But that was all Sue could think of just then.

Grandpa Brown looked surprised and, taking off his straw hat, scratched his head, as he always did when thinking.

“Going to have a circus; eh?  Well, where abouts?”

“In your barn,” said Bunny.  “That is, if you’ll let us.”

Grandpa Brown thought for a little while.

“Well,” he said slowly, “I guess I don’t mind.  I s’pose it’s only a make-believe circus; isn’t it?”

“Yes,” answered Bunny.  “Just pretend.”

“Oh, well, go ahead.  Have all the fun you like, but don’t get hurt.  Are you two going to be the whole circus?”

“Oh, no!” exclaimed Bunny.  “We’re going to have Tom White and Ned Johnson——­”

“And Nellie Bruce and Sallie Smith,” added Sue.

“All the children around here; eh?” asked grandpa.  “Well, have a good time.  I used to have a trained dog once.  He would do finely for your circus.”

“What could he do?” Bunny wanted to know.

“Oh, he could pretend to say his prayers, make believe he was dead, he could turn somersaults and climb a ladder.”

“Oh, if we only had him for our circus!” cried Bunny.

“Where is that dog now, Grandpa?” asked Sue.

“Oh, he died a good many years ago.  But I guess you can get your dog Splash to do some tricks.  Have a good time, but don’t get into mischief.”

“We won’t!” promised Bunny Brown and his sister Sue.  And they really meant what they said.  But you just wait and see what happens.

The rest of that day Bunny and Sue talked about the circus they were going to have.  Grandma Brown, as well as father and Mother Brown, said she did not mind if a circus was held in the barn, but she wanted Bunny to be careful about going on the trapeze.

“Oh, if I fall I’ll fall in the hay,” said the little fellow with a laugh.

“And what are you going to use to put stripes on your half of Splash?” asked his mother.

“Paint, I guess,” said Bunny.

“Oh, no.  Paint would spoil Splash’s nice, fluffy hair.  I’ll mix you up some starch and water, with a little bluing in, that will easily wash off,” promised Mother Brown.

“Blue stripes!” cried Bunny.  “A tiger doesn’t have blue stripes, and my half of Splash is going to be a tiger.”

“You can pretend he is a new sort of tiger,” said Grandma Brown, and Bunny was satisfied with that.

That afternoon Bunny and Sue went to the homes of the neighboring children to tell them about the circus.  Nearly all the children said they would come, and take part in the show in the barn.

“Oh, we’ll have a fine circus!” cried Bunny Brown that night when they were all sitting on the porch to cool off, for it was quite hot.

“Yes, I guess we’ll all have to come and see you act,” said Daddy Brown.

“Hark!  What’s that?” suddenly asked Grandma Brown.  They all listened, and heard some one knocking at the back door.