(eng) Lloyd Alexander by The Rope Trick

Author:The Rope Trick [Trick, The Rope]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

The pigs danced that night. Pompadoro had advised Lidi to take a day or two of rehearsal and get used to her new working conditions. “We have close to a full house tonight. I urge you to attend the performance from the midst of the audience, where you can best observe the impact of the whole vast panorama.”

The vast panorama was vast on a modest scale. Pompadoro, as ringmaster, had squeezed himself into a starched shirt and long-tailed coat. He strode back and forth, waving his arms as if he meant to embrace the entire audience, promising wonders never seen before.

“I doubt that,” Lidi whispered to Julian, “but if he believes it himself, so will everybody else.”

Still, she had to admit that the tall, gaunt gentleman in black tights—Flexo the Flexible—did fold himself into a picnic basket. The spectators cheered him, as they cheered the spangled acrobats and tumbler, the lady bareback rider, and the daring tightrope walker.

Jericho, who had seen such acts a thousand times, yawned. Daniella bounced up and down, clapping her hands. And Julian—Lidi remembered the day she had first seen him laugh; he had, now, the same boy’s look of wonder. She remembered that was also the day he had kissed her hands.

Pompadoro vanished behind a canvas screen. He was back moments later, wearing his red fez, embroidered vest, and sash, as well as a cape glittering with sequins, from which he produced a battered fiddle and began scraping away.

Through an open flap at the rear of the tent, the pigs dashed to join him. They circled around first in one direction then the other. The audience cheered as they stood on their hind legs and twirled like ballet dancers. Pompadoro, light-footed despite his bulk, capered amid the porkers.

While Pompadoro squeaked out a livelier tune, the pigs leaped over one another’s backs and did rolling somersaults. They lined up, finally, and bobbed their heads to acknowledge the wild applause. Pompadoro bowed to the spectators, then to the porkers. The rest of his company reappeared to make their grand exit procession.

Waiting for the tent to empty, Lidi glanced at Jericho. The canvasmaster had been silent, arms folded, throughout the performance. Knowing he made a point of saying nothing good about anything if he could possibly help it, Lidi was surprised when he came out with the highest praise one professional gives another.

“Not bad,” he said.

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