Land of the Circus People

I’m gonna try something different this time around and do an abrupt departure from all the political nonsense in attempting my hand at writing a fairy tale fable. Imagine if you may, as you read that the story unfolding is being narrated by Morgan Freeman, or of anyone whom you admire in their storytelling ability and narration. Listen to the voice as you quietly read along and then become that voice for someone else.
I’ve titled it…Land of the Circus People.

This fairy tale is reverently dedicated to my children Amber, Jason, Claire and Paige. Four most precious souls if there ever was to have graced this Earth.

LAND OF THE CIRCUS PEOPLE

Intro:
Long ago, once upon a medieval time, there was a grand land full of hope and promise with opportunity in mankind to live in blissful harmony. Respect prevailed for all life in this land. The inhabitants of this hallowed ground were known as the See-Throughs, for their chest was an open portal to their hearts. All major decisions, when concerning the gratitude of life in all its myriad forms were decided from the heart instead of the brain. Therefore, greed was never thought of much less a greedy act conducted. All things decided were felt rather than thought. In fact, scheming, treachery and war were nonexistent words in their vocabulary. Actions of the heart always trumped any negative thoughts of the mind from ever materializing. There was only merriment intention and yearning frolic in the agenda of the See-Throughs. They were truly gleeful souls.

A See-Through could always tell if another might be unhappy by simply witnessing the beating of the heart. When a See-Through was happy his heart could be seen jubilantly beating away. But, if sadness ever had a chance to creep in, all could tell, for the one affected, his heart would slow to a sorrowing beat. If this isolated incident ever occurred, See-Throughs from all the land would come to the aid of the afflicted and make his sadness evaporate away like a puddle of water in the searing desert sands. Even all the animals and creatures of the land had windows in their chests to view the happy carefree hearts beating away and if one little creature’s heartbeat was witnessed to slow in beats, the See-Throughs would make sure the little one was back to happy times in cheering him up.

Yepper, it was a land to always bear fruit of contentment, until that one fateful day when the Regulars’ king wanted control and domination of the See-Through’s land. Ya see, a Regular was a man and woman in appearance, thinking and action just like you and I. Now the king was mighty envious of the See-Throughs’ land for it was bountiful in not only its natural beauty, but also in precious metals and virgin forest. He was lusting awful hard after the iron for the making of weapons, the forest for its timber and the gold for himself. So the king declared the land in the name of his god and prepared his army to capture and take control of what rightfully was not his. But first he had to get rid of the See-Throughs. Not knowing the See-Throughs were nonviolent and very peaceful, he plotted one night with his generals to march his army into the land of the See-Through and do battle.

On the very next morning the army did just that…marching into the joyous land that had never seen violence. The king’s army mercilessly defiled the land throwing their trash everywhere they treaded. Once they reached the villages of the See-Throughs, they charged with vociferous thunder and swords flailing. The See-Throughs came out of their little natural homes dug in the ground or mounted in the heavier and bigger trees to see what the commotion was all about only to be struck down one by one, then three by threes, ten by tens and then finally…by multitudes.

After realizing the See-Throughs would not fight, the generals halted the army’s slaughter to begin rounding up the survivors of the totally lopsided onslaught. The soldiers commenced to doing this by searching high and low, but there were not too many to fetch, for most had succumbed to the initial onslaught.

The remaining See-Throughs captured as prisoners, began to have their hearts fill with great sorrow for what had been done. Since they were few in number and all in the same predicament, there were no free and happy See-Throughs to cheer the captured ones up. In haste, their hearts became sadder until inevitably became so slow that in its beating, it was said a snail’s pace would be considered very fast if compared. With too much sadness to bear, eventually the hearts simply stopped. And to wit, with heartfelt salutation each and then every remaining See-Through passed away of a broken heart.

From that immoral time forward, there was never to be seen nor heard of a See-Through ever again. Even the land of the See-Through changed, physically by the scars cast upon it by the Regular in the cutting down of the trees, the mining of the metals in wearing down mountain tops and of polluting the rivers and streams. Even the hunting down of all the creatures became a sport. But the most significant change was soulfully rendered of a heartfelt longing for its once peaceful coexistent and lively living inhabitants. A wrenched felt feeling everywhere was dangled in the air.

But this is not the ending to this story, it’s only the introduction. The Regular king had become ever more stingy in his material quests and had sought out a new victim to conquer. That new victim was just on the other side of the mountain. The king’s next intended target were Regulars too, but possessing a very special and entertaining talent with the full intention of making folks smile and laugh. The area these Regulars lived in was known as the…Land of the Circus People.

