9 788378 290742

ISBN 978-83-7829-074-2

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A little ant with big ideas, and his human friend Joey will delight your children with their exciting adventures.

The imaginative stories in these fun, colorful books will both entertain your children and help them learn valuable lessons

that every kid should know.

danger at the circusAndy and Joey dream about going to the circus. Their parents, however, believe that they should not go there without adult supervision. One day,

the boy and the little ant’s dream comes true. And then they find out how much the adults are needed. Without their support and care a disaster

can happen! Andy and Joey discover that it is good to have a family member close by, someone who cares for us and plays with us.

lAWn mOWer On The lOOserunAWAy AnTs

The sWimming hOle disAsTerThe bAnd music mysTery

dAnger AT The circusThe runAWAy dOg

The secreT Of The spOOky hOuseThe gOOfed up science prOJecT

Books For Those We Love

danger at the circus

Look for Andy Ant in his other books, too!

ANDY’S SWIMMING HOLE

ANDY’SROOM

FAMILY ROOM

JOEY’S HOME

ANDY’S HOME

Mr. DAVIS’HOME

Creator: Lawrence W. O’Nan created Andy Ant in the 1970s when he told bed-time stories to his children. He developed Andy Ant to assist him in instilling values and providing an imaginary hero for his two daughters. He regularly lectures and teaches on subjects dealing with values. He and his family reside in California, where is he is a fund raising consultant with nonprofit organizations.Author: Gerald D. O’Nan is the author of the Andy Ants stories. The stories are based on events that occurred during his childhood and individuals who played important roles in his life as a child. He actively works with children in his community as a teacher and storyteller and also teaches seminars in public and private schools on creative writing and storytelling. He and his family reside in Colorado, where he is an attorney.Illustrator: Norman McGary is an internationally recognized illustrator. He began his career in 1957 when he illustrated children’s books for Walt Disney and became known for his illustrations in 101 Dalmatians and Sleeping Beauty. His career also in-cludes extensive work with Hanna-Barbera Productions, Warner Brothers, and Jere-miah Films. He resides in California, where he continues to illustrate many projects.

STORM DRAIN

DINING ROOM

HALLWAY

SIDEWALK

INSIDEANDY’S HOME

ANT SCHOOL

JOEY’SSCHOOL

PORCH STEP

Dear

Have you ever wanted to go some

place but your mom or dad said you

weren’t old enough to go by your-

self? Well, that’s what happened to

Andy and me. We really learned how

important it is to have grownups aro-

und. We hope you learn as much as

we did!

Sincerely,

Joey

Vocatio PUBLiSHiNG HoUSE Warsaw

Created by Lawrence W. O’NanWritten by Gerald D. O’Nan

Illustrated by Norman McGary

Danger at the circus

To our Dad, Lawrence Amos, who loves adventure

“andy, guess what,” i shouted as i ran over to the crack in the sidewalk.

“What’s going on?” andy said, sticking his head out the window of his room. andy had just gotten out of bed and yawned as he said, “this better be important, Joey. it’s Saturday morning, you know,

and i was sound asleep.”“You bet it’s important andy,” i began. “Last night Dad said we

were going to the circus today. it’s a reward for helping him clean the yard. But listen to this, andy, you can come along!”

Suddenly andy was wide awake. “Wow, do you mean it, Joey?” andy said. i’ll go ask Mom.”

in a few minutes, andy was back, but he didn’t look very happy.“Mom said i can’t go,” andy grumbled.“You can’t go?” i questioned. “this could be the most exciting

day of your life. She just has to let you go!”

“Mom said i’m not old enough to go by myself, so i can’t go unless a grownup comes with me.”

“Well, did you tell her my dad is going and he is a grownup?” i asked.

“i don’t think that’s what she had in mind, Joey. Your dad doesn’t like ants any better than your mom. and you’ve told me what your mom does to ants,” andy said in a low

voice. “Why can’t your mom or dad come along” i asked?“Mom and angelica already have some special plans, and Dad

has to work today. the condominium project over at the vacant lot is behind schedule, so he has to put in extra time,” andy complained.

“Well, maybe you should just go anyhow,” i said. “She’ll never know.”

“i don’t think so,” andy began. “You know the trouble we’ve had when we didn’t obey our parents.”

“isn’t there anybody else who could come with you?” i asked.“Mom said i could ask Uncle andrew, but he’s still asleep and

she told me not to wake him,” andy said. “Besides, i’m not even sure he would like the circus.”

“Well, let me know as soon as you can,” i said, heading back into my house.

Somehow, i was sure Uncle andrew would take andy to the cir-cus. after all, he had been part of andy’s family since his wife

died, and that was a long time ago. andy once told me that Uncle andrew had been all over the world and always had good stories to tell. one time, he took andy’s dad along on a trip. He always says andy’s dad is his favorite brother. andy’s dad laughs and says he is the only brother Uncle andrew has, so he should

be the favorite. i was hoping andy would be one of Uncle andrew’s favorites, too, so andy could go to the circus.

i hadn’t been back in my room very long when i heard the fami-liar tap on my window.

“Hey, Joey,” andy said, giving me the thumbs-up sign. “Uncle andrew says he’ll be glad to take me to the circus. and we’re rea-dy to go!”

“there stood andy and his uncle almost looking like they were part of the circus — at least the wild animal part. they both had on lion trainer hats and jackets with big pockets and a belt. i figu-red that must be what ants wore to a circus.

“What do you think of these neat outfits, Joey? Uncle andrew got them in africa a long time ago,” andy announced with a big smile.

