flowers are out In happy springtime.

SAMUEL PLIMSOLL i

(By B. Jekyll)

Samuel Plimsoll, the “sailor’s friend,” was born in 1824 at Bristol and at an early age became clerk in a brewery, and later rose to be manager. In 1853, he endeavoured to set up business on his own account, but the venture was a failure, and he was reduced to poverty and has himself related how he lived on 7s 9Jd a week. This experience had a profound influence on him, making him very sympathetic with the struggles of the poor, and when he finally succeeded in life he devoted his leisure to the betterment of their lot, directing his efforts especially against what were known as “coffin ships”—unseaworthy and overloaded vessels, often heavily insured, in which unscrupulous owners were permitted by law to risk the lives of their crews To further his influence Plimsoll entered Parliament in 1868, and after one or two failures managed to have passed a Bill dealing with the evil. He published a book called “Our Seamen,” the sincerity and deep feeling of which roused the people. He was also promised that a Royal Commission would be appointed. Disraeli,, then Prime Minister, announced later that it would be dropped; upon which Plimsoll lost his selfcontrol and called members “villains,” and shook his fist in the Speaker’s face. Though he was in disgrace-for some time the people were with him and he finally gained his objective and ships were marked to indicate the limit to which they might be loaded. Hence the “Plimsoll Line,” or “Plimsoll Mark.” . In the museum at Perth is the only memento extant of Samuel Plimsoll; it is the wooden figurehead of the sailing clipper, Samuel Plimsoll, a very beautiful looking vessel, according to the painting-by Spurling. But in these days, to such a level do noble ships descend, many are converted into coal hulks, and that is the fate of the Samuel Plimsoll, now at'Fremantle. Blit, no doubt, Samuel Plimsoll, the man, would be satisfied to know his namesake serves a useful purpose still. ■ .