Attempts Failed:
The king of the Regulars had failed miserably in capturing the Land of the Circus People, for it was guarded by a pair of flying dragons with the yellowiest of eyes that could even peer through the darkness of night and still see as if it was on a noon sunny day. The King’s army was terribly afraid of the two dragons, for not only did the dragons exhale as fire flamers, the ghastly beasts hurled brimstone as well. The king once sent out a squadron of his bravest knights from his entire vast kingdom, but alas for him, once the bravest of knights encountered the dragons, they fled in terror too, as his army had many times before.

No one could sneak past the vigilant dragons. If it were not for the dragon guards, the king pondered, the Circus People would be an easy enemy to win against, for just like the See-Throughs they had no weapons either. It appeared to the king that the Land of the Circus People would always remain free of his tyrannical reign. Of course this infuriated him to no end, so he plotted and planned and planned and plotted. How could he capture this land while commanding a frightened military?

One night in counsel with his sages, wizards, general staff and other high ranking officials, everyone was bombing on ways to take over the Circus People’s land. They thought of attacking in a full circle, but that idea had already been tried and failed. One wizard suggested that they dig tunnels, but a general of the king’s army said the dragons can even see through the ground. A sage felt he had the right concept when he said to fly over with big balloons, which everyone cried, "No Way!" at the same time, for they all knew the dragons fly themselves.

Finally, after the clock had struck midnight four hours ago, everyone was becoming tired, sleepy and despondent until two lowly court jesters threw out a gesture of sorts. That is how jesters originally got their names ya know, by throwing out expressions with body language. They just spell the two words differently to lessen the confusion. Anyway, the king thought that it was brilliant gestures from his goofy jesters and sternly scolded all members of the meeting for not coming up with the idea. For after all, the king felt his counsel should be the ones to come up with smart ideas and certainly not by his jesters, who were known for their dumbness.

A Hatched Plot:
The jesters' simple gestures stated when a whale is stuck in a well, he will wail. But other than that, the jesters' gestures pointed out one must sell the sail with a for sale sign. But thrice, other than that the jesters' gestures suggested that the elephant dove his long trunk into the wooden trunk in that a dove in it dove away. But four times after that the gestures of the jesters explained that a dog near a tree will bark rough at the tree’s rough bark. But still, other than that, the silly jesters' all too becoming silly gestures, specified that after a thief bolted the door he bolted. But before the king could stop them, the gestures of the jesters gave a clue to which girl was the girl witch and that is the lil’ friar who constantly stares at the stairs. Except for the partial appreciation in pointing out the witch, the king had become duly bored of the jesters’ antics.

Okay, more than bored, the king was at a point of summoning his executioner to have his jesters beheaded, until finally the jesters' gestures stipulated, if you want to take control of the Circus People, then undercover, one should stole away the l’enfant du cirque tribu. This caught the fancy and attention of the king, for it could work. For ya see, the l’enfant du cirque tribu was the baby of the Circus People and not only was she the baby of the Circus People, she was the only baby of the Circus People. She was a darling beautiful lil’ infant indeed and was the pride and joy of all the Circus People. They could not exist without her.

The king was impressed and to reward the two goof jesters, he proclaimed that they will have the honors of stealing the Circus People’s baby. But how, no one could get past the dragons that flew the perimeters of the Circus People’s land? Since the jesters already looked like one, the king’s court decided that the two jesters go as clowns. This would fool the dragons into thinking they were circus people and give them the chance to swipe and bring the infant back to the king’s castle. With the king’s 100, 000 strong army no Circus People could penetrate the fortress of the castle, moat and military. The kidnapping would force the Circus People to give up their land in return for their most treasured gift…the l’enfant du cirque tribu.

Summoned red noses, make-up, clown clothing articles and circus attire wrapped around a tire were to be brought forth immediately to have the jesters turned into clowns. The jesters were not too keen on this idea of the king, for they feared the dragons too. But they had no choice; it was either to face a possible death by the dragons or an imminent one by the executioner. They chose the prior while standing by the friar with a fryer chicken for this day’s festive meal.

The kingdom was to celebrate, while the jesters trembled with fright in knowing they were to purge into unknown parts with unknown consequences. Immediately, the jesters, once made to look like clowns, were shoved off into their journey. It was their destiny to either succeed or perish, a choosing neither cherished much with their fumble bumble and tumble humble ways. Onwards they would have to trudge with their ominous mission at hand.

Their time was at a finger’s touch, so pushed out the castle’s doors and scooted inchworm fashion across the drawbridge by the king’s scoffing men, the two jesters fully dressed in clown style, timidly but dutifully, began their journey after one last glance towards the castle’s outside walls.

The two jesters braved the cold and howling winds as they ascended the mountain, but with much incident. They stumped their toes on every rock and cranny. They slapped their heads with every other tree branch and on every tilted incline, slipped and fell on their fanny-perpendiculars at the least to a count of twenty-two times; but onward they persevered. Up the mountain side they clamored, then conquering the top, down they went towards the Land of the Circus People.

