One Thing We Didn't Bargain For.

Otago Witness, Issue 2400, 1 March 1900, Page 64

One Thing We Didn't Bargain For.

One evening, when a travelling circus waa on its way to a large town, the proprietor resolved to make a halt for a few hours at a village some two oi three miles from the town.So an agent was sent on in advance to the village to secure a favourable field for the rest by the wayside. Noticing a large and suitable field, he sought out the owner, and told him he would like to turn something out in the field for an hour or so before going on to the town, and concluded by asking how much he required for the use of the field.

"Well," said the farmer, "I suppose half a crown won't hurt you?" "That," was the ready reply, "will do very well ; but perhaps you don't mind taking a crown?" — an offer the somewhat astonished , yeoman was only too glad to accept.

Fancy his surprise when, a few hours afterwards, a herd of elephants, a dozen dromedaries, and about 200 horses and ponies had not only been turned out into the field, but were fairly wiping the herbage out of existence.

That the farmer was furious goes without saying ; but the circus proprietor pointed out that he had l'eceived twice as much as he had asked for something to be turned out for an hour or two.

"But," roared the farmer, more irate than ever, "do you think I bargained for a Noah's Ark?"