Chapter 3 A PLEASANT MORNING
　　'IS there going to be a fair near here then?' asked George, starting on her strawberry ice. 'What sort ofa fair? A circus or something?'
　　'No. Just a mixed-up show,' said the shop-woman. 'There's to be a fire-eater, and that'll bring thevillagers to the show faster than anything. A fire-eater! Did you ever hear of such a thing? I wonderthat anyone cares to make a living at that!'
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　　'What else is there to be?' asked Anne. She didn't somehow fancy watching anyone eating fire!
　　'Well, there's a man who can get himself free in under two minutes, no matter how tightly he's tied upwith rope,' said the woman. 'Fair miracle he must be! And there's a man called Mr. India-rubber,because he can bend himself anywhere, and wriggle¹ through drain-pipes and get in at a window if it'sleft open just a crack!'
　　'Gracious! He'd make a good burglar!' said George. 'I wish I was like India-rubber! Can this manbounce when he falls down?'
　　Everyone laughed. 'What else?' said Anne. 'This sounds very exciting.'
　　'There's a man with snakes,' said the plump little lady with a shudder². 'Snakes! Just fancy! I'd beafraid they would bite me. I'd run a mile if I saw a snake coming at me.'
　　'Are they poisonous snakes that he has, I wonder?' said Dick. 'I don't somehow fancy having acaravan next to ours with lashings of poisonous snakes crawling round.'
　　'Don't!' said Anne. 'I should go home at once.'
　　Another customer came in and the shop-woman had to leave the children and go to serve her.
　　The four felt rather thrilled. What a bit of luck to have such exciting people in the same field as theywere!
　　'A fire-eater!' said Dick. 'I've always wanted to see one. I bet he doesn't really eat fire! He'd burn thewhole of his mouth and throat.'
　　'Has everyone finished?' asked Julian, getting some money out of his pocket. 'If so, we'll take Georgeup to the field and show her our gay caravans⁴. They aren't a bit like the ones we once wentcaravanning in, George - they are old- fashioned gypsy ones. You'll like them. Gay and verypicturesque.'
　　'Who lent you them?' asked George, as they left the shop. 'Some school friend, wasn't it?'
　　'Yes. He and his family always go and camp in their caravans in the Easter and summer hols,'
　　said Julian. 'But this Easter they're going to France - and rather than leave them empty, they thoughtthey'd lend them out - and we're the lucky ones!'

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