“they’re terrific,” i said. “You look just like lion trainers.”“Yeah, but we’re not going to get

very close to the lions cause they can be pretty dangerous.”

Uncle andrew nodded his head in approval as andy began expla-

ining all the instructions his mother had given him about being careful. With all the orders andy had

memorized, i couldn’t figure out why Uncle andrew had to go with him. after all, what could possibly happen? But i didn’t say anything.

all of a sudden, i heard dad call, “Joey, it’s time to go. Let’s get in the car.”

Dad didn’t have to tell me twice like he does sometimes. in a flash, Uncle andrew and andy jumped in my shirt po-cket and we were off.

as we drove down the street, i started getting really excited. i co-uld tell that andy was excited, too, because he kept sticking his head out of my pocket. i wasn’t sure what my dad would think if

12

he saw an ant peeking out of my shirt pocket—especially an ant wearing a lion trainer’s hat.

13

But i didn’t have to find out what Dad thought, because we turned the corner and he said, “Here we are, Joey.”

i looked all around, but i didn’t see any circus.

“Where is it, Dad,” i asked, still looking around. and i could see that andy was lo-oking too.

“it’s over in the big tent, Joey, you’ll see,” Dad answered.

i got out of the car and started running across the parking lot.“Not so fast, Joey” Dad said, as he reached out and grabbed my

arm. “there are a lot of people here. So, you’d better hold my hand tight. i don’t want to lose you!”

Dad gave my hand a squeeze and we started walking to the sta-dium. Dad knew i was really anxious to see the circus, so we wal-ked pretty fast. i looked down at my shirt pocket and saw andy and Uncle andrew peeking over the top again. i was sure they were really excited, too.

When we walked into the tent, i wanted to see the animals and clowns so much that i almost forgot to stay with Dad. But Dad didn’t forget and held my hand tight.

“Before we get to our seats, let’s get something to eat and take it with us,” Dad suggested. Sure enough, he got me a hot dog, some popcorn, and a whole can of soda pop.

When we sat down, i started eating the hot dog right away. Boy, was it ever good. and so was the circus — all the wild animals, people walking on a tight rope, and the clowns. the clowns were even coming right up where people sat. “Joey, hey Joey,” andy whispered.

15

i looked over and saw andy and Uncle an-drew sitting on the edge of the popcorn box. With all the excitement, i had nearly forgot-ten that they were there.

“Would you mind if we had some pop-corn?” he asked.

“Sure, but don’t eat all of it,” i responded with a quiet laugh. i didn’t laugh very loud because you never know what people would think if they saw you talking to a couple of ants wearing lion trai-ner hats.

andy and Uncle andrew started eating the popcorn and i went back to watching the circus. the clowns made me laugh at all the funny things they were doing.

i started to take another bite of my hot dog, when a bunch of mustard squirted out. i looked down just in time to see andy get splattered by the glob.

“ooPS,” i said, trying to make sure the rest of the mustard wouldn’t slide off. “Fm really sorry.”

andy looked up at me as he wiped mustard from his eyes. at first, he didn’t say a word. then he and Uncle andrew started to laugh.

“it sure is a good thing i gave you that lion trainer hat,” Uncle andrew said, still laughing. “otherwise, you would have been co-vered all over. this way, you fit right in, you look just like a circus clown.” and they both laughed some more.

andy did look a little bit like a clown, but he decided it was time to wipe the mustard off, especially from his face. Uncle andrew helped the best he could, but finally said he needed some water.

“i don’t have any water,” i said, “but you can use some of my soda pop. it looks like water.”

17

“thanks, Joey,” andy said, clim-bing up on the pop can i was holding. “this will work fine, and besides, the popcorn and mustard kind of made me thirsty.”

andy leaned over to get some of the soda pop.

Just then, a clown came down the steps behind me and yelled, “Boo!” it surprised me so much i accidental-ly dropped my can of pop. Ker-thunk, ker-thunk, ker-thunk... the can was rolling down the steps all the way to the bottom.

My soda pop was gone and... oh no, so was andy and Uncle an-drew! i looked all around my seat just in case they might be there. But they were gone. andy must have fallen in the can when the clown scared me. But where was Uncle andrew?

“i’d better go down and get my soda pop,” i said to Dad.“Don’t worry about it, Joey. i’ll get you another one.”“But, Dad, that can was really special,” i said, almost ready to

cry.“Well, this whole day is special because i’m spending it with

you. So you don’t need to feel bad about dropping your soda pop. after all, you didn’t know the clown was there,” Dad said.

Dad must have thought the clown had really scared me, so he put his arm around me and told me i didn’t need to be afraid. i wasn’t afraid of the clowns, but i was really worried about andy. He was probably in the can at the bottom of the steps, and i had to do something.

i’ll be right back, Dad,” i said, thinking i had to recover the pop can.

19

But Dad held onto my arm, “Stay here with me,” he said. “that pop can is probably empty by now, and it looks like the people who collect the trash are about to pick it up.”

Sure enough, somebody put the can into a big trash bag and walked away. My heart just sank. i

20

was sure andy was lost in the trash sack. Who knows where they would put it or if andy could ever get out. i might never see andy again. and what about Uncle andrew? i couldn’t figure out how he had disappeared.

there didn’t seem to be anything i could do. the man with the trash bag was out of sight now, and i was almost sick worrying

21

about andy. i just had to do something. all of a sudden, i remem-bered how Dad had told me that God would take care of what we needed. and right now i really needed to know that andy was safe. So i asked God to take care of andy and Uncle andrew, too!

22

after that i felt better, and i started watching the circus again. there were so many things to look at that i had almost forgotten that i didn’t have anything to drink. But i hadn’t forgotten about andy.

