Circuit Circus Serpentine

 To my surprise, George stopped at the top of the next hill and told me to get off.

“Look down,” he said.

I looked.

Bright tents, colorful booths, jugglers, acrobats, musicians, vendors with little carts calling out their wares and people filled the little valley in front of me.

“Well, go on,” George said with a smile in his voice. “That’s Enchanteur’s Circus down there, at the head of the Serpentine Road. You’re supposed to go down and wander around for a bit before we leave.”

As I started down the hill, George stopped me again. “Don’t worry about spending all your money!” he called, “That’s what it’s for!”

“Money! I’ll just have to look, because I didn’t bring much,” I replied.

“Oh, I forgot! Look in my left saddlebag!”

I did and found a tan suede pouch that jingled invitingly when I shook it.

“Thanks, George! You and Enchanteur have done it again!” I laughed and shook my head as hung the pouch off my belt loop.

“Meet you on the far side!” I heard him call as I hurried down the grassy slope.

Soon I was wandering around, looking at the booths with exotic wares set out for sale and smelling savory scents rising from the food vendor’s booths. I stopped to buy something on a stick that smelled delightful and then bought a mug of beer to wash it down.

I thought I saw several people I knew go laughing by – actually they were reeling and laughing rather hysterically – but I had my mouth full and by the time I had swallowed, they were gone, having disappeared into the crowd. I handed my empty mug back to the tent owner and started off in the direction they had gone, but I got distracted by a musician playing something melancholy that tugged at my heartstrings as I passed. I listened for several songs and tossed some coins into the guitar case as I left. I stopped as three camels were led past me by people wearing motley. An elephant with a rider on his back lumbered not far behind them.

I wandered some more until I found a large red and white striped tent with happy laughter issuing from it. I peeked in and saw a couple of people on a stage – it seemed to be a comedy play of some sort, so I stayed and watched, joining the crowd in laughing until I cried.

When I came out again, it was high noon and getting very hot out. A noon meal of a spicy hot sausage in a roll covered with mustard accompanied by another mug beer and followed by something sweet in pastry, and I was set for the afternoon. As I walked away from the food vendor’s tent licking sticky sweet stuff from my fingers, I once again thought I saw people I knew, but they disappeared before I could catch up with them. I played some games at booths and laughed because I couldn’t knock down the milk cans or get the rings over the pegs any better than anyone else.

Jugglers tossed fiery wands back and forth across the path in front of me and people had stopped to watch; it was either stop and watch or step into the path of the fire.

A carousel with carved and painted animals of every description on it whirled in front of me and I had to have a ride – I chose a huge lion with a scarlet saddle and a gilded harness which went up and down as well as around to the cheerful music. With the magic of Lemuria, it felt like I was riding a real steed as it loped across a grassy plain. As I started to get off at the end of my ride, the man running the carousel stopped me and said, “You are one of Enchanteur’s adventurers, yes?”
“Yes, I am,” I answered.

“Come, ride one more time. I have a special steed for you.” He smiled and nodded, beckoning me to follow him. We climbed a set of stairs that I hadn’t noticed in the center of the ride and then we were on the top of the carousel, in a small second carousel in the middle of the top of the lower one. A set of giant ravens served as the steeds, painted with iridescent black feathers and glowing jewel eyes. The man gestured to the closest one. “Jump on,” he invited, “And enjoy your ride.”

I climbed up on the raven and moments later the carousel started. The magic took hold once more and the raven felt like he was flying far and wide over Lemuria instead of in a circle atop the carousel. We soared and swooped. I closed my eyes and felt the soft moisture of clouds on my face. The ride was pure magic. I sighed with both pleasure and disappointment when the ride ended.

Wandering on, I found an open air stage near the center of the fair. Folks were sitting on the benches there and waiting. One of them told me that le Enchanteur appeared there from time to time and held court, but I didn’t want to wait. She would show herself to me when she was ready.

Then I played a game at a booth where I was supposed to toss a hoop over a vase with a silk flower in it. I did, and the woman working the booth said, “Here, ducks! Here’s a posy for you!” and handed me the prize – a whole bunch of flowers. I took them with a smile and as I put my nose to them to sniff them, the whole bunch exploded into a cloud of butterflies, which fluttered around me for a few moments and then flew off. I laughed with delight and the crowd around me sighed at the sight.

I could see a Ferris wheel turning high into the air. It was painted in all the colors of the rainbow and was very tall. I stood in line for a ride and I wasn’t disappointed – I could see over the whole fair from the top. I looked over the bright tents and booths and the sea of people enjoying the event. I thought I saw Bo and her donkey going into a fortune teller’s tent, but the wheel came down before I could be sure. On the next trip up I looked the other way, toward the Serpentine Road we would be traveling soon. True to its name, the road wound sinuously through the landscape, a dirty brown ribbon snaking through the green fields, around the hills and far off into the distance. Where it disappeared in the distance I could see dark grey clouds. Wicked lightening forked through the sky there. Could this be an omen? I sincerely hoped not.

When I got off, I walked in the direction of the far edge of the fair. I had seen another huge tent that way and wanted to see what was in it. The big top wasn’t hard to find. I stepped into the darkness just as the crowd said “Ooohh…” in a huge sigh of enjoyment. This was the tent the circus itself was in. I sat and ate popcorn and watched clowns and trapeze artists perform in front of me, joining the crowd in sighs and cheers of appreciation. When the show was over, I stumbled out into the daylight again, sorry it was done.

I followed the main path towards the far edge of the fair.

Caricature artists, speed artists, folks who sold fantastic landscapes were in the next section I came to. I stopped to look at the fantastic landscapes and wondered what sorts of marvelous adventures a person could have in those places. Then I remembered I was off on an adventure of my own and moved along.

I found a tent where they were selling walking staffs with carved heads on them. There was one with a wolf’s head on it and Celtic knotwork spiraling down the sides. I was looking at it longingly and checking my purse to see how much money I had left when the proprietor came up to me. “You like this?” he asked

“It’s beautiful,” I smiled.

“You are the She Wolf, yes?” he asked.

“I am,” I answered, puzzled as to how he would know this.

The grizzled little man beamed and said, “For you. The Enchanteur said I was to give this one to you.”

“Give it to me? I can certainly pay for it. And how could she know I would stop here?”

“You take. She is Enchanteur, and I do as she says. And if you had not stopped, I think it would have shown up later on in your journey, yes?”

“Yes, I’m sure it would have!” I laughed. I thanked him sincerely for his wonderful gift and left the tent with a smile on my face. I was near the edge of the fair now, and I could see George waiting patiently under a tree for me. I bought a last meal on a stick along with a mug of cold cider and several sweet apples (which were for George) before I left.

Later, as I shared the apples with the pleased donkey, I looked down the hill at the road curving away through the fields, forest, and up into the hills and wondered what adventures it would take us to.

She Wolf (c)2007