“Run and catch up with the parade,” came Danny’s voice through the circus music.  “We can’t have the parade split in two that way.”

The trained seal jumped up on his hind feet carrying the balloon under a forefoot, and ran until he caught up with Celia Jane; then he plumped down on his stomach again.

Jerry was very hot and flushed and the muscles of his back and neck ached.  He tried desperately to balance the ball of carpet rags on his nose, but it kept rolling off, and Jerry had to scramble after it and the parade was soon away ahead again.  In desperation, he held the balloon on his nose with one hand and tried to creep ahead with but one arm and his legs as motive power.  His progress was slower than ever.

He could see Danny—­or, rather, the elephant—­stalking majestically ahead to the strains of “I Went to the Animal Fair,” his trunk and his tail wobbling about until they met under his body, and the palm-leaf ears flopping with every step.  Jerry felt hurt and out of sorts as he panted from the exertion of trying to crawl on one arm.  He had suggested playing circus and he ought to have been allowed to play the part of the elephant.  There was no fun in being a trained seal balancing a balloon on its nose, as there was in being a green elephant with floppy ears and wobbly tail and trunk.  It would serve that greedy Danny just right if he should refuse to play in his old circus.

Jerry saw that he was again falling far in the rear and tried to scramble on faster.  Then, of course, the balloon fell off and Jerry was almost in tears as he jumped after it.

Then the music of the parade came to a sudden end.  The rest of the performers were at the main entrance, having marched clear around the ring while Jerry had not covered much more than half the distance.

“Can’t you hurry any?” asked Danny.  “You’re spoilin’ the circus all the time, ’way behind like that.”

“I can’t crawl as fast as you can walk,” answered Jerry, in a voice that threatened to break into a sob.

“I guess a trained seal had orter crawl as fast as a man can walk,” said Danny, “or how could they have them in circuses?”

“I’m comin’ as fast as I can,” returned Jerry.  “I wish you’d just try bein’ a trained seal for a time and see how fast you can crawl on your stummick.”  Jerry rose to his hands and knees, holding the ball of carpet rags in his teeth, and progressed much faster.

“Who ever heard of a trained seal carryin’ a balloon in his teeth?” Danny protested.  “I guess his teeth would go through the balloon and let all the air out.”

“Let’s not have no trained seal,” pleaded Jerry.  “It ain’t no fun.”

“We got to have a trained seal,” replied Danny.

“You be it then,” suggested Jerry, “an’ let me be the el’funt.  You said I could part of the time.”

“I’m going to be the el’funt,” proclaimed Danny.  “The circus ain’t even begun yet.”