The fellow below turned up after the curtain came down the other day and said he wanted to try out for the show. ‘I can balance on the railing‘, he said, and hopped up. Well even I could do that if I had feet like yours, I told him. But can you do it on one leg? If so, you could join our triple, solo-leg diorama with the wood ducks. But no, he simply did not have the balance.
He told me his name was Albert. I’d been seeing Albert at the pond for a few months. Apparently he and his mate Dennis used to live in someone’s backyard, but were evicted. It was probably a property at Leura, which is a bit too posh for ducks.
My associate Editor Des turned up during Albert’s audition. Now Des has always wanted to perform too, but well, look at that body Does it scream athleticism to you? To his credit Albert was generous and encouraging. He thought they might be able to manage an aerial trick together. Perhaps a mid air somersault followed by a duel, three-point landing.
Follow me. One, two three…lift off!
Oh for goodness sake! This audition wasn’t looking at all promising.
However, Editor Des brought out a (very) slim portfolio to prove that he really did have gymnastic ability. Apparently he once had a highwire act with Miss Milly. It did look pretty impressive, although Milly’s routine was by far the most dramatic, not to say death defying.
OK, in the absence of Milly, show me what else you can do;
Hmm, I told Des I’d have a think about it and let him know. Meanwhile I decided Albert wasn’t quite the act we were looking for.
We will be sticking with our experienced troupe for the foreseeable future. But do let me know if you hear of any likely performer willing to audition. The conditions are not great, but I cannot be held responsible for the awful state of the pond.
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