Katie, Pull Your Act Together!

• Emmerson Foster, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2015

Katie was a humorous girl who did well in Maths and English. She had dark, wavy hair and eyes as blue as the sky. Her skin was soft as a baby’s bottom. She made friends by telling jokes and dreamed of joining the circus.

Katie was always playing pranks on people. One day she swapped the ink in the whiteboard marker to invisible ink! Katie’s teacher, Miss Mickey, told the class to copy down her writing but nobody could see it! After this, Miss Mickey told Katie she should join the circus.

Out of nowhere, a puff of smoke appeared and through it came a circus van driven by a Ringmaster! The Ringmaster yelled “Did someone say circus?” “Katie”, beckoned Miss Mickey “I think he’s here to see you!”

The Ringmaster asked Katie to join his circus as a clown. She liked the thought of that. She hopped in the van and it vanished from the classroom.

It arrived at the circus in an instant. There Katie saw lion tamers, acrobats, animals doing tricks, and so much more. She couldn’t believe her eyes. It was a lot to take in.

Katie was taken to choose her clown costume. She chose a colourful afro wig, red tutu and baggy tie dyed shirt. She also wore black tights and big, sparkly silver clown shoes. Katie’s look was completed by her clown make-up – white face, big green lips, bright pink cheeks and a big red nose.

The Ringmaster showed her some clown acts, but the one that caught her eye was the Tree Top Circus Act. It involved a clown climbing to the top of a high tree house and calling “Mummy! Mummy! I’m scared Mummy!” before jumping down onto a trampoline.

Katie would be performing the act that afternoon. Her rehearsals went perfectly. The Ringmaster told Katie she made a perfect clown. "You will be spectacular in the show this afternoon" he cried.

But the nerves had gotten to Katie. She was sure she couldn’t do the act. The Ringmaster was reassuring until he told her she’d only be performing in front of 596 people! “It’s not that many Katie, I’m sure you can do it!” he said. Katie told herself she could, even though she was petrified.

Before she knew it, it was show time! Katie nervously watched the people pour into the circus tent.

Her legs went to jelly as the Ringmaster introduced her act. She closed her eyes and hoped for the best as she jumped off the tree house roof.

BOING!

Katie had done it!

The Ringmaster smiled at her and she smiled back.

The crowd was laughing hysterically and Katie beamed with pride. Backstage, everyone congratulated her.

When Katie went home she told her parents all that had happened. They just laughed, thinking this was another one of her stories.

Katie fell into bed and was asleep in an instant. In her dreams she whispered in the Ringmaster’s ear “I knew I was made for the circus.”