“Where de circus—­where de tents?” the Italian wanted to know.

“Oh, they’re not all up yet,” said Bunny.  “The big boys are doing that.  You just come with us.”

And so Bunny Brown and his sister Sue walked up the front path, followed by the Italian with the many-colored balloons floating over his head.

“Mercy me!  What’s all this?” cried Mother Brown, when she saw the little procession.  “What does this mean, Bunny—­Sue?”

“It’s balloons, for the circus,” explained Bunny.  “We saw this man down the road, and we invited him to come with us.  He’s going to stay here until it’s time for the circus, next week, and then he’s going to sell balloons outside the tent.”

“We wanted him to sell pink lemonade and peanuts,” said Sue, “but he wouldn’t.  So the hired man can do that.  Now, Grandma,” went on the little girl, “maybe this balloon man is hungry.  We’re not, ’cause we had some cookies and milk; didn’t we, Bunny?”

“Yep.”

“But he didn’t have any,” Sue went on.  “And he’ll have to have a place to sleep, ’cause he’s going to stay to the circus, and sell balloons.  And if he sells them all Aunt Lu will send him more from New York and he can sell them.  Won’t it be nice, Mother?”

Mrs. Brown did not know what to say.  Neither did Grandma Brown.  They just looked at one another, and then at the Italian, and next at Bunny and Sue.

“Me sella de balloon!” explained the Italian, as best he could in his queer English.  “Little boy—­little gal—­say circus.  Me likea de circus.  But me no see any tents.  Where circus tents?”

“Oh these children!” cried Mrs. Brown.  “What in the world are we to do with this Italian and his balloons?”

“Me sella de balloons!” said the dark-skinned man.

“Yes, I know,” sighed Mrs. Brown.  “But the circus is only a make-believe one, and it isn’t ready yet, and—­Oh, I don’t know what to do!” she cried.  “Bunny—­Sue—­you shouldn’t have invited the balloon man to come here!”

“But you can’t have a circus without balloons,” said Bunny.

“Yes, my dear, I know, but——­”

“What’s all the trouble?” asked Papa Brown, coming out on the porch just then.

Bunny and Sue, their mother and the Italian, told the story after a while.

“Well,” said Mr. Brown, to the Italian, after he had listened carefully, “I’m sorry you had your trip for nothing.  But of course the children did not know any better.  It is only a little circus, and you would not sell many balloons.  But, as long as you came away back here, I guess we can give you something to eat, and we’ll buy some balloons of you for the children.”

“Thanka you.  Mucha de ’bliged,” said the Italian with a smile.

He seemed happy now, and after Grandma Brown had given him some bread and meat, and a big piece of pie, out on the side porch, he started off down the road again, smiling and happy.  Bunny and Sue were each given a balloon by their father, who bought them from the Italian.