It’s Jingle’s job to ride in the circus wagon with the baby animals. He’s too young to perform with the older clowns, so until they decide he’s ready, he helps take care of the babies. He loves traveling with the circus and listening to the band as they move from town to town across the countryside.
Frick, Frack, Smick and Smack, the little monkeys, were particularly frisky that day. Lolly, the baby elephant, was getting tired of traveling. They were almost to the small village where they always performed on Christmas Eve, and soon they would all be able to rest.
When they reached the small village, it looked deserted. Usually there were lights in the windows and smoke came out of the chimneys, but not tonight. A few people came to meet them, and explained that the crops failed that year, and nearly everyone in town had left to find work in other cities. The circus would have to move on – the town couldn’t afford to pay them.
The ringmaster suggested that they head on to the big city, but Jingle was concerned that the animals were too tired to travel any further that day. The decision was made to send the circus on to the city for their next performance, while Jingle stayed in the small village with the baby animals, to rest. The circus would come back for them in a couple of days.
They were sad to part, but the saddest thing of all for Jingle was being alone on Christmas. The kindly villagers who remained did their best to give him a holiday, and in return, Jingle and the animals put on a miniature circus. The poor villagers were delighted with the free show, and Jingle’s heart was full, nearly to bursting, with the Christmas spirit.
(This book was published in 1992 by the Putnam and Grosset Group and was illustrated by the author.)
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