By Sharada Mahalingam
Age : 12
Class: Seventh
School: J.B Vachha High School
City: Mumbai
The Rambo Circus is in town!” I exclaimed, eagerly scanning the day’s newspaper. “Let’s go today, please, Mummy?”
Mummy looked at Daddy, who smiled. “All right, I suppose we could get tickets for the six ‘o’ clock show this evening,” she said sipping her coffee.
It was a Friday morning and my parents, my twin sister Tina and I were eating breakfast.
“Now eat quickly, or you’ll be late for school,” said Daddy.
At school we could think about nothing but the circus, and as soon as we got home, we changed, had our snacks and waited impatiently for Daddy to get home from his office.
“He’d said he’d come early today,” complained Tina to Mummy. Just then, we heard a squeal of tires and our blue family van appeared on the driveway, driven by Daddy.
We filed inside the van and where off to the circus. We were fortunate to get four seats in the front row - then the show began.
The first to take the stage was a famous Russian acrobats team, they performed on the high-wire. They were amazing.
Next a dwarf rode on a tri-cycle, he was marvellous. We clapped loudly as he rode his tri-cycle over the tall gray elephants.
Suddenly the circus ring was filled with the sound of two motor cyclists who drove their motor bikes inside a huge transparent globe. The noise they made was deafening!
After that, a pretty lady came onto the stage, followed by a lion. She fearlessly put her whole head into the lion’s open mouth! We were terrified, but how the audience applauded! We had just settled down again, when a magnificent, black horse, with a young gymnast sitting on its back came onto the stage. Slowly he stood up on the horse's back, first he cantered about on the stage, then he did push-ups and even a few flip-flops!
Then the lights came on, it was the interval.
Daddy let us buy popcorn and ice cream, and we talked about the various items that were performed.
Then it was time for the second half . The scenery had changed and there were rope ladders hanging everywhere and across the very top was a huge net. Then the clowns came in , a short clown with a big red nose and curly hair, whilst the taller one had a hat and long, toed, shoes. They made their way to the ladders and the little one started climbing, followed closely by the tall one on the same ladder just a few steps behind!
Just then, the little clowns shorts slipped off his legs and fell onto the stage. But that wasn't enough, moments later his underwear fell after his shorts, but this time they landed over the head of the tall clown! It was really very funny, watching him wobbling about on the rope ladder, Tina was crying with laughter!
Then the lights dimmed and in came a juggler, he was carrying burning torches. He began to juggle them, first one, then two, then three.
I felt scared, I mean, "what if he drops one of those torches of fire?” I jumped as Tina got up from her seat to go to the toilet
Then suddenly - before I knew what was happening - I saw that the stage was on fire!
Everyone was screaming, everywhere rushing to the fire exit .
“Hold on tight to my hand!” screamed Mummy, clutching Daddy’s arm, we were practically carried by the crowd to the exit.
Suddenly Daddy shouted, “Where is Tina?” Just then, we saw my sister come out of the rest room, a look of surprise on her face. "Tina, Tina," I shouted waving at her frantically and at last she spotted us and came running over!
There was no time to explain we just kept hold of Mummy as Daddy led us to safety.
At last, we reached home safe and sound.
The following day we read all about it in the news-paper, Luckily the juggler had escaped with minor injuries and no one else seemed to have been hurt or killed, thank goodness.
My only regret was we never saw the end of the show. But Tina didn’t mind that, "she was more angry that she was out of the room and missed all the excitement!” she grumbled.
Such an adventure, who could have known that a simple visit to the circus , would have such an extraordinary ending?!
Dear Sharada
What a wonderful story, was it a true adventure or did you make it up. I hope you wont be upset but as you are/were only 12 when you wrote it, I have took the liberty of altering it a little bit. This doesn't mean I didn't think your story was good, not at all, the ideas are fantastic and with a little tweak here, and a little tweak there, adding a few more words that created the scene on the stage into your mind, is something you learn with time.
I am 65, and even now when writing my big books, I still have to get someone to see if they can be made better.
Never be afraid to ask your teacher for help when you are writing and always read back over what you have written, mainly, to make sure you don't repeat the same words over and over again.
I hope you will not mind my help and I hope to see some more of your work.. I receive the Dimdima every month and do enjoy reading the childrens pages.
Bye, bye Seligor
I couldn't go without putting this one poem on by Grace.
And with Halloween soon coming up
I thought it was very, very good, and I will enclose it in
my special Halloween night, page both on
Diddilydeedot's Dreamland and Seligor's Castle.
And with Halloween soon coming up
I thought it was very, very good, and I will enclose it in
my special Halloween night, page both on
Diddilydeedot's Dreamland and Seligor's Castle.
Midnight Horror
A strange cold shiver
Down my spine
The long white thing
Supposing a ghost
Lurking in the shadows
Waiting to pounce
On a girl like me!
It’s Friday
Midnight on Friday the 13th
The day of ghosts,
Of ghouls and owls
Cackling witches on their broom
Laughing, screaming
Fills the air
Giving it a spooky stage.
Robbers and thieves on the prowl
Making plans to hurt people
Dacoits too join their gnag
Poachers too included there
Trouble’s brewing all around
In houses, yours or mine.
Suddenly! POOF! The shiver’s gone
A clock goes off and I wake up.
This was one of weirdest dreams
One I’m sure I’ll never forget!
Grace Verghese
VIII C
Bhavans, Chevayur , Calicut
