, never in all our lives had we had such a gay galaxy of animals at
our command. The rabbits and the guinea-pigs, and even all the bright,
glass-eyed, stuffed denizens of our late-lamented jungle paled into
insignificance before the number of live things on the farm.

(I hope you do not think that the words I use are getting too long. I
know they are the right words. And Albert's uncle says your style is
always altered a bit by what you read. And I have been reading the
Vicomte de Bragelonne. Nearly all my new words come out of those.)

'The worst of a circus is,' Dora said, 'that you've got to teach the
animals things. A circus where the performing creatures hadn't learned
performing would be a bit silly. Let's give up a week to teaching them
and then have the circus.'

Some people have no idea of the value of time. And Dora is one of those
who do not understand that when you want to do a thing you do want to,
and not to do something else, and perhaps your own thing, a week later.

Oswald said the first thing was to collect the performing animals.

'Then perhaps,' he said, 'we may find that they have hidden talents
hitherto unsuspected by their harsh masters.'

So Denny took a pencil and wrote a list of the animals required. This is
it:

LIST OF ANIMALS REQUISITE FOR THE
CIRCUS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE

1 Bull for bull-fight. 1 Horse for ditto (if possible). 1 Goat to do
Alpine feats of daring. 1 Donkey to play see-saw. 2 White pigs--one to
be Learned, and the other to play with the clown. Turkeys, as many as
possible, because they can make a noise that The dogs, for any odd
parts. 1 Large black pig--to be the Elephant in the procession. Calves
(several) to be camels, and to stand on tubs.

Daisy ought to have been captain because it was partly her idea, but she
let Oswald be, because she is of a retiring character. Oswald said--

'The first thing is to get all the creatures together; the paddock at
the side of the orchard is the very place, because the hedge is good all
round. When we've got the performers all there we'll make a programme,
and then dress for our parts. It's a pity there won't be any audience
but the turkeys.'

We took the animals in their right order, according to Denny's list. The
bull was the first. He is black. He does not live in the cowhouse with
the other horned people; he has a house all to himself two fields away.
Oswald and Alice went to fetch him. They took a halter to lead