23

Finally, Dad asked, “are you ready for another soda pop, Joey?” that sounded good, because i had finished my popcorn and hot dog a long time ago, so i was pretty thirsty. We started to get up when Dad noticed a man at the bottom of the steps selling some pop.

“Say, we don’t even have to leave our seats,” Dad said. “We can just get our pop from the

man. that way we won’t miss the last part of the circus.” Dad stood up and hollered “soda pop” as he waived his arm. When the man saw Dad, he came up the isle and we each got something to drink. the only difference was that this pop wasn’t in a can, and i usually liked drinking it out of the can best. But Dad said it would taste the same.

i started to take a drink, when i saw something move on the ice cubes. it surprised me so much that i almost dropped this pop, too! there, sitting on the ice cubes were andy and Uncle andrew.

“i thought you were lost in the pop can, andy!” i said nearly shouting.

“i was, but thanks to Uncle andrew, i’m not stuck in a trash bag some place,” he explained.

Uncle andrew explained how he had seen what was happening when the clown scared me and i dropped the pop can. So, he jum-ped on the clown’s sleeve and rode all the way down the steps. then he pulled andy out of the can just before the man put it in the trash bag. Uncle andrew said he didn’t think they could have climbed all the way up the steps before the circus was over, so he

was glad the man selling pop came along. they hopped on his shoe and here they are.

“i’m sure glad Mom made me bring a grownup along,” andy said as he gave Uncle andrew a big hug.

“i think we’ll watch the rest of the circus from your shirt po-cket,” Uncle andrew said.

26

“Would you like a drink of my soda pop?” i asked andy.“No, i’m still not dried off from my last drink,” he said with a

laugh. andy still looked a little wet, but at least the mustard was washed off.

27

the rest of the circus was terrific. Dad was right — everything was special because we were together. and i was especially glad that andy and Uncle andrew were together, too!

that night as i was getting ready for bed, andy came over and tapped on my window.

“i just wanted to say thanks for letting me go with you to the circus,” andy said.

“Well, i’m glad Uncle andrew came along and you didn’t end up in a trash bag.”

“Me too!” andy replied. “i guess Mom knew how important it was to have a grownup around. and i’m really glad i obeyed her and didn’t go by myself. Well, thanks again, Joey.” as andy scam-pered off the window sill, i pulled the covers up around me and thought about our trip to the circus. i knew things would have been

different if Uncle andrew hadn’t been there. So, i was glad andy’s mom had him go along.

and i was glad my dad was with me, too! if he hadn’t seen the man selling pop, andy wouldn’t have had a way to get back to my seat — he could still be lost. and i might have gotten lost, too, if Dad hadn’t held my hand tight. and besides, moms and dads are pretty nice just to have around, even if you don’t get lost.

Andy’s Family (Me)

MomDadU

ncle

And

rew

Ang

elic

aD

ickte

rPa

rker

Your Friend, Andy

Mom Dad

Joey’s Family (Me)

Fre

ckl

es

Your Friend, Joey

Bec

kyD

wa

yne

The Adventures of Andy AntDanger at the Circus

copyright © 1995 by andy ant Productions, inc.10951 W. center ave., Lakewood, co 80226, U.S.a.

all rights reserved

copyright for the English edition(excluding North america)

© 1996 by Vocatio PUBLiSHiNG HoUSE

all rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or any portions thereof, in any form. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic

or mechanical, magnetic, chemical, optical, manual, or otherwise, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without prior written permission from Vocatio.

For the permission please contact:

Vocatio PUBLiSHiNG HoUSEPolnej Róży 1

02-798 WarsawPoLaND

e-mail: ceo@vocatio.us

www.vocatio.us

Printed in Poland

ISBN 978-83-7829-074-2

ANDY’S SWIMMING HOLE

ANDY’SROOM

FAMILY ROOM

JOEY’S HOME

ANDY’S HOME

Mr. DAVIS’HOME

Creator: Lawrence W. O’Nan created Andy Ant in the 1970s when he told bed-time stories to his children. He developed Andy Ant to assist him in instilling values and providing an imaginary hero for his two daughters. He regularly lectures and teaches on subjects dealing with values. He and his family reside in California, where is he is a fund raising consultant with nonprofit organizations.Author: Gerald D. O’Nan is the author of the Andy Ants stories. The stories are based on events that occurred during his childhood and individuals who played important roles in his life as a child. He actively works with children in his community as a teacher and storyteller and also teaches seminars in public and private schools on creative writing and storytelling. He and his family reside in Colorado, where he is an attorney.Illustrator: Norman McGary is an internationally recognized illustrator. He began his career in 1957 when he illustrated children’s books for Walt Disney and became known for his illustrations in 101 Dalmatians and Sleeping Beauty. His career also in-cludes extensive work with Hanna-Barbera Productions, Warner Brothers, and Jere-miah Films. He resides in California, where he continues to illustrate many projects.

STORM DRAIN

DINING ROOM

HALLWAY

SIDEWALK

INSIDEANDY’S HOME

ANT SCHOOL

JOEY’SSCHOOL

PORCH STEP

Dear

Have you ever wanted to go some

place but your mom or dad said you

weren’t old enough to go by your-

self? Well, that’s what happened to

Andy and me. We really learned how

important it is to have grownups aro-

und. We hope you learn as much as

we did!

Sincerely,

Joey

Vocatio PUBLiSHiNG HoUSE Warsaw

Created by Lawrence W. O’NanWritten by Gerald D. O’Nan

Illustrated by Norman McGary

Danger at the circus

To our Dad, Lawrence Amos, who loves adventure

“andy, guess what,” i shouted as i ran over to the crack in the sidewalk.