Land of Awe:
Just outside the circus land, though dawn had just arisen presenting the most gorgeous of sun risings with sunrays filtering through, they huddled shivering, partly from the night’s cold but mostly from being scared of the dragons. Still though, in their state of urgency, they were amazed at the circus land. All the hills and dales were dotted with circus top tents in the most colorful of ways. One tent had stripes of yellows, greens and gold, while another purple and red polka dots. Others had zigzags of pink and amber hues. Still, there were others of rectangle grays and teepees of triangle blues, oranges and late summer meadow browns. All the tent tops were emblazoned with ribbon banners sailing with the morning’s wind.

Animals of all kinds known as lions, tigers, zebras, elephants and horses patrolled the land leisurely stopping to and fro to either forage or look for someone to pet them. But the horses were not just horses, these equines were huge, I mean humongous in every proportion. When they stood on their hind haunches they were so regal kicking with their front legs for balance. There were little tiny ponies too, that galloped and whinnied so cute you had to smile and maybe chuckle. Every now and then wolf men, half wild man and half mild beast would jut from one rock to another in a playful and non threatening manner as if they were playing tag-your-it.

It was truly a marveling sight with a majestic waterfall filling a river that flowed precisely through the midsection of the Land of the Circus People. Blooms of lilac and lavender filled the visual and nostril senses of quaint beauty and aromatizing tranquility. The two jesters gathered their courage and mustered forth in adjourning their sedate state in marveling at the awe inspiring events and scenes that were unfolding before them. With one hiccup they did dread, but onward they set forth into the belly of the Land of the Circus People to fulfill their almighty king’s wishes, even though they were wishing hard not to disturb this remarkable land.

A land with two baldheaded strongmen that were so burly in stature and squat, anyone would be committing an end it all final act in challenging them to fisticuffs. The strongmen both had the bellies of a Buddha. In contrast, the stilt men towered above all with a lumbering slow and methodical gait. They also saw tiny dwarf men rambling here and running there, stopping occasionally to tip their hat in a signal of good morning. Then there were the clowns…fives of tens of them in every size, shape and appearance.

The two jesters decided to blend in with the clowns, but no more than four jester steps towards a crowd of clowns, the dragons flew down directly into the paths of the jesters. Well, they both thought, this is the end and as they stood there to await becoming the dragons’ next meal, a snort sniff and a oh-so yellow eyed wink is all the dragons forwarded to the jesters, then lifted their tails and at the flap of their wings, flew off. The clown disguises had worked.

The Act of Abduction:
Once the two jesters recovered from their ordeal and petrified state, they wrung out the wet elements from the front of their pants due to the making of their bladder being gladder from the fearful dragon encounter and quickly joined in and mingled through with the clowns.

The clowns spoke many languages but in funny tones. The two jesters listened quite carefully and began to pick up the jest of it all, so to speak. Though dirty and ragged from their journey, they began to fit right in and truly enjoyed the company and companionship of the clowns. They felt a camaraderie never experienced before and the edict the king had placed on them began to weigh heavy in their hearts.

Sometimes the clowns, who were quite agile in their own rights, would challenge the tumblers in a race, but not just any ordinary foot race. No, this race was of significant proportions entailing obstacles never beknownst to the two jesters. The course of the race was throughout the land and through objects not fit for normal Regular human participation.

There were scurries through briar patches, springs over tent poles and hops, skips and jumps across the river. The clowns taught the two jesters just how to run the race course and the clowns taught the two jesters well, for they began to excel in the races.

Once while winning, thus ending one of these unusual races, there was a call to a special tent the two jesters had never been to before. So, with the rest, the two jesters went along and entered the tent. There, seated in the middle was a cradled crib with a warm glow radiating from within it in all directions, for there in its epicenter laid the l’enfant du cirque tribu. The two jesters were amazed at the sight that beheld them.

The baby was glorious and of the purest of innocence she portrayed. The little baby sounds she emitted from her perfect little mouth melted the hearts of even the strongmen, who normally never smiled, but now in the babes presence, were a cooing and gaga talking away.

All the Circus People were here to give their blessings to the infant, for they knew the little one was their only hope for a future of the Circus People’s way of life. For ya see, most of the Circus People had been crept upon by age; even the baby infant’s parents were up in age. The two jesters were so compelled that they gave their blessings to the innocent one as well.

After quite some time had passed in being spellbound and the crowd was dwindling down after giving their blessings, the two jesters decided that this night that cometh forth, will be the night to take the baby. Oh, how they dreaded this, but they were bound to the king’s command and if they did not fulfill it, off with their heads would go…kerplunk, kerplunk.

