|
The
Show
 Dana
begins the show with his juggling tricks. But even before he
did that he introduces himself and then encouraged Lacey to
jump up on her seat.
"Ladies
and gentlemen, boys and girls, the dogs first trick!" Dana
waited for the audience to react with some applause and a
few giggles.
And
just as the show was starting as if by luck or magic an
audience began to gather around. They seemed to appear out
of thin air. Some from one corner of the park, others just
waiting near the stage. There was some kind of magnetic
force at work here. Some kind of attraction. Why folks just
found their curiosity getting the better of them. How could
anyone resist? A juggler who is going to juggle and then a
dog is going to perform her tricks? Why children and parents
were equally curious and wanted to stay to see for
themselves.
Dana
said, "Lacey girl, don't you just love to see these families
all sitting together?" Lacey had an eager look in her eye as
she looked with anticipation at the assembling audience.
Dana
glanced at Lacey and caught her eye. Lacey knew what Dana
was thinking. Why Lacey knew that there was something
special about the excitement inside the hearts of these
children. She knew these things by smell and from the sound
of the nervous giggles coming from the children who had come
and sat in the front row. She could see the smiles upon the
faces of the children's parents. Lacey just knew they were
eager to see what she could do. It was something all of the
people could feel, and something only a dog's nose could
smell.
Dana
put on some music and ignited his fire torches and began
tossing them into the air to the music's rhythms. He danced
and twirled about all the while moving his torches in a
variety of patterns. There were high tosses that stirred the
audience to cheer. He sent the torches behind his back and
beneath his legs and high over his head. Some stunts caused
the audience to gasp or applaud.
When
he completed his routine he ask the audience, "are you ready
to see the dog?" Only some of the audience answered. They
let out a long drawn out "yeah." Dana playfully teased, "I'm
sorry you're not ready yet."
There
was more juggling and more teasing. Lacey just stood there.
She knew when she would get into the act. She'd trained hard
and practiced a lot. And even though she knew her part
perfectly today she couldn't help but jump off her perch and
rush over and try and get into the act early. It was like
she was saying, "come on, I'm ready, what are you waiting
for? Can't you see they're just waiting to see me."
"Not
yet girl. Come on back up on your perch." Dana turned back
to the audience and said, "Boy, she is as excited as a
teenage girl getting ready to go to her first high school
prom."
"I
need a volunteer. Raise your hand if you want to help me."
Dana and Lacey scanned the audience and looked at all the
little hands that had been sent rocketing into the air. Of
course not everybody had their hands up. Some of the kids
were too timid, and most of the parents figured this was a
job for their children and just didn't bother.
"How
about you? Would you like to come up on stage and help me?"
This little boy, this very young lad bounced right off his
seat onto his feet and came right up.
"How
old are you? Dana asked.
"Five
and three quarters." The little boy answered.
"Five
and three quarters." Dana said. "So, that means you've been
here on earth for five and three quarters years?"
"Yeah,"
"And
how's life going?"
"Good."
"It's
a good life here on earth isn't it? So, what were you doing
before you got here?"
The
little boy thought about this for a minute. He looked over
toward where his mom was sitting and then he said, "I was
eating an ice cream."
Dana
said, "So, five and three quarters years ago, before you got
here, you were eating ice cream?"
The
little boy rolled his eyes and looked at Dana and said, "No,
I wasn't doing anything then. I was in my mom's tummy."
"I
see," Dana said. "You were in your mom's tummy." The parents
all laughed.
"So,
I'm going to spin this ball on your finger. You put your
finger up like this." Dana pointed his finger straight up.
"And I'll spin the ball and put it right there. Now you
folks can applaud and cheer when he does this okay?"
Dana
spun the ball and the little boy stuck his finger straight
up and Dana placed the spinning ball right on the tip of his
finger and as if by magic the ball continued spinning there.
The little boy looked at the ball and smiled. The audience
cheered and applauded. He had never done anything like this
before. This was something entirely new. The ball began
slowing and wobbling and the little boy started trying to
keep the ball from falling. Finally, it fell off his finger
then bounced off his head. Of course the audience chucked as
the ball rolled to the ground.
|
|