“What’s going on?” andy said, sticking his head out the window of his room. andy had just gotten out of bed and yawned as he said, “this better be important, Joey. it’s Saturday morning, you know,

and i was sound asleep.”“You bet it’s important andy,” i began. “Last night Dad said we

were going to the circus today. it’s a reward for helping him clean the yard. But listen to this, andy, you can come along!”

Suddenly andy was wide awake. “Wow, do you mean it, Joey?” andy said. i’ll go ask Mom.”

in a few minutes, andy was back, but he didn’t look very happy.“Mom said i can’t go,” andy grumbled.“You can’t go?” i questioned. “this could be the most exciting

day of your life. She just has to let you go!”

“Mom said i’m not old enough to go by myself, so i can’t go unless a grownup comes with me.”

“Well, did you tell her my dad is going and he is a grownup?” i asked.

“i don’t think that’s what she had in mind, Joey. Your dad doesn’t like ants any better than your mom. and you’ve told me what your mom does to ants,” andy said in a low

voice. “Why can’t your mom or dad come along” i asked?“Mom and angelica already have some special plans, and Dad

has to work today. the condominium project over at the vacant lot is behind schedule, so he has to put in extra time,” andy complained.

“Well, maybe you should just go anyhow,” i said. “She’ll never know.”

“i don’t think so,” andy began. “You know the trouble we’ve had when we didn’t obey our parents.”

“isn’t there anybody else who could come with you?” i asked.“Mom said i could ask Uncle andrew, but he’s still asleep and

she told me not to wake him,” andy said. “Besides, i’m not even sure he would like the circus.”

“Well, let me know as soon as you can,” i said, heading back into my house.

Somehow, i was sure Uncle andrew would take andy to the cir-cus. after all, he had been part of andy’s family since his wife

died, and that was a long time ago. andy once told me that Uncle andrew had been all over the world and always had good stories to tell. one time, he took andy’s dad along on a trip. He always says andy’s dad is his favorite brother. andy’s dad laughs and says he is the only brother Uncle andrew has, so he should

be the favorite. i was hoping andy would be one of Uncle andrew’s favorites, too, so andy could go to the circus.

i hadn’t been back in my room very long when i heard the fami-liar tap on my window.

“Hey, Joey,” andy said, giving me the thumbs-up sign. “Uncle andrew says he’ll be glad to take me to the circus. and we’re rea-dy to go!”

“there stood andy and his uncle almost looking like they were part of the circus — at least the wild animal part. they both had on lion trainer hats and jackets with big pockets and a belt. i figu-red that must be what ants wore to a circus.

“What do you think of these neat outfits, Joey? Uncle andrew got them in africa a long time ago,” andy announced with a big smile.

“they’re terrific,” i said. “You look just like lion trainers.”“Yeah, but we’re not going to get

very close to the lions cause they can be pretty dangerous.”

Uncle andrew nodded his head in approval as andy began expla-

ining all the instructions his mother had given him about being careful. With all the orders andy had

memorized, i couldn’t figure out why Uncle andrew had to go with him. after all, what could possibly happen? But i didn’t say anything.

all of a sudden, i heard dad call, “Joey, it’s time to go. Let’s get in the car.”

Dad didn’t have to tell me twice like he does sometimes. in a flash, Uncle andrew and andy jumped in my shirt po-cket and we were off.

as we drove down the street, i started getting really excited. i co-uld tell that andy was excited, too, because he kept sticking his head out of my pocket. i wasn’t sure what my dad would think if

12

he saw an ant peeking out of my shirt pocket—especially an ant wearing a lion trainer’s hat.

13

But i didn’t have to find out what Dad thought, because we turned the corner and he said, “Here we are, Joey.”

i looked all around, but i didn’t see any circus.

“Where is it, Dad,” i asked, still looking around. and i could see that andy was lo-oking too.

“it’s over in the big tent, Joey, you’ll see,” Dad answered.

i got out of the car and started running across the parking lot.“Not so fast, Joey” Dad said, as he reached out and grabbed my

arm. “there are a lot of people here. So, you’d better hold my hand tight. i don’t want to lose you!”

Dad gave my hand a squeeze and we started walking to the sta-dium. Dad knew i was really anxious to see the circus, so we wal-ked pretty fast. i looked down at my shirt pocket and saw andy and Uncle andrew peeking over the top again. i was sure they were really excited, too.

When we walked into the tent, i wanted to see the animals and clowns so much that i almost forgot to stay with Dad. But Dad didn’t forget and held my hand tight.

“Before we get to our seats, let’s get something to eat and take it with us,” Dad suggested. Sure enough, he got me a hot dog, some popcorn, and a whole can of soda pop.

When we sat down, i started eating the hot dog right away. Boy, was it ever good. and so was the circus — all the wild animals, people walking on a tight rope, and the clowns. the clowns were even coming right up where people sat. “Joey, hey Joey,” andy whispered.

15

i looked over and saw andy and Uncle an-drew sitting on the edge of the popcorn box. With all the excitement, i had nearly forgot-ten that they were there.

“Would you mind if we had some pop-corn?” he asked.

“Sure, but don’t eat all of it,” i responded with a quiet laugh. i didn’t laugh very loud because you never know what people would think if they saw you talking to a couple of ants wearing lion trai-ner hats.

andy and Uncle andrew started eating the popcorn and i went back to watching the circus. the clowns made me laugh at all the funny things they were doing.

i started to take another bite of my hot dog, when a bunch of mustard squirted out. i looked down just in time to see andy get splattered by the glob.

