Pagina 127 de 274

A Nobleman announced his intention of giving a public

entertainment in the theatre, and offered splendid prizes to all

who had any novelty to exhibit at the performance. The

announcement attracted a crowd of conjurers, jugglers, and

acrobats, and among the rest a Clown, very popular with the

crowd, who let it be known that he was going to give an entirely

new turn. When the day of the performance came, the theatre was

filled from top to bottom some time before the entertainment

began. Several performers exhibited their tricks, and then the

popular favourite came on empty-handed and alone. At once there

was a hush of expectation: and he, letting his head fall upon his

breast, imitated the squeak of a pig to such perfection that the

audience insisted on his producing the animal, which, they said,

he must have somewhere concealed about his person. He, however,

convinced them that there was no pig there, and then the applause

was deafening.