• Chapter 2


    The tiger cubs!


    That day when Loyal brought me outside to see the circus animals when we first met, the very first animal I saw was a beautiful white tiger. " Her names Saban" Loyal told me reaching between the bars of the enclosure to scratch Saban's chin. She chuffed happily as he scratched her and rubbed affectionately on the bars when he stopped. " I've always wanted to work with tigers." I said now taking my turn at scratching Sabans chin. Loyal sat for a moment seemly lost in thought as he watched Saban rub her head on the bars of her enclosure. " Saban's pregnant." he suddenly said with a smile. " I bet if I put in a good word with my father he might let you work with one of her cubs when their old enough." he said grinning.

    My eyes went wide " You would do that?" I asked with surprise in my voice. " Yeah!" Loyal said enthusiastically " that way we can preform together! and practice!" I was so excited to here those words that before I was even thinking I had flung myself around Loyal and hugged him tightly " Thank you! Thank you!" I exclaimed. After that we went and visited the elephants and some of the animals. I couldn't wait to get home and tell my mom what Loyal had said so when the time finally came for me to head back to my parents I very quickly bed Loyal goodbye and ran as fast as I could back to my parents.

    I ran across the green lawn in front of the big top and found my mom and dad standing outside a small trailer talking to each other. They only stopped when I came dashing up between them panting heavily. " Mom! Dad!" I panted unable to stay still " Guess what Loyal told me!" I added jumping up and down unable to contain my excitement. " What's gotten in to you." my father laughed as I continued to jump up and down. " Loyal told me that the white tiger Saban is pregnant and when she has he cubs he's gonna put in a good word with his dad and I might get to work with one when it's old enough!" Both my parents looked at me astonished at my words " Did he really say that?" my mother asked smiling.

    " He did! he did!" I replied. " well I'll be darned" said my father rubbing my head and ruffling my hair " we have an animal tamer in the family!" from that point on I made it a priority to visit Saban as much as I could waiting on the day her cubs would be borne. In the mean time Loyal and I had taken up to pranking the other performers. We had replaced the strong mans barbells with balloons happily donated to us by the circus clowns. We even pranked the ringmaster Loyals father by putting whipped cream in his old top hat, though he hadn't found it very funny. Loyal found it particularly hilarious when his father had put his hat on and gobs of whipped cream dripped slowly down the sides of his head and on to his shoulders.

    Loyal's mother was there too and even she had to hide a few giggles from her husband as he tried desperately to clean up the stick mess. " Man Loyal your dad was so mad." I said holding back a laugh " Yeah he was fit to burst" Loyal laughed as we walked around the back of the main tent near the animal enclosures. " Yeah I really thought you were going to get it" I giggled " It's a good thing your mom stepped in" I added. " Yeah she always saves me when I do stuff like that." Loyal said " I think I'd have been in big trouble if she hadn't been here." he added smiling.

    As we neared the tiger enclosure we noticed someone was running toward us they seemed to be in an excited panic as they approached. " Sir Lelou?" Loyal asked as the man approached us breathing heavily, I recognized him as one of the trapeze artists. " It's Saban!" he said excitedly " Shes had her cubs two of them! a boy and a girl! I was Just coming to tell you both when I saw you" he explained. " Two cubs!" I exclaimed " Lets go see them right now!" I exclaimed grabbing Loyal by the hand and dragging him. " Mr. Lelou make sure you tell my dad!" Loyal called out as I drug him away to the tiger enclosure. When we got there Saban was laying quietly while her cubs nursed and she chuffed happily as we approached. " Oh Saban they're beautiful" I said as we walked up and looked in on them.

    " They're so tiny" Loyal whispered in awe at the small little balls of stripped fluff that we huddled closely to their mother. " Don't forget what you told me Loyal." I said. He looked over at me and smiled broadly " Don't worry I didn't forget." he said " I'll talk to him tonight and I'll let you know in the morning." he told me. We stayed for a while admiring the new tiger cubs and then headed back to our trailers. I had a hard time sleeping that night and woke early the next morning. " I'm going to find Loyal" I told my parents as I walked out the door that morning " Have fun!" I heard my mother call back to me as I left.

    I went to Loyal's trailer and knocked on the door, his mother answered with a warm smile. " Why hello Arie." she said warmly. " Hi" I replied happily " Is Loyal a wake yet?" I asked peering behind his mother to see if there was any sign of him. " Yes" His mother answered warmly " He's eating his breakfast, would you like to come in?" she asked. I nodded and she stepped a side to let me in. " Loyal Arie is here" his mother called out as we enterd the kitchen. I ran to the table and sat down in front of him smiling widely. " What did your dad say?" I asked him breathlessly. Loyal looked up from his cereal bowl and a grin came across his face. " He said yes" Loyal said grinning " he says when the cubs are old enough you can choose one of them to work with." I couldn't believe what I was hearing I hugged Loyal tightly around the neck " Thank you! Thank you!" I exclaimed.

    Little did I know that this little tiger cub i was about to work with would end up being one of my best friends.