“ooPS,” i said, trying to make sure the rest of the mustard wouldn’t slide off. “Fm really sorry.”

andy looked up at me as he wiped mustard from his eyes. at first, he didn’t say a word. then he and Uncle andrew started to laugh.

“it sure is a good thing i gave you that lion trainer hat,” Uncle andrew said, still laughing. “otherwise, you would have been co-vered all over. this way, you fit right in, you look just like a circus clown.” and they both laughed some more.

andy did look a little bit like a clown, but he decided it was time to wipe the mustard off, especially from his face. Uncle andrew helped the best he could, but finally said he needed some water.

“i don’t have any water,” i said, “but you can use some of my soda pop. it looks like water.”

17

“thanks, Joey,” andy said, clim-bing up on the pop can i was holding. “this will work fine, and besides, the popcorn and mustard kind of made me thirsty.”

andy leaned over to get some of the soda pop.

Just then, a clown came down the steps behind me and yelled, “Boo!” it surprised me so much i accidental-ly dropped my can of pop. Ker-thunk, ker-thunk, ker-thunk... the can was rolling down the steps all the way to the bottom.

My soda pop was gone and... oh no, so was andy and Uncle an-drew! i looked all around my seat just in case they might be there. But they were gone. andy must have fallen in the can when the clown scared me. But where was Uncle andrew?

“i’d better go down and get my soda pop,” i said to Dad.“Don’t worry about it, Joey. i’ll get you another one.”“But, Dad, that can was really special,” i said, almost ready to

cry.“Well, this whole day is special because i’m spending it with

you. So you don’t need to feel bad about dropping your soda pop. after all, you didn’t know the clown was there,” Dad said.

Dad must have thought the clown had really scared me, so he put his arm around me and told me i didn’t need to be afraid. i wasn’t afraid of the clowns, but i was really worried about andy. He was probably in the can at the bottom of the steps, and i had to do something.

i’ll be right back, Dad,” i said, thinking i had to recover the pop can.

19

But Dad held onto my arm, “Stay here with me,” he said. “that pop can is probably empty by now, and it looks like the people who collect the trash are about to pick it up.”

Sure enough, somebody put the can into a big trash bag and walked away. My heart just sank. i

20

was sure andy was lost in the trash sack. Who knows where they would put it or if andy could ever get out. i might never see andy again. and what about Uncle andrew? i couldn’t figure out how he had disappeared.

there didn’t seem to be anything i could do. the man with the trash bag was out of sight now, and i was almost sick worrying

21

about andy. i just had to do something. all of a sudden, i remem-bered how Dad had told me that God would take care of what we needed. and right now i really needed to know that andy was safe. So i asked God to take care of andy and Uncle andrew, too!

22

after that i felt better, and i started watching the circus again. there were so many things to look at that i had almost forgotten that i didn’t have anything to drink. But i hadn’t forgotten about andy.

23

Finally, Dad asked, “are you ready for another soda pop, Joey?” that sounded good, because i had finished my popcorn and hot dog a long time ago, so i was pretty thirsty. We started to get up when Dad noticed a man at the bottom of the steps selling some pop.

“Say, we don’t even have to leave our seats,” Dad said. “We can just get our pop from the

man. that way we won’t miss the last part of the circus.” Dad stood up and hollered “soda pop” as he waived his arm. When the man saw Dad, he came up the isle and we each got something to drink. the only difference was that this pop wasn’t in a can, and i usually liked drinking it out of the can best. But Dad said it would taste the same.

i started to take a drink, when i saw something move on the ice cubes. it surprised me so much that i almost dropped this pop, too! there, sitting on the ice cubes were andy and Uncle andrew.

“i thought you were lost in the pop can, andy!” i said nearly shouting.

“i was, but thanks to Uncle andrew, i’m not stuck in a trash bag some place,” he explained.

Uncle andrew explained how he had seen what was happening when the clown scared me and i dropped the pop can. So, he jum-ped on the clown’s sleeve and rode all the way down the steps. then he pulled andy out of the can just before the man put it in the trash bag. Uncle andrew said he didn’t think they could have climbed all the way up the steps before the circus was over, so he

was glad the man selling pop came along. they hopped on his shoe and here they are.

“i’m sure glad Mom made me bring a grownup along,” andy said as he gave Uncle andrew a big hug.

“i think we’ll watch the rest of the circus from your shirt po-cket,” Uncle andrew said.

26

“Would you like a drink of my soda pop?” i asked andy.“No, i’m still not dried off from my last drink,” he said with a

laugh. andy still looked a little wet, but at least the mustard was washed off.

27

the rest of the circus was terrific. Dad was right — everything was special because we were together. and i was especially glad that andy and Uncle andrew were together, too!

that night as i was getting ready for bed, andy came over and tapped on my window.

“i just wanted to say thanks for letting me go with you to the circus,” andy said.

“Well, i’m glad Uncle andrew came along and you didn’t end up in a trash bag.”

“Me too!” andy replied. “i guess Mom knew how important it was to have a grownup around. and i’m really glad i obeyed her and didn’t go by myself. Well, thanks again, Joey.” as andy scam-pered off the window sill, i pulled the covers up around me and thought about our trip to the circus. i knew things would have been

different if Uncle andrew hadn’t been there. So, i was glad andy’s mom had him go along.

and i was glad my dad was with me, too! if he hadn’t seen the man selling pop, andy wouldn’t have had a way to get back to my seat — he could still be lost. and i might have gotten lost, too, if Dad hadn’t held my hand tight. and besides, moms and dads are pretty nice just to have around, even if you don’t get lost.

