Free A Whole Nother Story by Dr. Cuthbert Soup

traveled with a host of exotic animals. Two Bengal tigers, a crocodile, a giant python, and a Tibetan yak that stood six feet at the shoulder. Beautiful creatures they were. And talented too, I might add. The tigers could ride unicycles.”
    “Wow,” marveled Gerard.
    “What happened to them?” asked Maggie.
    “Well,” said Jibby as Mr. Cheeseman continued to fiddle away under the hood of the broken-down bus, “I soon realized that a traveling sideshow is no place for a wild animal. The beasts, I’m afraid, were very unhappy. So I did what any kindhearted person would do. I set them free.”
    “You mean, you released them back into the jungle?” asked Jough.
    “Jungle?” said Jibby with another painfully hearty laugh. “Why, there’s no jungle anywhere near here.”
    The children looked at one another once again, not sure what to make of this latest bit of information.
    “You mean you just . . . let them go? Here?” said Jough.
    “Well, not here,” said Jibby. “I believe it was Utah.”
    “Utah?” said Maggie. “You let two Bengal tigers loose in the middle of Utah?”
    “Two Bengal tigers, a crocodile, a giant python, and a Tibetan yak,” said Jibby. “But now that I think about it, it could just as easily have been Vermont. Anyway, now our little traveling show is made up of people only. Strange people, yes, but people nonetheless. We’re on our way to Hollywood, you know, to try and break into the movies. How about you folks? Where you headed?”
    “Anywhere but Utah or Vermont,” said Steve.

CHAPTER 9
    I think I may have found your problem,” said Mr. Cheese-man as he emerged from beneath the hood, holding what looked like a twisted, mangled fencing sword. It looked like a twisted, mangled fencing sword because that’s exactly what it was.
    “Is that a sword?” asked Gerard.
    “It was,” said Jibby, taking it from Mr. Cheeseman. “It belongs to Jake, our sword swallower.”
    “I think he’d have a hard time swallowing that one,” said Jough.
    “Not if I rammed it down his throat he wouldn’t,” said Jibby. “He’s always leaving his things lying around. And now it’s cost us two full hours of travel time and one big headache.”
    “Not to mention a really nice sword,” said Maggie.
    “By the way,” said Jough. “Where is Jake? And where are the rest of your performers?”
    “Sleeping in the bus, if I know them. The lousy layabouts.” Jibby scowled. “I’ll summon them right away so they can offer you the proper thanks for your very generous help.”
    “That’s not necessary,” said Mr. Cheeseman. “We were more than happy to do it. Besides, we all needed to stretch our legs.”
    “Well, I wouldn’t feel right if you didn’t give us the opportunity to repay you somehow,” said Jibby. “Are you hungry?”
    “Starving,” said Gerard.
    “Yes, starving,” echoed Steve.
    “Then you shall stay for supper,” said Jibby in a tone that was not to be argued with. “I can say with complete confidence that our cook, the lovely Juanita, is the best cook of any traveling circus sideshow working today.”
    “How many traveling circus sideshows are there working today?” asked Maggie.
    “Hmm,” said Jibby. “If I had to guess, I’d say . . . one. But trust me when I say Juanita’s cooking is world class.”
    “We wouldn’t want her to go to any trouble,” said Mr. Cheeseman.
    “Trouble?” boomed Jibby. “It would be her pleasure. In fact, I believe that tonight, in your honor, Captain Jibby’s Traveling Circus Sideshow will throw a good old-fashioned wingding.”
    Jibby laughed and clapped his hands together in unbridled delight.
    “Excuse me,” said Gerard, tugging on Jibby’s heavily buttoned sleeve. “What’s a wingding?”
    “What’s a wingding? Why, a wingding is, uh . . . it’s just like a shindig but without all the hullabaloo. Now, let’s meet the rest of the group, shall we?”
    Jibby yanked open the bus door and climbed on board.
    “All