Dumbo: An Acrobat's Tale

Judy Garland as Sandy Williams

Mickey Rooney as James Williams

Freddie Bartholomew as Robert Williams

Paula Winslowe as Katherine Williams

May 21, 1941

Sandy Williams stood up holding onto the handle as she felt movement underneath her feet. Sweat was forming over her eyebrows and she brushed it away to prevent her bangs sticking to her forehead. The air was hot and stuffy, all she wanted was to get off this crowded bus and get in the free open space.

Then the bus came to a halt, and the doors parted open.

"Stop for Homeland Florida City," the driver announced.

This is it! Sandy thought to herself. She got off the bus with the other passengers, and she paid the driver and came to the sign. She turned back to watch the bus drive away towards the horizon.

The girl sighed as she looked around, and headed down the dirt path towards her destination, the Circus Winter Quarters. She placed down her two suitcases and pulled out the map with the address, from her satchel. She looked over at the horizon, and picked up her heavy suitcases to trudge down the dirt path with thoughts of her future.

I wonder why Uncle Harold asked me to join? I hope the workers there are kind, and I can't wait to see the animals. I heard that he has elephants, and they're my favorite animals. It'd be good for me to study them, just when I was in Africa with Poppa.

She then heard the sounds of a train blowing its' horn, and then the animals; the sounds were of neighing, roaring, and most of all, the trumpet sound.

"I'm getting close," Sandra said. She walked briskly towards the sounds until she came to see an area surrounded by tents, buildings, and stables.

"This must be it."

She took a deep breath and walked through the entrance and looked around. The men were packing up the trains with poles, and tents. They were also loading up the animals in the cars along with the musical instruments too.

"Excuse me," she said to a few men passing by her. "I'm here to look for the Ringmaster, have you seen him?"

They passed by and ignored her. She shrugged in frustration and continued to look for her uncle.

"Hmmm, I guess not." She continued on her way until she saw a plump man with a mustache, a top hat, a red jacket, yellow pants, a shirt with a bow tie, black boots, and yellow gloves. He was busy barking orders to the workers.

"Ah, there he is," she smiled and walked towards him. But she stopped to smooth out her dark skirt and apron, and pulled back her mid-length sandy blonde hair back with a headband. The stiff dark vest tighten her ribs over her white shirt.

She trudged herself towards the Ringmaster and stopped a few feet away from his back.

"Hello," she said. "Uncle Harold?"

"Yes," the Ringmaster said in an exasperated tone without turning around. "May I help you?"

"It's me, Sandy."

The Ringmaster turned around and his stressed face turned into excitement as he saw his niece.

"Ah, Sandy!" he cried and hugged her.

"Hello Uncle!" she said as she hugged him back but his grip was very tight. It almost crushed her to death.

"It's so wonderful you're here!" he released the girl and placed his hands on her shoulders. "My how you've grown! Are you back from Africa?"

"Yes," Sandy smiled. "I went there for a semester to study elephants, wildlife, and hopefully I get my master's degree in Zoology."

"Ahh, that is impressive," he said. "Look, I love to continue to talk with you, but I'm quite busy and we'll be departing soon."

"How long until we depart?"

"In ten minutes, there's a room for you over at the front car, Joe could lead you there."

"All right, after I settle myself down, I'll visit the elephants." Sandy said. "I've studied them and know how to be near them."

"All right, suit yourself." He turned to the workers and barked out the orders. "Come on men, we haven't got all day! Joe could you lead my niece to her room?"

"Yes, boss," A man in his thirties or forties in a blue suit with black hair and mustache came up and took one suitcase from her. He led the girl over to the car where the performers, acrobats, and clowns slept.

"Follow me, Ms. Williams," he said. As the blonde continued to follow him, she looked over to see the elephants being loaded in the car, but she saw one female elephant with a pink bonnet and blue blanket over her back. She looked up at the sky and sighed sadly. Then another elephant dressed in a feathered headdress, and a crimson blanket assumed to be the Matriarch pushed her into the car, but she got her rump stuck in the entry way. So six employees pushed the elephant into the entryway a couple of times and finally got her in and the door slammed into her face as she glared at them.

Sandy gave a sigh and a chuckle at the elder elephant, she caught up with Joe into the performer's car, performers were walking all over and tried to settle themselves down in their bunks. They came to a stop, as Joe opened a door for her. The room was small and simple with a bed, a desk, a closet, a vanity, a dresser, and a window that shows the view.

"Here you are Ms. Williams, I hope you enjoy your stay."

"Thanks, Joe."

Once the worker left, Sandra set her suitcases down on her bed and placed her neatly folded clothes in the drawers to organize them. In her other suitcase, she pulled out jars of herbs and plants, with books of spells and rituals for healing, along with many photographs, of her family, herself and on many adventures she went on.

She opened the window to let in the warm breeze and inhaled the sweet scent of the flowers, along with the dirt. Soon, the train was ready to go.

"All aboard!" the Ringmaster yelled from the red caboose. "All aboard!"

