2018.02.01

Today is Thursday.

The ringmaster cracked his whip, and all the horses galloped around the ring. Then he cracked it again, and all the horses stood still with their front feet up on the railing around the ring. One of them had stopped directly in front of the children. Annika didn't like to have a horse so near her and draw back in her chair as far as she could, but Pippi leaned forward and took the horse's right foot in her hands. She said to the horse that her horse had sent him his best wishes and it was his birthday that day too, but he had bows on his tail instead of on his head. Luckily she dropped the foot before the ringmaster cracked his whip again, because then all the horses jumped away from the railing and began to run around the ring. When the number was over, the ringmaster bowed politely and the horses ran out. In an instant the curtain opened again for a coal-black horse. On its back stood a beautiful lady dressed in green silk tights. The program said her name was Miss Camencita. The horse trotted around in the sawdust, and Miss Camencita stood calmly on his back and smiled. But then something happened; just as the horse passed Pippi's seat, something came swishing through the air-and it was none other than Pippi herself. And there she stood on the horse's back, behind Miss Camencita. At first Miss Camencita was so astonished that she nearly fell off the horse. Then she got mad. She began to strike out with her hands behind her back to make Pippi jump off. But that didn't work.