Circus time and the big top was humming with activity. Punters were arriving and children were shrieking for ice cream. The trapeze artists were warming up and I was standing holding one of the rope ladders steady as the Frazelli Family (Fantastical Flyers) were assuming their positions on the high wire.
Suddenly, there was a shriek from Bobobono, one of our clowns (not a very funny one if you ask me, but then I have never liked clowns).
"A child has fallen in the river."
At the bottom of the muddy field where we were camped, there ran a river. If only the council had allowed us to use proper recreation fields, this sort of thing would never have happened.
"What can we do?"
I ran to the animal enclosure and, yes, I know that it is unpopular to have live animal acts in a circus these days, but we are an old-fashioned type of outfit.
I leaped up onto Jimbaba, the small female elephant and headed her out of the door and down the field. She was reluctant to move. The silly elephant dragged her feet and I had to hit her with a stick to get her moving.
Anyway, we were just in time. I dived in and pulled the child out. We rode back to the tent on the back of the elephant. A life saved!
Thank goodness for live animal acts - just remember that next time you complain about circuses.

(I wrote this in response to a verbal prompt of "The elephant dragged its feet", but then my browser got stuck and I couldn't submit it. Anyway, here's the story.)