"All aboard!" the train, Casey Jr. replied. "Let's go!"

Then the train began to move, but with the heavy cars, he moved back hitting the cars and Sandy nearly toppled over and landed on her bed. Finally Casey Jr. began to chug away to move north to its' designated town. With the circus workers and performers sitting on top of the cars and stood near the doors, they began to sing a song as the train chugged and blew the whistle.

Casey Jr.'s

Comin' down the track

Comin' down the track

With a smoky stack

(Choo! Choo!)

Hear him puffin'

Comin' 'round the hill

Casey's here to thrill

Every Jack and Jill

Every time his funny

Little whistle sounds

Everybody hurries to

The circus grounds

Time for lemonade

And cracker jack

Casey, Jr.'s back

Casey, Jr.'s back

She hummed to the song, and walked through the narrow hallways, balancing herself as she clutched onto the sides with her satchel hanging around her waist with her other suitcase as she walked across the flatcars. She passed the workers, as they paid no attention to her. She saw the large orange stock car, housing the elephants.

She discovered a door, and she pushed it leading to an open airy car with hay and lots of space. She noticed the elephants were behind the stable doors. She set down her suitcase and pulled out a jar of sea salt to create a sacred circle on the floor, only leaving an opening at the east side. With a bowl of incense, a wand, a plate with two candles: one pure white and the other black, matches, and a bowl of holy water for cleansing. She was ready to perform the ritual.

She stepped into the circle, closed the east gate with the salt and began a prayer, "Oh god and goddess, I have settled myself in the car with the other elephants, and they seem to give me no distractions. I am calm and have remained positive to you as you offer your acceptance of me."

The girl heard the voices of the god and goddess coursing through her blood and the voices were kind and clear as day, she silently thanked them. She moves to the center of her sacred circle as she moved her arms up and over, taking deep breaths as the guardians of the watchtower watched her.

"Guardians of the watchtower, Spirits of the North, South, East, and West, hear me now and come me forth. Elements of nature; earth, wind, fire, water, and spirit come to me! Come into my temple and be in one with me."

She faced the directions, as her arms move up with a call, "Guardian of the South, lend me your fire; Guardian of the North, lend me your stability; Guardian of the West, lend me your love; and Guardian of the East, lend me your communication. Blessed being, summon thy soul to purify it, as I call to them for an audience."

The young woman grabbed the box, and pulled out a tiny match. She carefully lit it, and pressed it on the wick of the candle as a tiny flame danced. She lit another and burned the bowl filled with incense. She moved the bowl gracefully in clockwise as she sniffed the sweet aroma, carefully not setting the straw on fire as she placed the burnt matches in another bowl.

"Bless, cleanse, concentrate, and purify this temple in the name of the almighty deities. That nothing dark, negative or evil shall enter this holy temple. Let nothing trespass into these pure walls. Then cast it out, for it is not needed in here. In the name of the almighty deities, so be it!"

She picked up her holy water and dipped her fingers in the cool liquid, allowing her hand to spread the droplets around the circle in a clockwise position.

"Bless, cleanse, concentrate, and purify this temple that it be made in the name for the gods and goddesses themselves. That nothing dark, negative, or evil enter these holy walls and be a part of it. In the name of the almighty deities, blessed being, so be it," she repeated.

Sandra placed the holy water down, and felt the magic flowing through her body and brain. She stopped for a moment to look at the locket hanging around her neck. The blonde pressed a tiny button as it revealed a small black and white photograph of a woman with a gentle smile.

"Oh Momma, I will always follow your ways of being a Wiccan priestess as I call forth the gods, and goddesses. The temple is now ready, and no evil will trespass within these holy walls. I shall seek their audience as they come to bless me in the purest temple I have created."

The girl closed the locket and moved her hands up into the air, allowing the herbs and incense to fly around her soul.

"Oh god and goddess, I thank thee for allowing to grant me audience with thee. I shall continue to perform the rituals in my time at the circus, to assure that I will cleanse any sin. I hereby conclude this ritual and release the spirits around me complete."

She then kissed the sacred ground and made the signs of the cross. She completed her ritual by collecting her herbs, blowing out the candles, pouring the holy water into a jar, she collected the sea salt to fill up another jar, and placed all the items in the suitcase and closed it shut. She picked up her locket again and looked at the photograph and sighed.

"Oh Momma, I wish you were here," she said.

The girl felt something gently stroking her mid-length hair and looked up to see the elephant sniffing the girl with her proboscis. It was the same one that stopped and sighed as she got on.

"Oh hello there," Sandy said as she stood up, patting the elephant's trunk. "I guess you must've watched my ritual, and I mean no harm. I was only doing a purification spell."

It didn't take the blonde long to hear the elephant look at her and spoke up with a gentle voice, "A purification spell? Does it make you a sorceress?"

"Of course not," the girl said giggling. "I'm not performing witchcraft."

The elephant's blue eyes widened as she backed up in surprise.

"Wait, can you understand what I'm saying?"

