“That—­that wasn’t in the show!” stammered Tom, for some of the water went in his mouth.

“I know it wasn’t in it,” laughed Jimmie, “but I thought I’d put it in!”

At first Tom and Ned were a little angry, but when each looked at the other, and saw how funny he was, with half the white and red spots washed off his face, each one had to laugh.

The audience laughed, too.  The water did no harm, for it was a hot day, and the boys had on old clothes.  So they did not mind.  But Tom and Ned decided to play a little trick on Jimmie.  So, while he was laughing at what he had done to them, they suddenly ran at him, caught him, and put him in the wheelbarrow.  Before he could get out they began wheeling him around the barn floor.

“Now dump him!” suddenly cried Tom, and out shot Jimmie on a pile of hay.  Before he could get up Tom had dashed some water on him.

“Now we’re even!” cried Ned.  “You’re wet, too!”

It was all in fun, and no one minded getting wet.  Then the circus went on.  Sue was ridden in the flower-covered wheelbarrow, driving Ned and Tom.  The boys acted like very nice horses indeed, and went slowly or fast, just as Sue called to them.  She had a wreath of daisies on her hair, and looked like a little flower queen.

After that Bunker Blue and Ben Hall played some music on the mouth organ and comb, while Bunny and Sue were getting ready to give their little Punch and Judy show, which they had played once before, back home.

“Why don’t you do some of your tricks, Ben?” asked Bunker of the new boy, when Bunny and Sue were almost ready.

“Oh, I can’t do any tricks,” said Ben, turning away.

“Yes you can!  I guess you know more about a circus than you are willing to tell; don’t you?”

But Ben did not answer, and then the curtain had to be pulled back to let Bunny and Sue be seen.

I will not tell you about the Punch and Judy show here, as I have written about it in the first book.  Besides, it was not as well done by Bunny and Sue as was the first one.

Bunny forgot some of the things he should have said, and so did Sue.  Besides, Bunny had no big, red, hollow lobster claw to put over his nose, to make himself look like Mr. Punch.  But, for all that, the show was very much enjoyed by all, especially the children.

The race on the two rocking horses was lots of fun, and toward the end one of the boys rocked his horse so much that he fell over, but there was some straw for him to fall on, so he was not hurt.  Up he jumped, on to the back of his horse again, and away he rode.  But the other boy won the race.

Then Bunny and Sue jumped from some carpenter horses, through hoops that were covered with paper pasted over them, just like in a real circus.

“Crack!” went the paper as Bunny and Sue jumped through.

“Oh, it’s just like real; isn’t it, Mother?” called a little girl in the audience.  It was very still when she said this, and everyone laughed so loudly that Bunny Brown looked around.  And, as he did not look where he was jumping, he tumbled and fell off the saw-horse.