The Circus of Dr. Lao Read Online Free Page B

big snake in there. Wonder what it is."
     "Looks like a boa constrictor to me."
     "Nope," said one of the motorcycle patrolmen, "it ain't a boa constrictor. It's an anaconda from South America. Teddy Roosevelt caught one when he was hunting down there years ago."
     "Is it poisonous?"
     "Oh, sure. That thing's got enough poison to kill a whole regiment."
     "Jesus! Sure is some snake!"
     "I've seen 'em bigger'n that one when the liquor's in me," said a big fat cop.
     The other officers laughed and agreed. The desk sergeant, who had been watching from the window, called out: "Hey, chief, we ought to have a wagon like that middle one there to pen up drunks in like that feller's penned up."
     "Yeah," said the chief, "it's a good idea; only what feller you talking about?"
     "The one in the wagon."
     The chief chuckled. "Heh, heh. Old Baldy thinks that bear is a man. Guess his sight's failing."
     "I don't see no bear, chief," said the motorcycle patrolman.
     "Well, it's right in front of your goddam nose. Wipe off your goggles and you can see it."
     "I'll be damned if that's a bear," persisted the patrolman.
     "Well," said the chief in disgust, "there's two people I don't never argue with: one's a woman and the other's a damn fool. And you ain't no woman!"
         Mrs. Rogers asked her three children if they had enjoyed the parade.
     "Naw," said Willie. "There wasn't no clowns there, ner elephants, ner nuthin'."
     "Well, I liked it," said Alice. "There was the prettiest little mule. All shiny like it was gold or something."
     "I liked the big green dog," said little Edna.
     "A green dog?" said Mrs. Rogers. "Now, Edna, what are you saying?"
     "Well, it was green, mother. Just as green as grass. Only it didn't never bark or anything."
     "And then there was that thing like that statue on the table," said Willie.
     "What statue?" asked Mrs. Rogers.
     Willie brought the statue in. "This one. What's the name of it, mother?"
     "Well, it's called a sphinx, but I'm quite sure you didn't see a sphinx in a circus parade."
     "Yes we did, mother," said Alice, "a real live sphinx. It looked like a woman sticking her front out of a lion. It was pulling a wagon with a big bear in it."
     "It wasn't a bear," said Edna, "it was a man."
     "It was a bear," said Alice.
     "It was a man."
     "It was a bear."
     "It was a man."
     "Oh, heavens! Don't start that now," said Mrs. Rogers. "What was it, Willie, a bear or a man?"
     "I thought it was a Russian," said Willie.
     Mrs. Rogers sat down. "You children see the strangest things sometimes. What else was there, Alice?"
     "Well, there was a man with horns on his head like a goat; and there was a Chinaman; and there was a snake; and there was a man what looked like God."
     "Oh, Alice," said Mrs. Rogers, "how can you say such a thing?"
     "Well," said Alice, "he looked just like those pictures of Jesus in the Sunday-School book, didn't he, Edna?"
     "Just exactly," said Edna. "Long brown hair and beard and white robes and everything. He looked awfully old, though."
     "Well, was that all there was in the parade?" asked Mrs. Rogers.
     "That's all, mother. There weren't any clowns or elephants or bands or camels or anything."
     "Weren't there any horses?"
     "There was a horse with a horn on its head, but it had a funny tail," said Edna.
     "Well, it must have been a queer parade," said Mrs. Rogers. "I wish I had seen it."
     A little later Mr. Rogers came in with a funny look on his face.
     "What's the matter?" his wife asked.
     "I dunno," said the plumber; "it don't seem right. That parade I saw just now. Oh, yeah, before I forget; I got work, Sarah, nine months' work