Chapter 26

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While the animals were frantically getting ready for the circus, Julien and Sonya were happily riding all over Rome. Now they were heading for a train yard. They tramped over a parked car and onto the roof of a truck. Finally, they landed on the ground. Still moving, they slid under the train gate arm just as it was coming down the road over the tracks seconds before a train whizzed by.

King Julien: Faster! Faster!

They were having so much fun that they didn't care if anyone was watching them. But they should have been paying more attention, for standing in the shadows.

Dubois: Where there is circus, there is lion. And when in Rome... Vive la France!

As she took off after Julien and Sonya, her eyes widened. Her vespa was chained to an entire line of other Vespas.

Police: Halt!

He jumped onto another chain vespa and took off after Dubois. Dubois rode her bike as far as the chains stretched, and then she launched into the air. She flew over the heads of Julien and Sonya as they were drinking from a fountain and landed in the water.

King Julien: Come on, my hairy queen. We'll do doughnuts in the Pantheon.

Dubois raised her gun to shoot them, but just as she was about to pull the trigger, a pair of handcuffs was thrown on her wrists.

Police #2: You're in big trouble.

Dubois fired her gun at the officer and a tranquilizer dart hit him. He fell into the fountain.

Police #3: Now you're really in big troub...

Dubois shot at him again.

Police #1: Now you're really, really in big tro...

Again, she shot the third.

Police #4: l'm new!

Dubois fired her gun but she was out of darts.


Back at the circus, it was showtime.

Stefano: OK! Strike up the band!

Marty: You have a band?

In response, a dog leaned on a boombox and pressed play.

Stefano: Prepare to be blown away!

Alex: Blow me away!

Stefano: Here we go! Ha-ha!

The humanoids hit the spotlights and Stefano rolled out on a large ball trying to juggle.

Stefano: Look at this. Whoa! Hey! lt's nice to be ho...

Then he slipped on the ball and fell down, accidentally swallowing the balls. Misty and the zoosters cheered, trying to encourage Stefano. Stefano got back up and coughed up the ball. But the show was not going well. It was downright horrible. The Horses, Esmeralda,  Ernestina and Esperanza strolled around the perimeter of the ring. In the midst of their display, one of the horses stopped in front of a pile of hay and started eating.

Next the dogs came out. But in the middle of their dance, one of the dogs spotted his tail and started to chase it. Stefano coughed up a ball as it hit one dog.

Circus Attendee: Hey!

Stefano: Whoa! How do dogs do that?

But the audience wasn't buying it, they were growing restless. Then it was Vitally turn. He walked up to the hoop, but instead of going through it, he walked around it. Smugly, he smacked his chest. Backstage, Misty and the others were growing concerned.

Circus Attendee #1: Get on with it!

Circus Attendee #2: Stupido!

Alex: Uh-oh...

The elephants were up next. They stood on rubber balls and held on to each other using their trunks. But as they were trying to keep their balance a little boy in the audience shot a piece of popcorn at one of them. The elephants lost their grip on the balls and started to roll around the ring. The balls burst under the elephant's feet.

Skipper: Well, that was worth the price of admission.

Shocked by the sound, one of the horses reared up, sending a dog who was on his back flying into the crowd.

Frankie: Watch it, mate!

The other dogs ran into the audience and pulled their mate away. Just then, an elephant backed into a crowd and knocked a little girl's drink out of her hands. Stefano was still trying to hold the show together.

Stefano: Who's from Cincinnati?

Alex was horrified. Things had gone from bad to worse. He picked up a hook and pulled Stefano off the stage.

Alex: Stefano, you know "blown away" means good, right?

Stefano: Don't worry. The big finale is coming up! Give me a downbeat! Look at this!

He hurried to the center stage, where his horses were set up. He started to play his horns, but instead of music, the horrible noise came out of the instrument. Everyone covered their ears.

Alex: Oh, no. No, this is not happening.

As Alex finally put it together that they had been ripped off, that they had made a rotten deal and had brought a rotten circus. Stefano was still out on stage trying to save his show. Finally, when the acts finished, the bleachers were empty.

Stefano: lt's good, no? Yes, go out and get food and come back!

Misty: Stefano... They didn't even like it!

Misty was right. The crowd did leave the scene of the circus totally. They were standing outside the ticket booth. Demanding their money back!

Inside the booth, Mason and Phil were dressed as ticket takers. They didn't know what to do with the crowd, so they scribbled down a sign and put it up. But the people didn't want to wait five minutes for the money, they want it now!

Backstage, Alex was breathing into a paper bag. He was so upset at what was happening that he felt like he was going to faint.

Marty: Deep breaths. You're in a happy place. lt's all good.

Just then Phil and Mason rushed in.

Mason: There's an angry mob outside, and they're demanding their money back!

Skipper: l think we all know the right thing to do.

Misty: Run for it?

And what was that? GET OUT OF HERE FAST!

Luckily, Julien and Sonya had returned from their Rome adventure, so they could make the getaway too. The circus train pulled out of town and the humanoids ran to catch up. One by one the humanoids hopped onto the train as the angry crowd chased them.

Alex: Come on, come on, come on!

Marty: Come on, come on! Hurry up! Hop on the train!

Gloria: Come on, guys!

Stefano ran still clutching his horns. He ran then he dropped the horns. Stefano could not leave them behind, they are part of his act. He started to go back but the crowd crushed them underfoot.

Stefano: Mamma mia!

Gloria: Guys, hurry up!

Now Stefano was really in trouble. The crowd was about to crush him. But just when it looked as though it was curtains down for Stefano. Misty dashed back to save him. They raced to the train and Melman whisked them up to safety.

Stefano: Grazie, Mist.

Now the chimps were the only ones left on the ground.

King Julien: Just throw us the money!

The chimps lobbed the moneybags into the air but they didn't make it to the zoosters. Instead, the bags exploded and money rained down on the crowd. As the people scrambled for their cash, the humanoids yanked Phil and Mason up. The money was gone, but at least they had escaped the hands of the angry mob. The animals settled into the car as the train chugged off into the night.

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