Circuses by Sir, Harold Nicholson
The author begins the essay by saying that in
this harsh and angry world, people enjoy a visit to the circus. He asks us the question whether the pleasure
we derive from a reversion to childhood quite as simple
or as innocent as we
like to believe. Then he recollects his
visit to the Bertram Mills Circus at Olympia and shares his experiences with
the readers.
The performance began with a procession of the performers
while the bands played the triumphal march.
A woman in silver top hat and decorated with feather appeared on the
stage. She introduced a string of fine
white horses. Their necks arched tightly
by bearing rains and their plums swung above and below. The author felt that no horse should be so
tightly laced. When the woman finished
her performance the author did not join in the applause.
The band then struck up a Spanish tune and three sea-lions
shambled into the ring accompanied by a gentleman dressed in marine
Uniform. The largest of the sea-lions
refused to play the ball. The gentleman
gave him slices of fish and made him balance a ball for a few seconds.
Then came a herd of elephants accompanied by a trainer
dressed like a colonial Governor. He
induced the elephants to perform all manner of cumbrous evolutions. Then an elephant stepped gingerly upon the
chest of the trainer. Then followed a
comic interlude in which as Italian family produced a taxi which proceeded to
disintegrate, to boil and to explode before the audience.
And in the end came the “Fearless Trio de Tiaz’. Their naked bodies glistened high up in the
roof while they turned and twirled in the are – lights. The author felt that they were the most
skilled and beautiful trapeze artists that he had ever seen.
The author did not enjoy watching animals perform. He now
feels that it is fictitious, adventitious and unreal. He admits that amusement is derived by the
contrast between the real and unreal, but surely it is indeed alow sense of fun
to see animals behaving like human beings.
For example when the author dressed in a crinoline and prancing with a
parasol in its paw, he felt not pleasure but pain.
He concludes that human beings in circuses can perform
their acts of agility and daring but surely it is not good to rejoice when
animals are forced to make fools of themselves in public.
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