THE lily pond was quite shallow. Connie knew Veve would not drown. However, she was annoyed that her friend had fallen into the water, taking the red and green umbrella with her.

“Oh, Veve!” she exclaimed. “You were so sure you could walk across.”

Veve did not hear because she was trying to untangle herself from the mass of roots and plants. Standing up, she tore off a big green lily pad which had plastered itself across her face.

“Just look at yourself,” chided Connie. “You’re dripping wet. And my pretty umbrella!”

“Oh, it will dry out,” mumbled Veve. She waded to the side of the pool.

“Veve!” called a voice from across the yard. “Veve McGuire!” The girls turned to see Mrs. McGuire coming toward them. She had returned from work and her face was quite stern.

“Veve, come into the house!” she exclaimed. “You’ve fallen into the lily pond and ruined your clothes.”

“I couldn’t help it, Mother,” mumbled Veve, wringing water from her limp skirt. “The rope broke. And I hurt myself too. On a rock.”

Mrs. McGuire glanced carefully at the bruised place on Veve’s knee. She saw that the skin had not been broken.

“What were you trying to do this time, Veve?” she asked with a sigh.

“We were practicing for our Brownie circus,” explained Veve. “We’re having it tomorrow.”

“There will be no circus tomorrow or any other day unless you mend your careless ways,” replied the little girl’s mother. “Now, into the house and change your clothes.”

“What about Lazy Tom?” asked Veve. “Who will take him home?”

“Lazy Tom?”

“Our lion,” explained Veve. “That is, I mean Mrs. Moseley’s cat. He’s upstairs resting on my bed.” “Oh dear,” sighed Mrs. McGuire. “Veve, what won’t you think of next?”

Now Mrs. McGuire loved her daughter very much, but Veve caused her considerable worry.

On one occasion the little girl had hooked her sled to an automobile bumper and was carried far out into the country. The story of this adventure and of the good time the Brownies had in Minnesota, is told in the volume: “The Brownie Scouts at Snow Valley.”

Since joining the Brownies, Veve was a fairly responsible little girl, for she took very seriously the Brownie rule of being courteous, kind, helpful and fair.

Nevertheless, at times her high spirits carried her away and then she was likely to find herself in difficulties.

“I’ll be glad to take Lazy Tom home,” Connie offered.

Getting the cat from Veve’s room, she carried him to Mrs. Moseley’s house and then returned home for her own supper.

“You’re rather late, Connie,” her mother chided her. “Too busy a day?”

“Planning a circus is such hard work,” Connie replied. “But it’s a lot of fun and we may make money for the Brownies. Only we’ll have to get busy right away!”

At school the next day she told the other Brownies about plans for the circus. All the girls were eager to help. In fact, they became so interested in making plans that it was difficult to keep their minds on their school work.

Eileen, who was clever with a pen, made posters to tack up in the classroom. Then each girl listed the things she could do or the animals she would furnish for the menagerie.

“I know what we can use for a bear!” cried Sunny. “My mother has a big bearskin rug I can wear!”

“Barney Adams has a pet goat and a cart,” contributed Jane. “I think maybe I can borrow it if I work him right.”

“I have some pet snails, a toad and a beautiful garter snake,” Eileen added. “I’ll bring them. Then we can make paper collars for our dogs and cats.”

“And decorate the wheels of our bicycles for the grand parade,” said Belinda. “Oh, I hope we make loads of money.”

Because Veve had thought up the idea of having the circus, everyone agreed it was proper that she should be the master of ceremonies.

“I have a clown suit she can wear,” offered Rosemary. “By the way, where is Veve?”

Although the little girl had attended school that day, she had seemed unusually quiet. Now that the Brownies thought about it, she hadn’t talked very much about the circus plans. And the moment that classes were dismissed for the day, she had disappeared.

“Veve probably went home to get ready for the circus,” Connie said. “We all must hurry.”

“I’ll have to see Barney Adams about his goat,” Jane declared. “Why don’t you come with me, Connie?”

“Oh, all right,” the other agreed. “But we haven’t much time.”

The girls found Barney at his home. But when they told him about the Brownie circus and their need for a goat and cart, a speculative look came into his eye.

“What’ll you give me?” he bargained.