That night, the two jesters quietly sobbing but unnoticed, stole into the l’enfant du cirque tribu’s tent and carefully wrapped and swaddled the babe. In the crib where the baby had lain, there they replaced her with the king’s messaged terms. They then solemnly stole away into the night up to the top of the mountain and down the other side to the king’s castle in tow with their most precious cargo. Once the king was notified and was in the presence of the little one, he proclaimed a triumphal event had just occurred for his domination.

The Awakening:
The mother was the first to stir and rise in the Land of the Circus People and immediately went straight to her baby’s crib. They say that her cry after discovering the crib empty was as piercing as a bolt of lightning coursing through a severe thunderous sky. Her lament had immediately awakened all of the land and all went with great haste to the tent of the l’enfant du cirque tribu. Once the full amount of the Circus People had entered the tent and understood the baby was gone, forlorn quickly spread through the circus crowd. Not one, when realizing the dire situation had a dry eye, for they felt tremendously a great lost had come their way.

One of the catapult men, in which always were dressed in black, noticed the message left by the two jesters and hastily gave it to the ringmaster. The ringmaster first read it in the silent way to himself and then once finished, out loud for all to hear. The message explained the king’s kidnapping of the babe and if the Circus People want her back, they will have to give up their land and allow the king to take it over as sole ruler. If they do that the message explained in its content, the baby would be returned to them.

But the king further and secretively thought, that he would keep the Circus People’s holy infant child just in case they ever wanted to revolt. The Circus People knew of the king’s ways and was sure he never would return the babe, so being Regulars too, they used their minds, but being of a differing Regular, they also used their hearts in creating a plan to take back their revered babe. The ringmaster assembled the crowd and as they attentively stretched their necks towards the center of the assembled assembly where the ringmaster stood ground, they innovatively came up with their plan.

The March:
The very following day as the first ray was cast by the early morn sun, the Circus People set out to seek the king’s castle and reclaim their heavenly babe. Meanwhile, the two jesters back in the king’s castle were beginning to feel the guilt set in from stealing the l’enfant du cirque tribu.

Once they had handed over the babe to the castle maidens to tend to, they felt a rush of remorse, for during the travel to the castle up and over and down the mountain, they had developed a deep and kindred love for the infant and recognized the acts of true love the Circus People had given to her. They fussed over the baby as if she were theirs, ensuring the maidens' infant care. Finally, they could take it no more. They were compelled to beg of the king’s mercy for him to restore the bundled babe back to its rightful place.

The king’s back teeth were floating, so had to rush to the bathroom quarters and relieve himself. This was their chance to be with the king in private so to speak and solicit their reasoning for him to give the baby back. But lo, to no avail would this ever occur; the king was not about to give the baby back and miss his chance to take over the Circus People’s land. His desire was so strong to rule all the lands that he was blind to the humanities and bitter cold to any emotion of compassion.

In fact, the king became so angered by the two jester’s pleas that after scolding them hardy, he banned them not just from the castle, but from the kingdom and if they were to ever be caught in the king’s land…off with their heads…kerplunk, kerplunk.

So, but once again the two jesters were booted out the castle doors and scooted across the draw bridge. With nowhere to go, the two jesters ventured off to the mountain to see the Circus People to conduct a confessional confession in hopes of a forgiving affair. But halfway up the mountain, it began to snow. First one flake, then another, followed yet by a gazillion more. It snowed so hard, it trapped the two jesters fast in their tracks and turned them both into quite the fancy looking snowmen. Perhaps this was to be the last of the two jesters and with a tear frozen in place to each cheek, there they remained stolid.

While the two jesters were experiencing the totality of their life’s ending, in the intervening time, the Circus People had just made it to the top of the mountain, when the snowstorm was in the act of venting its fullest fury. The ringmaster knew they could not wait out the white storm due to the ticking clock’s urgency, so sent the jugglers out to find the No-mads. Unlike any other Regular the No-mads, who aimlessly to most thinking, but methodically in their own thoughts, roamed the mountaintops.

Humped-back and in appearance as a small hill to the untrained eye, the No-mads were not called as such in being a nomad continually roaming the mountain tops. No, they were No-mads because they never got mad and were never known to usher forth one curse word, grimace, growl or scowl. Most folk had heard of them but even more folk thought of their tale to be fallacious. Common Regulars could never notice a No-mad even if they were eye-to-eye, for to see one you had to be blessed with a juggling of hand ability that would tickle delight just so and with an accomplished concentration of sight to distinguish the difference in a real hill and a slightly tickled No-mad. The jugglers possessed expertly, both of these traits.

