CIRCUS STORIES
(excerpts from posts)
(If you want to retell any of the stories listed below, be sure to obtain permission from the copyright holder
if the material is not in the public domain)

1) I've told the Twister Mouth Family as a family of clowns getting ready for the circus. Father is a magician,
mother makes balloon sculptures, Davy is a jugglar and Melissy does face painting. The night before the big
top the lights go out...and the story goes on from there. I don't call it twister mouth. I call them the clown
family and they can't help but make funny faces when they try to blow out the candle. I end it with the police
man coming to their rescue as in the original version that I heard.
Marilyn K.

2) Circus Unlimited: Circus Stories
Not so much stories of the circus, more stories of circus folk like us.
Does being a clown mean you always see the funny side? Judge for yourself!
http://www.circusunlimited.com/circusstories.htm

3) Circus Lore
http://www.circusweb.com/cwlore.html#going

4) Circus Tales
http://www.diadic.com/Tom/circuscontents.htm

5) Birju Goes to the Circus
http://www.dimdima.com/khazana/complete_story/completed_stories.asp?q_sid=60&q_title=Birju+goes+to+
the+circus
This site contains many stories for children under these categories:
Indian Folk Tales
Animal Tales
Witty Tales
    --Raman Stories
    --Hodja Stories
    --Birbal Stories
Moral Stories
    --Jataka Tales
    --Aesop Fables
    --Zen Tales
Humorous Stories
Mythological Stories
Around The Globe Tales
Complete the Story
Tales from Readers

6) Ongoing Tales for the Family
Oldtime Poetry: The Circus Day Parade
http://www.ongoing-tales.com/SERIALS/oldtime/POETRY/CircusDay.html

7) Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Works
http://www.usethenews.com/pressreleases/RinglingBros.htm
New educational materials that explore the history and tradition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®
have been announced.  Created in partnership with Use The News, Inc. and Ringling Bros. and Barnum &
Bailey, the Student Supplements and Teacher Resource Guide bring students and teachers closer to the
excitement of the circus through newspaper activities and stories about circus life and lore.

The educational materials offered through the Educational Outreach Department of Feld Entertainment are provided to schools in partnership with Newspaper in Education (NIE) programs in communities nationwide. Created by Use The News, the premier provider of NIE curriculum resources, the materials are designed for elementary and middle school students....

8) Some years ago I was ringmaster for a human circus. However, the idea was that I had been turned into a clockwork toy by the clowns as a punishment for giving them such a hard time. I was brought into the ring in a wheelbarrow and stood up. I had to stay motionless for the whole show apart from the end of the first half when read them a poem about what had brought me to such a state and the very end when a wizard brought me back to life. The Wizard Gormless was to wave his wand and I was to set off a hand held pyro buy pulling a party popper string at the base of a tube filled with explosive stuff. There would be a wizz bang, lots of smoke and I would burst into life introducing the acts back into the ring for their final bow.

It all seemed simple. I could stand the itching that comes from being motionless too long and even the wheelbarrow wasn't that uncomfortable and as for the pyro........Well, I was told it had been tested twelve times and nothing could go wrong. So I, on the thirteenth time pulled the string at the end of the show and the flame shot down the outside of the tube. I had never been in so much pain but the show had to finish so I introduced all the performers, took the bow and marched out, the last one in line. Getting out the back of the top I let out one almighty scream and our fire lady put my hand in cold water for an hour before rubbing on her own self-made burn ointment. After a couple of days I couldn't feel a thing. As for the act, we modified the pyro and did the same thing without incident night after night afternight.
John R.

9) I wrote a short story about a circus girl in Delavan, Wisconsin. Here are the two sites:
http://www.myspace.com/mathildeweiler
for blogs and basic info, and photos
http://www.lulu.com/content/795383
for my self published story. It includes the original poem from which the story originated
Judy Adams 9/4/08

(Updated 3/1/05; 12/2/08)