riages. The signal being given, the audience, consisting of one human
being, would take in hand the large magnifying glass, hold it over the
ring, and the performance would begin. At the word of command from the
director, a very jolly, red-faced old gentleman, armed with a pair of
pincers, a tiny trap-door in one of the wooden houses sprang open and a
number of fleas filed out. They passed around the circle in a dignified
manner, appearing through the glass about as large as wasps or bees.
Each flea had a gold cord about its waist, and this was the grand entry
always seen at the circus. Having completed the circuit, they returned
to their quarters, and the performance proper commenced. Five fleas,
each adorned with a different color, stepped from another house, and
after running about here and there, and being admonished by the
director, ranged themselves in a line, and at the word "go!" started on
a rush around the circle; running into each other, rolling over and
over, and making frantic leaps over one another. Only after half the
course had been gone over, did they move in regular order, and strive
fairly for the goal. In another moment, a large flea would have won the
race had not two laggards almost at the last instant, as if made
reckless by their evident risk of defeat, taken a desperate leap and
landed far beyond the winning-post. Forthwith they were taken up in the
pincers, and placed in solitary confinement in the glass phial, where it
was supposed they had learned not to jump.

[Illustration: THE DANCE.]

A dance was next announced and at a signal from the manager there came
tumbling out from the third house probably the most ludicrous band of
performers ever witnessed. Each dancer was in full regalia, like the
ladies who ride the padded horses in the regular circus, their dresses
of tissue paper being ornamented with purple, gold, and red hues. The
glass was placed in position, the spectator looked through it, the
performers were lifted in by the pincers, and the dance began--a mixture
of the Highland-fling, the sailor's hornpipe, and a "regular"
break-down.

[Illustration: THE HURDLE-RACE.]

The little creatures bobbed up and down, now on one claw, now on all
six, hopping, leaping, bowing, and scraping, moving forward and back,
bumping into one another, now up, now down, until they seemed utterly
exhausted, and several that had fallen down, and were kept by their
voluminous skirts from getting up, had t