Off the jugglers went moving their hands as if they were juggling, while oh-so slightly allowing their fingertips to touch a mound. If the mound was simply a hill, no ever so slight movement would occur, but if it were truly a stationary No-mad it would and the jugglers’ trained eyes would have the perception to perceive it.

Four No-mads the jugglers had detected and hurriedly brought the ringmaster to the spot where the four were positioned in a ring for communication purposes. The ringmaster knew of their language and spoke with salutations to them in their way of knowing. Suddenly, the No-mads began to slowly rise, as if a stretch of Earth had come to life. Each holding onto sticks that initially for most seemed to be a thin dead tree emerging from a hill. In this entire admixture, along with evident gibbosity backs, they began to reveal themselves as the color and texture of graveled dirt with long stiffened thick beards and Egyptian styled noses.

As they arose in long earthy robes, one No-mad asked the ringmaster of what is his bother. The ringmaster explained the Circus People’s plight and asked for guidance to the castle in which route would be the best through the snow of snowstorms.

Slowly, but with deliverance in motion, all four No-mads pointing the sticks utilized as their staffs, showed the ringmaster the most reliable way. They also added that they had seen the two jesters and the l’enfant du cirque tribu pass through and reassured the Circus People that their babe was being taken with grand care and was doted on by the two jesters. This relieved the Circus People in knowing the baby was still okay and thanked the No-mads ever so gratefully and gracefully.

After bidding farewell to the No-mads, quickly, the Circus People assembled and began their march down the mountainside through the snow to the king’s castle. Their quest was their destination in reuniting with their beloved babe. As they were descending, the ringmaster sent two stilt men and three wolf men to scout ahead for the best possible trail.

Found But Not Forgotten:
The stilt men were very tall giving them leverage in the deep snow and could see well ahead while the wolf men darted here and there burrowing snow tunnels as they went. On occasion, the wolf men climbed a boulder to see ahead, while constantly sniffing the air and ground and in general all around. Just behind, the remaining Circus People followed the scouts’ path.

As they were descending halfway down the mountain side, the stilt men came across two rather curious snowmen. The wolf men rapidly joined in the find and began sniffing and snorting the two men of snow. Instantly the wolf men knew these were not just snowmen, but in smelling the smells reminiscent of jesters posed as clowns, they concluded it was those two who had taken their babe. The stilt men with their long, longer and longest of legs had great kicking abilities and began to kick the snow away from the two jesters and the snow began to break off. Once uncovered though, the two jesters were frozen solid in place.

The stilt men sent the wolf men to gather stones. Once back and returned to the demised site of the two jesters, the wolf men, who were full of hot air, put the stones in a pile and with their hot breaths, began to warm them and this is when in expressing one as, "full of hot air," was first duly noted.

Once sufficiently heated enough, the stilt men collected the hot stones and began to drop them into the jester’s stiff frozen clothing. Gradually the warm stones began to warm the jester garments that eventually began to warm the two jesters. The ice was melting away, until the two jesters began to move an elbow there, a knee here, a wiggling toe and finally a working jaw.

After warmed enough, the two jesters began to hoot n’ holler as the stones were beginning to feel too hot. The two jesters, while hopping around as a bunny would, went through their shirts and drawers grabbing then throwing the stones that seared little snowy tunneling passages.

The two jesters thanked them for not abandoning them and in saving their lives. The two jesters in knowing what they had done to them in stealing the baby, wondered why the Circus People granted them further life. One stilt man explained it this way. If we were to live a grudge, our sorrow would only increase in its intensity and perhaps if you chose, you could help us in our task of returning the l’enfant.

The two jesters were elated if not purely ecstatic in that the Circus People would forgive and allow the two to join them. As the rest of the Circus People arrived at the scene, the situation was then fully assessed by the ringmaster and then once after, proceeded to give the two jesters a Circus People badge of honor detailed with a pup emblazoned within a shining yellow star. He thus pinned it upon their chests. This gave the two jesters the right in commanding the puppy troupe.

Now, with the two jesters joined in the ranks, onward they continued down the side of the mountain with the ringmaster at the lead and just behind paced the two parents dressed in all white symbolizing achievement in victory, while just behind the mother and father, followed the rest.

The Confrontation:
As the sun casted its last glimmers of the day, the Circus People had finally reached sight of the castle. Gathering behind an old farmer’s wall of stacked stones, the Circus People waited until the last of the sun’s lit effects had departed the day altogether. Once that moment had approached and passed, the ringmaster, along with the parents, both on each side of him, walked up to the drawn drawbridge with torches in hand as their guiding light. There, the ringmaster announced through his foghorn, that his demand was to see the king, while the second and most important demand was for the king to deliver the babe back into the arms of her awaiting mother and her kindred Circus People.

