My story is about the people and animals of the Big John Strong Circus. The circus was--Red, the ringmaster with his carrot-colored hair that lit up the midway like a cheerful beacon and his incredibly blue eyes that often had the look of a frightened hare. When Curtis, my husband, reminded him that we had a late show, which meant an eleven o'clock teardown, and 150 miles to cover before having to put on an early matinee the next day in another town, Red smiled with that map of Ireland face of his. "Don't worry. We'll make it easy--somehow."

Billy, our four-year-old clown, never doubted it...