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."

"I won't be a trained seal, so I won't," said Jerry, at last catching up
with the parade. "The balloon won't stay on my nose and my neck hurts
and I've cut my hand on a piece of glass or a splinter or something
till it bleeds." He held up one hand with a little trickle of bl