"It does, too!" contradicted Celia Jane, wrinkling up her nose
preparatory to crying with disappointment if the circus were not coming.
"There's some writin' on it."

"What does it say, Danny?" eagerly asked Jerry, going close to the
billboard as though that might help him to make out what was printed on
it. "Ain't it coming?"

"Read it quick, Danny! Please! I can't wait!" cried Celia Jane.

Thus besought, Danny read somewhat haltingly, for the "writin'" was in
queerly formed letters, these words which are known to all children:

Ask your mother for fifty cents
To see the elephant jump the fence,
He jumped so high he hit the sky
And never came down till the Fourth of July.

"Is that all?" asked Celia Jane, very much disappointed.

"Didn't I just read it to you?" was Danny's rejoinder.

"Then the circus ain't comin', is it?" said Chris.

"It don't say so," replied Nora. "It don't say whether it's comin' or
whether it ain't."

"It doesn't say it's a _circus_," said Danny. "It might be just an 'ad'
for--for any old thing."