"Why yes, it's in my blood, I can hear what animals are saying and I can understand and speak to them, because of my heritage. Please, I mean no harm." The girl held up her hands trying to calm down the elephant and she relaxed.

"Oh my goodness, if you have that gift, it must make you special, and I see you as no harm," the elephant smiled. "Speaking of which, my name is Harriet. Mrs. Harriet Jumbo."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. I'm Sandra Williams, but my friends call me Sandy," the blonde said shaking the elephant's proboscis.

"It's nice meeting you Sandy. Is this your first time joining the circus?"

"Yes, it is, the ringmaster is my uncle, and he hired me to join the circus as an acrobat, and trapeze artist," the girl said and then frowned. "But a while ago, I noticed you looked blue and were thinking, is their something bothering you?"

"Oh dear no," the female elephant said. "I was hoping the stork would come, and deliver me my baby today."

"You're waiting for a baby elephant?" Sandy's eyes for filled with excitement and then turned to confusion. "Wait a minute, you didn't conceive one with a mate?"

"Yes, but it didn't arrive last night," she said sadly. "I'm pretty much of a loner. I was hoping maybe it would come today."

"I understand, I never knew stork delivery actually existed," the girl petted the elephant's trunk. "But no worries, it'll come, is it a boy or a girl?"

"I don't know, but when it comes, I'll love it just the same." Mrs. Jumbo smiled hopefully.

Sandy nodded in agreement. She opened her locket again, and took another look at her mother, whose smile matched her own.

"Who's this?" Mrs. Jumbo asked noticing the photograph.

"That's my Momma, her name was Katherine. I lost her when I was very young, and her death was very hard on me."

"I'm sorry to hear about your mother, Sandy. I lost my mate, a few months ago. I truly loved him very much and saw him as my best friend. Before he died, he said that someday, our calf will be special, and the stork will bring him for us. With our baby, it will remind me so much of him."

"Sounds wonderful," the blonde smiled.

"Anyway, I hope you're a nice person," Harriet said, as her face darkened. "I don't like to live near or have anyone that gossips about nonsense."

She looked over towards the other side and pointed with her trunk, and the girl followed her direction. Sandra noticed that there were four other elephants that stood behind stable gates, including the one who pushed Mrs. Jumbo into the car.

"So this girl knows what we're saying?" the Matriarch asked, giving a dirty look and a scoff. "Well, I'm quite flabbergasted, it seems to me that she's cursed."

"Cursed, oh yeah," the elephant in a blue headdress and rug giggled uncontrollably in a high-pitched voice.

"And what is that awful smell?" the elephant in orange with tassels asked as her trunk rubbed her head. "It's giving me quite a headache."

"Where are those Guardians of the Watchtower?" the other elephant in lime green asked. "I don't see them anywhere, they must be a fragmentation of your imagination."

The other elephants giggled at the comment and the girl gave them a look, as she crossed her arms.

"First off, I am clearly not cursed, and this is incense, I burn it for purification and spirituality, and cleanse my soul of the sins I may have done. Without it, I'd never be able to perform my ritual, and seek audience with the god and goddess in my mind. You may not see them, but I can hear them, and not see them physically."

"Well, why do it here than in your own car?" the elephant in orange, Prissy asked.

"That way, no one, even my uncle will see me and think I'm crazy. This car of yours is a better place where I can get away from the distractions, and I needed more space to set up my temple, than my small room."

"Well, I certainly hope you don't make some hocus-pocus to create harm to us and the other animals to chase them out of their stalls," the elephant in green, Catty said.

Mrs. Jumbo knew that those elephants should know better, and she came up and wrapped her trunk protectively around the girl and gave them a glare.

"Look ladies, stop teasing this girl," Harriet said sternly. "I see her as a harmless human being, and besides, she's not at all like the other workers, clowns, even the Ringmaster. She's very unique, in her own way."

"She's right, but I'd never do such a thing. I'm about to turn nineteen in October, and now that I'm an adult, I make my own choices to keep me content. I also wish to live in peace," Sandra added.

"We'll see about that, and we may as well ignore you along with her," the Matriarch said curtly.

The elephants all mumbled in agreement and turned away from them. Mrs. Jumbo led the girl away and turned to a different corner, to face away from them.

"Don't worry about them," she said quietly. "The ladies: Prissy, Catty, Giddy, and the Matriarch know it's their own fault. They should know how to hold their tongues better, and shouldn't judge others, when they get to know them."

"Why do they always gossip?"

"I don't know, but I think it's what they like to do in their pastime. I'd just ignore them, and don't mind what they say. They're not much to talk around them, but at least you're the only one I can talk too."

"Yeah, you said it," Sandy smiled.

The two continued to talk throughout the train ride, to learn more about themselves, laugh at some good jokes, and tell each other stories. Sandy felt that this was the start of a different life that would change her forever.

Hi there, I decided to polish up on the first chapter, and I like this a lot more than the original version. I decided that Sandy would perform a ritual, so people would understand more on her Wiccan heritage. I truly enjoyed writing the ritual and I hope you enjoyed!