This aroused then awoke the slumbering castle wall guards. At first, they were astonished in wondering, “what the hay bale”…but as their sleepy senses began to reassemble, they collected their composures and shouted back, “Who artest thou and what says you again?” The ringmaster promptly announced but once again his intentions through the foghorn. “Give back the l’enfant du cirque tribu and we will leave you in peace,” demanded the ringmaster.

The guards were in amazement and with dropped jaws retorted back, “And if we do not do so of your babe request, exactly how do you intend to disturb our peace?” With three waves of the torch, a summons was signaled to summon the rest of the Circus People from behind the old farm stone wall and out into sight of the guards. The Circus People standing all in plain sight, were quickly evaluated by the guards and without the faintest of gumption, simultaneously burst out in laughter and even began choking, laughing so hard once they had spotted the two jesters among the Circus People’s ranks.

Above, amongst all the laughter, shouted the commanding guard, “T’is this all you got to go forth in capturing us and retrieving the babe?” And he added, “I see no forms of weaponry, but if you insist, bring it on.”

After giving a final neglected warning, the ringmaster waved the torch two times and out rolled on wooden wheels the Circus People’s four catapults. Positioned to project a trajectory directly into the compounds of the castle, the four human catapulters did not just mount the catapult’s sling, but had themselves torched. Once mounted in the slings on the count of three the catapult triggers were pulled and up and away flew the human fireballs. They were lit as a comet traversing the course of the night sky. Up over the walls and into the castle’s compound they landed. The fireballs fell into the army’s gathering troops immediately dispersing them and confusing them. Still ablaze, the human fireballs raced to the gates of the draw bridge opening the doors.

No soldier could get close enough to the human fireballs with anticipation in halting them due to the flames. So the human fireballs successfully lowered the drawbridge over the moat and ran out to the Circus People where they were then doused.

With the castle gates wide open and the roping burned crisply in half that closed them, the Circus People had an opening to enter.

To Do Battle:
Forlorn though, for as instant as pudding is these days, the king’s soldiers poured out first onto the drawbridge in force, but the Circus People stood their ground. The two strongmen came up in a purposeful stride and methodic cadence and blocked the exit of the drawbridge. Both on each end, the brute strengthened men had carried a heavy and I must say a really long 24 inch thick pole that when they dropped it, it made all in proximity hop one and three-quarter inches into the air as the pole went thud banging the ground. Seeing this and the troops wobble for two seconds from the afterschock, it stalled the soldiers enough to give time for one strongman to center the pole over his shoulders and the other one to begin to push one end of the pole until it began to twirl around and around on top of the other strongman’s shoulders.

The soldiers regained their battle composure and began to charge endlessly across the narrow drawbridge. But as they charged, each wave was knocked silly into the moat by the twirling pole. The soldiers would daren’t charge anymore and retreated back into the safety of the castle’s walls. Once all the soldiers were back inside, they decided to throw ladders of rope down the sides of the walls and attack in long lines where the strongmen could not get to all of them at once, as they were on the drawbridge positioned as if they were pins on a bowling alley.

The ladders were anchored then lowered and down they climbed into the moat and began to swim across to smash the Circus People once and for all. But what the soldiers did not know, were that the circus seals had just prior, slipped into the moat and began head-butting and tail-slapping the soldiers, as they attempted to swim across. In the bellies and on the rears, the seals did head ram and fin-tail swat the swimming soldiers into hapless submission. Many of the King's men had met their match in the moat's waters with the seals, but there were still that many more to have made it across and the number of them was ever mounting.

To approach this growing wall of soldiers, the jugglers and tumblers came up to meet and stymie the soldier’s first wave. As the soldiers charged with swords swirling above their heads, the jugglers confronted them by banging the pins each time they juggled off the foreheads of the charging soldiers. Boink, boink, doink...the pins thus did go, continually bouncing in rapid repetition off of soldier noggins.

The tumblers flipping forwards and backwards as they did go in charging the soldiers would flip over one then bend down on all fours, while another tumbler kicked the soldier so hard, out of his pants he went, toppling over the tumbler just behind him. Making for an impossible target, the tumblers were doing this incredibly fast appearing merely as a flash and to retaliate, the soldiers hadn’t a glimmer of a chance.

As other soldiers charged, from out of the darkness of the night sky the trapeze artists strapped to bungee cords would pick a soldier off, grab him and take him straight up into the darkness of the night sky from the recoil of the bungee cords. Then swoosh, another trapeze artist on a swing would suddenly appear from the dark black sky and would swoop down on another poor unsuspecting soldier and up into the darkness they vanished just as quick. It was told that you could hear a picked-off soldier’s scream of AAAAHHHaaaahhhhh, as he was lifted skywards ever so highly disappearing into the night.

