Circus Parade by Jim Tully

danced for the kings of impotent glory. E-v-e-r-y mu-s-cl-e-e-v-e-ry-fib-er in this little la-dees ana-tom-ee quiver-s and shakes like an aspen leaf in a gale of wind-or like a bowl of jell-ee, gentlemen-on a cold and frost-ee morning. She makes the old feel young and the young feel gay, the blind to see and cripples to throw their crutches away.”
    Lefita appeared behind the benevolent-looking spieler and gave a body quiver that started at her feet and rolled upward. Her copper-colored form was fascinating. It moved with the poetry of motion as she walked away.
    â€œThe little lady will retire. The show will start immediately. All will be out and over before the big show commences. There are three ticket boxes—tickets a quarter, twenty-five cents. You will see the little people, the pygmies, the Bearded Lady, and Amy. The wonderful Amy weighs seven hundred and ninety pounds, and yet is as dainty as any of her sisters. You will see the sword swallower, the glass blowers from Bohemia, and many dangerous reptiles in a glass-enclosed den. All for twenty-five cents.”
    As the din died away the listeners filed inside. Shadows danced across the trampled grass within. Green flies buzzed about mournfully.
    The Moss-Haired Girl, the Strong Woman and other freaks, having just returned from the cook-tent, were mounting their stands and arranging photographs, which they sold. The sword-swallower wiped her nickle-plated weapon with a soft cloth. The snake-charmer confided to Bosco, the wild man, her worry about a sinuous pet.
    â€œHe’s got a canker in his mouth and I’ve touched it with caustic and washed it with bismuth but it just don’t seem to do no good. He’s due to eat next month and I’m worried as all hell. I hope it’ll be well by then.”
    She looked concerned toward the wild man, who advised:
    â€œLemme tell you. Jest clean it out a weeny teeny bit and put a midgie piece o’ saltpeter on it. That’ll fix it up. I did that with a big anaconda for Millie Delay when I was a spieler for the Sparks show.”
    The benevolent-looking spieler followed the crowd inside and went from one platform to another until he came to the far end where stood the charming Lefita. He beamed beside her.
    A crowd of men stood in front of them. Of all ages, with expressions of sex-wonder in their eyes, gazing curiously as men will who cannot solve a mystery that populates graveyards and through the ages has sent poets, popes, kings and fools to the junk-heap.
    The drum throbbed. The clarinet shrieked. Lefita shivered languidly. The music became more violent and Lefita’s body kept in tune. It moved like something boneless but sensuous.
    The movement ended in a gyration that seemed to leave her exhausted. It was a short dance. The onlookers stood curious and expectant. The spieler then called them closer and said blandly, “I recognize some real sports amongst you, gentlemen, with good red blood coursing through your corpuscles. But would you like it, gentlemen, if this little lady would put on a special show for you? She just told me inside that she had never seen so many handsome men—and the young lady sees a great many.”
    The center of the young lady’s body moved sensuously.
    â€œSure! Sure! Sure!!” yelled a chorus of shillabers. (A shillaber is a herder of suckers.) They were noisy in eagerness.
    â€œGo easy, gentlemen,” admonished the spieler, “we mustn’t overstep the bounds of the conventions. The young lady is very temperamental and loud demonstrations interfere with her body movements.”
    The shillabers were still insistent.
    â€œNo, wait a moment, gentlemen,” said the spieler as he stopped to plead with Lefita, who hung her head, pouting, her splendid body moving the while as she shook her head coyly and disappeared. The shillabers made another demonstration in which the other onlookers joined.
    â€œOf course, gentlemen, there