Andy’s Family (Me)

MomDadU

ncle

And

rew

Ang

elic

aD

ickte

rPa

rker

Your Friend, Andy

Mom Dad

Joey’s Family (Me)

Fre

ckl

es

Your Friend, Joey

Bec

kyD

wa

yne

The Adventures of Andy AntDanger at the Circus

copyright © 1995 by andy ant Productions, inc.10951 W. center ave., Lakewood, co 80226, U.S.a.

all rights reserved

copyright for the English edition(excluding North america)

© 1996 by Vocatio PUBLiSHiNG HoUSE

all rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or any portions thereof, in any form. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic

or mechanical, magnetic, chemical, optical, manual, or otherwise, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without prior written permission from Vocatio.

For the permission please contact:

Vocatio PUBLiSHiNG HoUSEPolnej Róży 1

02-798 WarsawPoLaND

e-mail: ceo@vocatio.us

www.vocatio.us

Printed in Poland

ISBN 978-83-7829-074-2

ANDY’S SWIMMING HOLE

ANDY’SROOM

FAMILY ROOM

JOEY’S HOME

ANDY’S HOME

Mr. DAVIS’HOME

Creator: Lawrence W. O’Nan created Andy Ant in the 1970s when he told bed-time stories to his children. He developed Andy Ant to assist him in instilling values and providing an imaginary hero for his two daughters. He regularly lectures and teaches on subjects dealing with values. He and his family reside in California, where is he is a fund raising consultant with nonprofit organizations.Author: Gerald D. O’Nan is the author of the Andy Ants stories. The stories are based on events that occurred during his childhood and individuals who played important roles in his life as a child. He actively works with children in his community as a teacher and storyteller and also teaches seminars in public and private schools on creative writing and storytelling. He and his family reside in Colorado, where he is an attorney.Illustrator: Norman McGary is an internationally recognized illustrator. He began his career in 1957 when he illustrated children’s books for Walt Disney and became known for his illustrations in 101 Dalmatians and Sleeping Beauty. His career also in-cludes extensive work with Hanna-Barbera Productions, Warner Brothers, and Jere-miah Films. He resides in California, where he continues to illustrate many projects.

STORM DRAIN

DINING ROOM

HALLWAY

SIDEWALK

INSIDEANDY’S HOME

ANT SCHOOL

JOEY’SSCHOOL

PORCH STEP

Dear

Have you ever wanted to go some

place but your mom or dad said you

weren’t old enough to go by your-

self? Well, that’s what happened to

Andy and me. We really learned how

important it is to have grownups aro-

und. We hope you learn as much as

we did!

Sincerely,

Joey

Vocatio PUBLiSHiNG HoUSE Warsaw

Created by Lawrence W. O’NanWritten by Gerald D. O’Nan

Illustrated by Norman McGary

Danger at the circus

To our Dad, Lawrence Amos, who loves adventure

“andy, guess what,” i shouted as i ran over to the crack in the sidewalk.

“What’s going on?” andy said, sticking his head out the window of his room. andy had just gotten out of bed and yawned as he said, “this better be important, Joey. it’s Saturday morning, you know,

and i was sound asleep.”“You bet it’s important andy,” i began. “Last night Dad said we

were going to the circus today. it’s a reward for helping him clean the yard. But listen to this, andy, you can come along!”

Suddenly andy was wide awake. “Wow, do you mean it, Joey?” andy said. i’ll go ask Mom.”

in a few minutes, andy was back, but he didn’t look very happy.“Mom said i can’t go,” andy grumbled.“You can’t go?” i questioned. “this could be the most exciting

day of your life. She just has to let you go!”

“Mom said i’m not old enough to go by myself, so i can’t go unless a grownup comes with me.”

“Well, did you tell her my dad is going and he is a grownup?” i asked.

“i don’t think that’s what she had in mind, Joey. Your dad doesn’t like ants any better than your mom. and you’ve told me what your mom does to ants,” andy said in a low

voice. “Why can’t your mom or dad come along” i asked?“Mom and angelica already have some special plans, and Dad

has to work today. the condominium project over at the vacant lot is behind schedule, so he has to put in extra time,” andy complained.

“Well, maybe you should just go anyhow,” i said. “She’ll never know.”

“i don’t think so,” andy began. “You know the trouble we’ve had when we didn’t obey our parents.”

“isn’t there anybody else who could come with you?” i asked.“Mom said i could ask Uncle andrew, but he’s still asleep and

she told me not to wake him,” andy said. “Besides, i’m not even sure he would like the circus.”

“Well, let me know as soon as you can,” i said, heading back into my house.

Somehow, i was sure Uncle andrew would take andy to the cir-cus. after all, he had been part of andy’s family since his wife

died, and that was a long time ago. andy once told me that Uncle andrew had been all over the world and always had good stories to tell. one time, he took andy’s dad along on a trip. He always says andy’s dad is his favorite brother. andy’s dad laughs and says he is the only brother Uncle andrew has, so he should

be the favorite. i was hoping andy would be one of Uncle andrew’s favorites, too, so andy could go to the circus.

i hadn’t been back in my room very long when i heard the fami-liar tap on my window.

“Hey, Joey,” andy said, giving me the thumbs-up sign. “Uncle andrew says he’ll be glad to take me to the circus. and we’re rea-dy to go!”

“there stood andy and his uncle almost looking like they were part of the circus — at least the wild animal part. they both had on lion trainer hats and jackets with big pockets and a belt. i figu-red that must be what ants wore to a circus.