After reaching a certain but unknown altitude, it was further stated that one could then hear the soldier’s screams of aaaahhhAAAAHHHHH, as he was dropped by the trapeze artists, then falling into the midst of the other soldiers still on the ground. This was a hurting experience for the soldiers above and on ground for sure and it angst them greatly.

If that was not enough the stilt men were drop kicking the soldiers one by one then two by twos at least 22 yards into the ranks of the soldiers behind them. There, the wolf men zigged here and zagged there, twisting a soldier’s leg and rendering them with limply gaits, as they went to and fro throughout the soldier’s charging ranks.

The soldiers dashed for a stand of trees in hopes of afforded protections from what was attacking them from land, air and moat-water. But to their dismay, the circus chimpanzees and three gorillas with a monkey on their back were above in the branches awaiting their golden moment of ambush. As the soldiers huddled below the treetops, frantically looking everywhere but up, then there that moment had come. So down they jumped, as hurdling primate cannonballs, they did each strike three to four terrified soldiers, hastily climbing back up to take down three to four more. The lil' monkeys, at every chance they had, poked a soldier's eyes rendering him to seeing only shooting stars and rainbow colors from the poking monkey's poke...pain, pang and ouch.

This is how the phrase, "a monkey on my back," received its origin of meaning.

But of utmost effect unleashed upon the soldiers was the very first attempt at chemical warfare. The Circus People had fed burlap bagfuls of peanuts to the elephants and we all know what peanuts do to the big critters; no matter young or old...it makes them really poot. So it was, all in a semicircle half surrounding the premise of the soldiers and with their backsides aimed directly, tails lifted, the passing of pachyderm gas commenced in one stupendous blow. The soldiers were stopped in their tracks coughing and gagging, searching for at least one gulp of fresh air, but there was none to be had. The heat waves were even burning their noses and up into their nostrils it did go.

Enough was enough; the soldiers' command hollered a loud retreat and the soldiers all began crowding in mass confusion along the drawbridge to get through the gate. But the strongmen were still there with the pole. Grabbing the pole from one end, they surged it through the crowd of soldiers making an opening due to the bowed out legs the pole had thrust between splayed knees. Through the opening galloped the miniature ponies with dwarfs mounted banging the bottoms of the soldiers with frying pans as they passed through. Here, the two jesters saw their chance and in rounding up the puppy dogs, passed through the opening as well just behind the wee horsies and banging dwarfs.

Once inside, the two jesters knew precisely where the king had the babe and scurried with their puppies to gain entrance. In the meantime, the elephants cleared the drawbridge of soldier debri and the magnificent white horses with circus females decked out in all their circus clothing and regalia pranced through two in a row and one row at a time. The organized disarray of the clowns, some riding zigzagging zebras, quickly followed suit pulling pranks on the hapless soldiers along their way.

In full determination mode, the two jesters made haste to the quarters of where the l’enfant du cirque tribu was tucked away with each puppy taking turn in leading the way.

The Score Settled:
Three wizards and one sage who routinely counseled the king, made way for the king’s sleeping quarters to awaken him and give the bad news that the castle had been breached by the Circus People. Not one would dare to awaken the king from his snoring slumber beforehand, for the king had a terrible habit of lopping off heads of those who would dare disturb his sleep for any reason. But the three wizards and one sage felt the current episode was of epic proportions, so henceforth were compelled to wake the king and bear the grave news. Sure enough, after many tugs and pleas, the king awoke and immediately demanded the intruders of his sleep be beheaded.

But once the realization of the news set into the king’s still drowsy mind, he interceded in the beheading command. He asked his four council members what should he do and they all replied in unison that he should go to the object of the Circus People’s quest and collect the babe and be gone. Though still dressed in his nightgown and sleeping cap, this is precisely what he did and beat the two jesters by arriving first. The two jesters would have made it long before the king, but were detained and detoured two or three times by the king’s knights. Thanks be for the puppy dogs though, for they knew precisely where to bite through all the knight garb-ware the knights wore and salvaged the two jester’s continuing journey for the l’enfant du cirque tribu. Finally, they had made it to the room of the babe, surprising the king before he could make a getaway.

As they entered, they at first only saw the frightened maidens who attended the infant. But, after further scanning the room saw a hung carpet with a bulge move. Swiftly they went for the carpet and tore it from its hangers revealing the king holding a hunter’s knife in one hand and the babe in the other. Through all this, the two jesters were perplexed that the babe had not uttered one sound, much less cry, but instead, radiated a pleasing aura that filled the room with the strangest sense of security, as if everything was going to turn out to be alright.

The jesters knew the cruelty the king was capable of and saw it in his eyes at this moment that it would not bother him one bit to do harm to the baby. They kept their distance so as not to excite him. The king ordered his four councilors to grab and hold the two jesters. The three wizards and one sage hesitantly obeyed his command, seized the jesters and held them at bay. The king then barked out another command to pierce the two jesters through with a sword.