“Why, Barney Adams!” Jane said indignantly. “This is supposed to be a charity circus.”

“Not for me, it isn’t,” insisted Barney. “My goat takes a lot of care, and I can’t let you have him without something in swap. Anyway, you might damage him.”

“Whoever heard of damaging an old goat?” Connie demanded. “Why, he eats old tin cans!”

“He does not!” Barney denied.

“And he’s frightfully dirty,” said Jane. “Maybe we don’t want such a dirty animal in our circus.”

She acted as if she were about to walk away.

“Wait!” Barney called her back. “I’ll let you have the goat if you’ll give me your jacks set.”

“Not my new one!” Jane said indignantly. “Your old goat isn’t worth it.”

“How would you like a free ticket to the circus instead?” coaxed Connie. “Your goat will have one of the leading parts.”

Barney thought this proposition over. “Oh, all right,” he suddenly said. “But take good care of him.”

The boy hitched the goat to the little cart and the girls led him off down the street.

By the time they reached the Williams’ back yard, many of the other Brownies were there, hard at work preparing for the circus. They had brought their bicycles, pets, and a great many odds and ends. Before five o’clock, the hour set for the show, everyone was on hand except Veve McGuire.

“What’s keeping her?” Jane demanded impatiently. “She thought up the circus, and since she’s to be master of ceremonies she should be here right now.”

Connie was worried about Veve’s absence, for she knew her next-door playmate would not miss the circus deliberately.

Just as Jane spoke, she chanced to glance up toward Veve’s bedroom window. She was startled to see her friend there, dressed in pajamas.

“Why, Veve isn’t even dressed!” she exclaimed.

Seeing Connie gazing up at her, Veve raised the sash and leaned far out. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

“Why, Veve,” Connie said, moving directly under the window. “Can’t you be in the Brownie circus?”

Veve shook her head. She told Connie she had to stay in her room until six o’clock as punishment for falling into the lily pond.

“Oh, Veve! The circus will be ruined without you! We need everyone.”

“I want to be in it too.”

“Can’t you ask your mother—” “I have already,” Veve said gloomily. “About a dozen times. It’s no use.”

So that the girls would not see her cry, she pulled down the window and moved back out of sight.

“Well, there goes our Brownie circus,” Belinda said when Connie relayed the bad news to the waiting Brownies. “We can’t have it without Veve.”

“Perhaps if we all went to Mrs. McGuire and explained how important it is to have the Brownie circus, she’ll excuse Veve,” Connie suggested hopefully.

“Let’s do it,” urged Belinda. “We can’t give up the circus after we’ve told everyone we’re having it.”

The other girls liked the proposal, so together they went to the McGuire home.

Mrs. McGuire, who had arrived from her office only a few minutes earlier, opened the door. Even before Connie explained why they were there, she seemed to understand.

“I do believe Veve has been punished enough for her misdeed,” she said. “And I certainly wouldn’t want to see the Brownie circus postponed.”

“Then you’ll let Veve out of the house?” Sunny asked quickly. “I’ll call her now,” promised Mrs. McGuire.

Veve had been listening to the conversation from the head of the stairs. In a flash she was dressed and downstairs. Another five minutes and she had scrambled into the clown suit and was ready to direct the circus.

“Everyone get ready for the big parade!” she shouted. “The spectators are arriving.”

Several boys and girls from Rosedale School already had gathered on the back fence with their nickel admission price ready. Within a few minutes, other children began to arrive, and a few of the parents.

Connie collected the admission fees. Then at last the circus was ready to start.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Veve called in a loud voice. She swept off the pointed clown cap and made a low bow. “Your attention please! We present—the great Brownie Scout circus!”

Having made the announcement, she darted back to take her place at the head of the parade.

Three times the procession went around the lily pool ring. Behind Veve came Connie riding in the goat cart. After her were the other Brownies who rode their bicycles or pulled coaster wagons bearing pets. All the spectators cheered and clapped.

After the parade, Veve announced that the first act would be a headstand “by one of the limber-est acrobats in the whole world—Miss Sunny Davidson.”