“What do you think of these neat outfits, Joey? Uncle andrew got them in africa a long time ago,” andy announced with a big smile.

“they’re terrific,” i said. “You look just like lion trainers.”“Yeah, but we’re not going to get

very close to the lions cause they can be pretty dangerous.”

Uncle andrew nodded his head in approval as andy began expla-

ining all the instructions his mother had given him about being careful. With all the orders andy had

memorized, i couldn’t figure out why Uncle andrew had to go with him. after all, what could possibly happen? But i didn’t say anything.

all of a sudden, i heard dad call, “Joey, it’s time to go. Let’s get in the car.”

Dad didn’t have to tell me twice like he does sometimes. in a flash, Uncle andrew and andy jumped in my shirt po-cket and we were off.

as we drove down the street, i started getting really excited. i co-uld tell that andy was excited, too, because he kept sticking his head out of my pocket. i wasn’t sure what my dad would think if

12

he saw an ant peeking out of my shirt pocket—especially an ant wearing a lion trainer’s hat.

13

But i didn’t have to find out what Dad thought, because we turned the corner and he said, “Here we are, Joey.”

i looked all around, but i didn’t see any circus.

“Where is it, Dad,” i asked, still looking around. and i could see that andy was lo-oking too.

“it’s over in the big tent, Joey, you’ll see,” Dad answered.

i got out of the car and started running across the parking lot.“Not so fast, Joey” Dad said, as he reached out and grabbed my

arm. “there are a lot of people here. So, you’d better hold my hand tight. i don’t want to lose you!”

Dad gave my hand a squeeze and we started walking to the sta-dium. Dad knew i was really anxious to see the circus, so we wal-ked pretty fast. i looked down at my shirt pocket and saw andy and Uncle andrew peeking over the top again. i was sure they were really excited, too.

When we walked into the tent, i wanted to see the animals and clowns so much that i almost forgot to stay with Dad. But Dad didn’t forget and held my hand tight.

“Before we get to our seats, let’s get something to eat and take it with us,” Dad suggested. Sure enough, he got me a hot dog, some popcorn, and a whole can of soda pop.

When we sat down, i started eating the hot dog right away. Boy, was it ever good. and so was the circus — all the wild animals, people walking on a tight rope, and the clowns. the clowns were even coming right up where people sat. “Joey, hey Joey,” andy whispered.

15

i looked over and saw andy and Uncle an-drew sitting on the edge of the popcorn box. With all the excitement, i had nearly forgot-ten that they were there.

“Would you mind if we had some pop-corn?” he asked.

“Sure, but don’t eat all of it,” i responded with a quiet laugh. i didn’t laugh very loud because you never know what people would think if they saw you talking to a couple of ants wearing lion trai-ner hats.

andy and Uncle andrew started eating the popcorn and i went back to watching the circus. the clowns made me laugh at all the funny things they were doing.

i started to take another bite of my hot dog, when a bunch of mustard squirted out. i looked down just in time to see andy get splattered by the glob.

“ooPS,” i said, trying to make sure the rest of the mustard wouldn’t slide off. “Fm really sorry.”

andy looked up at me as he wiped mustard from his eyes. at first, he didn’t say a word. then he and Uncle andrew started to laugh.

“it sure is a good thing i gave you that lion trainer hat,” Uncle andrew said, still laughing. “otherwise, you would have been co-vered all over. this way, you fit right in, you look just like a circus clown.” and they both laughed some more.

andy did look a little bit like a clown, but he decided it was time to wipe the mustard off, especially from his face. Uncle andrew helped the best he could, but finally said he needed some water.

“i don’t have any water,” i said, “but you can use some of my soda pop. it looks like water.”

17

“thanks, Joey,” andy said, clim-bing up on the pop can i was holding. “this will work fine, and besides, the popcorn and mustard kind of made me thirsty.”

andy leaned over to get some of the soda pop.

Just then, a clown came down the steps behind me and yelled, “Boo!” it surprised me so much i accidental-ly dropped my can of pop. Ker-thunk, ker-thunk, ker-thunk... the can was rolling down the steps all the way to the bottom.

My soda pop was gone and... oh no, so was andy and Uncle an-drew! i looked all around my seat just in case they might be there. But they were gone. andy must have fallen in the can when the clown scared me. But where was Uncle andrew?

“i’d better go down and get my soda pop,” i said to Dad.“Don’t worry about it, Joey. i’ll get you another one.”“But, Dad, that can was really special,” i said, almost ready to

cry.“Well, this whole day is special because i’m spending it with

you. So you don’t need to feel bad about dropping your soda pop. after all, you didn’t know the clown was there,” Dad said.

Dad must have thought the clown had really scared me, so he put his arm around me and told me i didn’t need to be afraid. i wasn’t afraid of the clowns, but i was really worried about andy. He was probably in the can at the bottom of the steps, and i had to do something.

i’ll be right back, Dad,” i said, thinking i had to recover the pop can.

19

But Dad held onto my arm, “Stay here with me,” he said. “that pop can is probably empty by now, and it looks like the people who collect the trash are about to pick it up.”

Sure enough, somebody put the can into a big trash bag and walked away. My heart just sank. i

20

was sure andy was lost in the trash sack. Who knows where they would put it or if andy could ever get out. i might never see andy again. and what about Uncle andrew? i couldn’t figure out how he had disappeared.

there didn’t seem to be anything i could do. the man with the trash bag was out of sight now, and i was almost sick worrying

21

about andy. i just had to do something. all of a sudden, i remem-bered how Dad had told me that God would take care of what we needed. and right now i really needed to know that andy was safe. So i asked God to take care of andy and Uncle andrew, too!

