Once upon a time there was a little boy who was lazy as lazy could be, but all of a sudden one sunshiny summer day he wanted to do something.
He wanted to go to the circus.
How could he get there, goodness knows,
He was too lazy to change his clothes,
Danny-Do-Little was such a shirk,
He never got half through his work.
So, he did not get out in time to see the Circus Parade, and when he got to the Circus Tent he was too late. Crowds were turned away.
He went back home and sat down on the wood pile, and was feeling very sad when to his surprise, a merry voice called:
“If you just sit still and frown,
You can’t entertain a Circus Clown.”
There, sure enough, stood a regular Clown on his head, beside him!
Danny-Do-Little was so surprised he did not know what to say, and waited until the Clown stood on his feet, then he remarked:
“If you’re a Clown from Circus Town,
How did you get here in striped gown?”
The Clown answered in a sing-song Clownish way:
“I’m such a joker I might explain,
That I fell out of my aeroplane!”
Then, the little boy said:
“I’m Danny-Do-Little, I’m glad you came,
Please tell me, Sir, what is your name?”
The Clown said:
“I travel around with the finest shows,
And I go by the name of Silver Toes!”
Then he went through the funniest little dance and danced so hard that he kicked off one of his silver slippers!
Danny-Do-Little clapped his hands and begged him to come in-doors and perform some of his tricks.
The Clown was as thirsty as thirsty could be so he said:
“Danny-Do-Little, did you fail,
To bring water in for the drinking pail?”
Danny-Do-Little laughed and ran to the pump and filled the water pail in a hurry to please the Clown.
Then the Clown surprised him!
He took a drink of water you know,
And turned a somersault or so!
Then at exactly that minute, the Clown began to want a cup of tea. He wanted it so badly he could hardly wait, but there was no fire and he shouted:
“To fill the wood-box and tend the fire,
If I were a boy I’d never tire.”
Danny-Do-Little took the hint at once, and he ran out and got an armful of wood, and made a fire and put on the tea-pot, and soon the water was boiling merrily for a cup of tea.
What did the Clown do, do you suppose?
He balanced the tea cup on his nose!
Every time he did a trick Danny-Do-Little tried to do the same, and together, they burst into merry peals of laughter.
The Clown was hungry and he dearly loved hard boiled eggs so he shouted:
“Danny-Do-Little is it best
To leave eggs out in the nest?”
Danny-Do-Little could take a suggestion as well as any boy, so he ran and got a basket full of eggs from the chicken house.
When in from the barn with eggs he came,
The Clown jumped through a picture frame!
Then the Clown threw eggs in the air and caught them.
All of a sudden he looked at the kitchen floor.
There was so much dust upon the floor,
He had never seen the like before!
At Danny he cast a side-long glance,
He took the broom and performed a dance!
When the floor was quite clean, out from his pocket he took a wonderful red bouncing ball and performed all kinds of tricks with it.
He shouted:
“Danny-Do-Little does nothing at all,
He is too lazy to even play ball!”
“Try me and see,” cried Danny, and the Clown played ball with him and showed him one hundred and six ways of doing tricks with the wonderful red bouncing ball. Then he put up his hand, saying:
“See that finger aside my nose?
It’s time I were going goodness knows.”
Danny-Do-Little begged the Clown to stay but he gave him two tickets to the Circus which was to be held next week in On-Time-Town. He said:
“I’m very glad you admire my gown,
I’m off and away to On-Time-Town.”
Danny-Do-Little was amused for he had not said a single word about the Clown’s suit, but he was so sorry to see him go that he looked rather sad, but the Clown tossed him his wonderful red bouncing ball and cried:
“Practice your tricks, don’t stop to sigh,
I’ll meet you again, good bye, good bye.”
Then Danny-Do-Little began to practice all the tricks in real earnest and found his little feet began to act as though they belonged to him, and his arms and legs began to limber up and soon he was as active as could be. He learned to do many tricks well, but those he did with the bouncing ball were best of all.
Surprising things began to happen!
All the boys came to learn his tricks and hear the story of the Circus Clown!
The water pail was always full.
The wood-box was never empty!
The eggs were gathered every day!
Danny-Do-Little was busy from morning until night.
One day the greatest surprise of all came through the mail. There was a red and white box addressed to “Danny-Do-It-Now,” once called, “Danny-Do-Little.”
In the red and white box was a red and white Clown suit just his size.
On the suit was a red and white card saying:
“Little Danny Do-It-Now,
You learned your tricks, please tell me how,
You’re a bright boy as every one knows,
Please accept this gift from Silver Toes.”
What happened next do you suppose?
He put on the Clown suit and stood on his head
And changed his name, I’ve heard it said,
He made a regular Circus bow,
And said, “Call me Danny-Do-It-Now.”
He became the funniest Circus Clown,
And travelled away to On-Time-Town,
I am very sure wherever he goes,
He does his tricks with Silver Toes!
To join the Circus if you’d learn how,
Just change your name to “Do-It-Now,”
And smile always instead of frown,
Then they’ll welcome You in On-Time-Town!