That young showlady, dressed in her gym suit, promptly stepped into the center of the ring. Her first attempt at a headstand was a failure. Legs waved uncertainly in the air a moment. Then she lost her balance and fell flat on the ground.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” called Veve. “Miss Davidson was only practicing! You now will have the pleasure of seeing this great acrobat do a regular headstand.”

The next time, Sunny kept her balance much better. When she jumped to her feet and made a sweeping bow, the audience clapped and everyone was sure the circus would be a great success.

“The next act, ladies and gentlemen,” announced Veve, “will be an exhibition by the great-est horseback rider in the world—Miss Connie Williams.”

Veve should have said “the greatest goat rider in the world,” because Connie had no horse. She had unhitched the goat from the cart and was trying to climb astride. However, her mount was not used to such treatment and refused to budge.

“Switch him a little, Veve,” she urged.

Veve did as she was told, but laid the stick on a trifle too hard. The goat bolted across the vacant lot so fast that Connie was thrown to the ground. Luckily, she fell in the soft grass and was unhurt.

The circus continued, but at a slower pace. After awhile, Mrs. Williams and the other parents began to drift away, so that only children were left as spectators.

Scarcely had the grownups departed than a group of older boys came down the street. Seeing that a circus was in progress, they perched themselves on the back fence to watch.

“You have to pay five cents to get in,” Connie informed them politely.

“What do you mean, ‘get in’?” demanded one of the boys. “We’re already in.”

“No,” denied Connie firmly. “You have to pay. We’re trying to raise money for a Brownie camping trip.”

“We’ll not go on with the circus unless you pay five cents,” said Veve, walking over to the fence.

“Listen to the little girl prattle!” jeered the boy. “She calls this a circus! Just look at those mangy cats in boxes!”

“You’re trying to break up our circus!” Veve accused angrily. “Go away or we’ll call a policeman!”

“She’ll call a policeman,” mimicked one of the boys. “There isn’t one within ten blocks.”

“Oh, yes, there is,” cried Connie suddenly. “And he’s coming straight here now!”

At that moment she had caught sight of Captain James Bartley, who was walking toward the Williams’ yard. Now the older boys did not know that Connie had invited the police officer to see the circus. Instead, they thought he might be after them.

“Jiggers! Let’s get out of here!” called the leader of the boys, sliding down from the fence.

With his companions, he ran away as fast as his legs would carry him.

“Well, well,” said the policeman as he entered the yard. “Am I too late to see the Brownie circus?”

“You’re just in time to save it,” laughed Connie. “Those boys tried to break up our show.”

“When they saw you coming they ran away,” added Veve.

The policeman turned to look down the street. By this time the boys were too far away for him to overtake them easily.

“I know the gang,” he said. “They’re always into mischief. The next time I see them, I’ll deliver a good lecture.”

Eileen asked Captain Bartley if he would like to see the circus.

“Yes, that’s why I came,” replied the policeman. “I can’t stay long, so on with the show!”

The Brownies were thrilled to have a uniformed policeman in the audience. So that he would not miss anything, they went through the parade again and Sunny repeated her headstand.

“Now I’ll do my animal act,” offered Veve.

The policeman said he could not stay to see any more of the circus. He was very sorry because it was such a fine show. As he was ready to leave, he reached into his pocket for a coin.

“Oh, you paid your nickel once,” said Connie quickly.

“This circus is worth many times the admission price,” declared the policeman. He dropped fifty cents into Connie’s hand.

The Brownies felt very proud because Captain Bartley had liked their circus so well. Jane, who still had a few tickets to sell to the real circus, asked him if he would care to buy any.

“Why, yes, my wife and I had planned to go next Saturday,” Captain Bartley replied, taking out his billfold. “The boys at the station should buy a few too. Tell you what! Give me six.”

Jane did not have that many tickets left but she borrowed from Rosemary.

After Captain Bartley had gone, the Brownies counted the money they had taken in at the play circus, and the number of tickets sold for the real one.

“One dollar and fifteen cents for our show!” announced Connie. “And we’ve sold forty-two tickets to the real circus. That’s sixteen dollars and eighty cents profit.”

“Plus five free tickets,” added Eileen in satisfaction. “Won’t Miss Gordon be surprised?”

At school the next day, when the Brownies reported the success of their circus to the teacher, they learned that she also had a surprise for them.

