【明報專訊】Balloon Boy and Shelley decide to leave their hometown to seek new lives. They want to join a circus so that they will travel to different places and bring different people happiness.
They find a circus called The Family in a small town. They follow its signs in a street to its tent. However, only a few people are in the queue for tickets.
Balloon Boy talks to the person in the box office.
Balloon Boy﹕May we join your circus?
The man was silent as if he were dumb. He points to the tent. Standing near the entrance of the tent, a mustachioed (蓄八字鬚的) chubby (圓胖的) guy is directing workers to move blocks into and out of it. Balloon Boy walks up to him and asks him the same question.
Circus Manager﹕What can you do?
Balloon Boy﹕I can fly.
He does a somersault (翻筋斗) and flies to the top of the tent. Everyone applauds.
Circus Manager﹕All right, you are one of us now. I am Pradia, the circus manager. How about the bird? A friend of yours?
Balloon Boy﹕She is Shelley. She mimics (模仿) humans. And she speaks our language.
Pradia is not surprised at all. Smiling amiably (和藹可親地), he takes them into the tent, where they see all kinds of performers. They all smile to them as if they were dolls.
Balloon Boy﹕They look friendly.
Shelley﹕Yes... but I have a strange feeling. They may not be as nice as they seem to be.
Balloon Boy﹕You're thinking too much, Shelley. Let's look forward to our new lives!
The performers have their meals before the show. They eat something that is brown and thick like pastry and looks rather nasty. When Balloon Boy sits down and tries it, he finds it very delicious. It tastes like a mixture of the best foods in the world.
Girl﹕(sitting next to Balloon Boy)
Tastes good, huh?
Balloon Boy﹕This is the best food I've ever had! It's so delicious!
Girl﹕I think so too.
Balloon Boy finds the girl has seven fingers on each of her hands. The extra fingers are long and crooked (彎曲的). There are scales on them and they look like bird claws. Except for that, she looks ordinary.
What will Balloon Boy and Shelley see in this strange circus?
The Circus (1 of 4)
Text: Ashley Ley
Illustration: Iris Tsoi