Feeling their end was near, the two jesters said to the king, you have sire, always ridiculed us and never bothered to know us with namesakes. For sure the jesters weren’t just known as jesters as the king thought they were without a name. He never took the time to even ask them of their entity of designations, but of the jester’s family folds they were called Jasper and Casper. To this end, the jesters were to announce to the king their very identity; that they were more than just a fool's tool for disposal.

“Sire, I am Jasper,” said one and the other followed, “And I am Casper.” Lest you never forget our names they both commanded to the king. It was at this moment, that very moment when one of the wizards who not really had the guts to gut Jasper and Casper, threw down the sword. As the sage looked out in the courtyard and saw what the three wizards had already knew due to their wizardry, was that the King’s soldiers were pinned, encircled by elephants, lions, tigers and the magnificent white horses. All the circus animals were sitting on their backsides, as so trained by their animal trainer, with hooves, trunks and clawed paws paddling the air just in front of the soldiers' faces.

A forlorn situation indeed for anyone, but once the king was told of the setting outside the window by the sage as he was messaging what was unfolding, the king became the utmost of outrage. He ordered the soldiers to fight back; a true mass suicidal event if there ever was to be one. But just when the soldiers were about to obey the king’s command relayed by the sage's shout, in swooshed the dragons with the oh-so yellow eyes.

Forgiven and Beyond:
The yellowed eyed dragons would have arrived sooner, but as you know, dragons can’t fly in snowstorms, so had to walk their way. Now as the soldiers were about to face the consequential consequences of facing elephants, lions, tigers and magnificent white horses, they were not about to die the death from a dragon’s wrath, for ya see, there was devout fear for a yellow eyed dragon. The soldiers surrendered to never raise arms again in battle. Once this scene was relayed to the king, he looked directly into the gleaming eyes of the baby where said, his appearance and manner melted into a crumpled mess. It was his chagrin, "What have I wrought?" He now realized his hateful ways of greed had seen its final number arrive.

“Jasper, Casper here is your babe,” so said the king and handed the precious bundle over to them. Quickly Jasper took hold of the bundle and with Casper leading and the puppy dogs in hot pursuit, raced to the rightful parents to allow them to behold their most treasured belonging. Once Jasper handed the baby over to the mother, all the Circus People bowed in unison and out of respect. Praise was also afforded to Jasper and Casper for their heroism and act of valor and for this were both granted total responsibility of the puppy troupe. That meant they were now permanent members of the Circus People. Jasper and Casper were indeed in gratitude. But it was with in most of their emotions going to the parents, when the father and mother of the l’enfant du cirque tribu declared them as the child’s official uncles. Uncle Jasper and Uncle Casper had now been christened so.

The tyrant days of the king was forever duly over. All Regulars could now go about their regular business ways, but not to worry for the king. He had mended his employ dropping the tyrannical king ways, opting for better and became the best dairyman of all lands. It was said by most of witnessing age that he could fill four to six pails brimming of milk within ten minutes while milking a cow. His milk now fed all the infants and children of all the lands. The king’s heart had finally been touched. With little fanfare he constructed, molded and erected a replica statue to honor the See-Throughs he had all slain. And as told by locals, it still stands at the very site where he first placed it.

All was well as the Circus People returned to their land. Uncle Jasper and Uncle Casper were always nearby their growing niece doting and offering protective protection at every turn until she fell in love and married the young man who had taught himself a unique circus act where he could join the circus. With holdings in the lineage of the Circus People, this is totally why you hear tell this very day of a circus. Though we never hear of a See-Through as they left this Earth long ago, we do know of the Circus People remaining. It is a good thing too, for after all, through the heart…everyone loves the circus.


The End!
BJA,
Happy Endings,
03/31/2011



2 comments:

  1. This incredible tale reads like an orchestra piece, BJ! You as the conductor, deliver an exhilarating and affecting account of this endearing fairytale--perfectly paced, an imaginatively pictorial reading that might give pause to focused readers. There are quiet passages, faster-toned ones, frenzied moments, humorous bits sprinkled throughout. A very refreshing break from your more serious-toned texts. Truly a delightful read! You are a very prolific and ingenious writer. I do wish, if the baby just HAAAD to be married at the end to somebody, that you had safely tucked away one last survivor of the see-throughs for her. That would have been the perfect ending--for me anyway.

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  2. Why thank ya kindly ever so gratefully Miss. Shtick for those delivered words.

    Ah yes, but for the l'enfant du cirque tribu's further future tales and revival of the See-Throughs' antiquity is a task yet cast for another time to be continued in another fable's saga.

    Regards,
    BJA

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