“I sold a few tickets myself,” she revealed. “Twenty-five.”

“A few?” laughed Connie. “Why, that earns the troop another ten dollars!”

“And it gives us three more free circus tickets,” cried Belinda. “We’ll all be able to see the show now.”

The Brownies agreed that because their play circus had been a joint effort, the proceeds should go into the general treasury. Veve, who had thought up the idea for the show, did not mind. However, it meant that she must think up another way to earn her individual camp fee.

Miss Gordon told the Brownies she not only would take them to the circus, but also to see the unloading at the railroad station.

“It will mean getting up at six o’clock,” she warned the girls. “Think you can make it?”

All the Brownies assured her they could. According to plan, they were to ride to the station in the Williams’ sedan and Miss Gordon’s coupe. Everyone was to meet at Connie’s house at six o’clock Saturday morning.

Veve spent Friday night with Connie. When the alarm clock rang a few minutes after five o’clock, the girls were so sleepy they scarcely could drag themselves from beneath the covers.

By the time they were dressed and downstairs, Mrs. Williams had hot cereal, toast and chocolate waiting for them.

“Now do eat your breakfasts,” she urged as Connie took a few bites and stopped. “You have a long, tiring day ahead of you.”

“I’m not a bit hungry,” said Connie, but she finished all the cereal.

By six o’clock Miss Gordon and all the Brownies had arrived at the Williams’ home.

Veve and Connie shivered a little as they squeezed in beside Mrs. Williams in the front seat of the sedan.

“It will be warmer now that the sun is coming up,” said Mrs. Williams.

Few automobiles were on the street at such an early hour. But the Brownies saw many cars as they approached the railroad station. Mrs. Williams and Miss Gordon parked as close as they could to the tracks.

“The circus train is in already!” cried Veve, catching sight of the brightly painted cars. “Oh, hurry or we’ll miss everything!”

The Brownies kept close to Miss Gordon and Mrs. Williams as they walked through the crowd. They knew they easily could become separated in such a large throng.

Circus men were unloading great tent poles, canvas, cook-house equipment, work horses and wagons. Heavy objects were being moved by the elephants. The Brownies found it all very exciting to watch.

Veve and Connie were especially interested in seeing the animals moved. Some of the cages were covered with canvas so they could not see what they contained. But they glimpsed camels, a zebra, bears, lions, a baboon and a queer looking animal which even Miss Gordon could not name.

“Oh, see!” cried Connie as another cage was removed from one of the stock cars. “A tiger!”

“He’s mad too!” laughed Jane, clutching her Brownie cap to prevent the wind from blowing it away. “Watch him stalk up and down and snarl.”

The seven Brownies never before had seen such a large, handsome cat. But his eyes were very wicked looking. They watched the workmen carry the cage to a waiting truck.

“See that little girl, Veve!” exclaimed Connie a moment later.

She pointed toward one of the sleeper cars. A girl not more than ten years of age, dressed in silk trousers and a blue velvet jacket, swung down from the steps. “I wonder what she does?” speculated Veve. “Perhaps she’s a trapeze performer.”

The little girl had been walking toward the Brownies and chanced to hear the remark. Pausing, she turned and looked squarely at Veve.

“I am not a trapeze performer,” she said coldly. “I have my own riding act!”

“Do you ride bareback?” Veve asked breathlessly as the girl started away.

The circus girl gazed at her as if she considered the question rather stupid.

“Of course,” she replied. “I somersault from one horse to another. My name is on the bill.”

“Then you must be Eva Leitsall!” exclaimed Connie, who remembered seeing the name on one of the circus posters. “Is it fun to travel with a circus?”

The little girl did not answer, for just then a shout went up from the crowd. Eva whirled around to glance toward a truck where the wild animals had been loaded. The Brownies could see men, women and children scattering in all directions.

“What has happened?” gasped Mrs. Williams. She and Miss Gordon quickly drew the Brownies close together.

“The tiger is out of his cage!” exclaimed Eva Leitsall. “One of the attendants must have left it unfastened.”

And then the circus girl did a rather brave thing. Holding up both arms, she faced the terrified crowd.

“Be quiet, everyone!” she ordered. “The tiger will not attack unless you excite him! The animal men will get him back in his cage!”