22

after that i felt better, and i started watching the circus again. there were so many things to look at that i had almost forgotten that i didn’t have anything to drink. But i hadn’t forgotten about andy.

23

Finally, Dad asked, “are you ready for another soda pop, Joey?” that sounded good, because i had finished my popcorn and hot dog a long time ago, so i was pretty thirsty. We started to get up when Dad noticed a man at the bottom of the steps selling some pop.

“Say, we don’t even have to leave our seats,” Dad said. “We can just get our pop from the

man. that way we won’t miss the last part of the circus.” Dad stood up and hollered “soda pop” as he waived his arm. When the man saw Dad, he came up the isle and we each got something to drink. the only difference was that this pop wasn’t in a can, and i usually liked drinking it out of the can best. But Dad said it would taste the same.

i started to take a drink, when i saw something move on the ice cubes. it surprised me so much that i almost dropped this pop, too! there, sitting on the ice cubes were andy and Uncle andrew.

“i thought you were lost in the pop can, andy!” i said nearly shouting.

“i was, but thanks to Uncle andrew, i’m not stuck in a trash bag some place,” he explained.

Uncle andrew explained how he had seen what was happening when the clown scared me and i dropped the pop can. So, he jum-ped on the clown’s sleeve and rode all the way down the steps. then he pulled andy out of the can just before the man put it in the trash bag. Uncle andrew said he didn’t think they could have climbed all the way up the steps before the circus was over, so he

was glad the man selling pop came along. they hopped on his shoe and here they are.

“i’m sure glad Mom made me bring a grownup along,” andy said as he gave Uncle andrew a big hug.

“i think we’ll watch the rest of the circus from your shirt po-cket,” Uncle andrew said.

26

“Would you like a drink of my soda pop?” i asked andy.“No, i’m still not dried off from my last drink,” he said with a

laugh. andy still looked a little wet, but at least the mustard was washed off.

27

the rest of the circus was terrific. Dad was right — everything was special because we were together. and i was especially glad that andy and Uncle andrew were together, too!

that night as i was getting ready for bed, andy came over and tapped on my window.

“i just wanted to say thanks for letting me go with you to the circus,” andy said.

“Well, i’m glad Uncle andrew came along and you didn’t end up in a trash bag.”

“Me too!” andy replied. “i guess Mom knew how important it was to have a grownup around. and i’m really glad i obeyed her and didn’t go by myself. Well, thanks again, Joey.” as andy scam-pered off the window sill, i pulled the covers up around me and thought about our trip to the circus. i knew things would have been

different if Uncle andrew hadn’t been there. So, i was glad andy’s mom had him go along.

and i was glad my dad was with me, too! if he hadn’t seen the man selling pop, andy wouldn’t have had a way to get back to my seat — he could still be lost. and i might have gotten lost, too, if Dad hadn’t held my hand tight. and besides, moms and dads are pretty nice just to have around, even if you don’t get lost.

Andy’s Family (Me)

MomDadU

ncle

And

rew

Ang

elic

aD

ickte

rPa

rker

Your Friend, Andy

Mom Dad

Joey’s Family (Me)

Fre

ckl

es

Your Friend, Joey

Bec

kyD

wa

yne

The Adventures of Andy AntDanger at the Circus

copyright © 1995 by andy ant Productions, inc.10951 W. center ave., Lakewood, co 80226, U.S.a.

all rights reserved

copyright for the English edition(excluding North america)

© 1996 by Vocatio PUBLiSHiNG HoUSE

all rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or any portions thereof, in any form. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic

or mechanical, magnetic, chemical, optical, manual, or otherwise, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without prior written permission from Vocatio.

For the permission please contact:

Vocatio PUBLiSHiNG HoUSEPolnej Róży 1

02-798 WarsawPoLaND

e-mail: ceo@vocatio.us

www.vocatio.us

Printed in Poland

ISBN 978-83-7829-074-2

ANDY’S SWIMMING HOLE

ANDY’SROOM

FAMILY ROOM

JOEY’S HOME

ANDY’S HOME

Mr. DAVIS’HOME

Creator: Lawrence W. O’Nan created Andy Ant in the 1970s when he told bed-time stories to his children. He developed Andy Ant to assist him in instilling values and providing an imaginary hero for his two daughters. He regularly lectures and teaches on subjects dealing with values. He and his family reside in California, where is he is a fund raising consultant with nonprofit organizations.Author: Gerald D. O’Nan is the author of the Andy Ants stories. The stories are based on events that occurred during his childhood and individuals who played important roles in his life as a child. He actively works with children in his community as a teacher and storyteller and also teaches seminars in public and private schools on creative writing and storytelling. He and his family reside in Colorado, where he is an attorney.Illustrator: Norman McGary is an internationally recognized illustrator. He began his career in 1957 when he illustrated children’s books for Walt Disney and became known for his illustrations in 101 Dalmatians and Sleeping Beauty. His career also in-cludes extensive work with Hanna-Barbera Productions, Warner Brothers, and Jere-miah Films. He resides in California, where he continues to illustrate many projects.

STORM DRAIN

DINING ROOM

HALLWAY

SIDEWALK

INSIDEANDY’S HOME

ANT SCHOOL

JOEY’SSCHOOL

PORCH STEP

Dear

Have you ever wanted to go some

place but your mom or dad said you

weren’t old enough to go by your-

self? Well, that’s what happened to

Andy and me. We really learned how

important it is to have grownups aro-

und. We hope you learn as much as

we did!

Sincerely,

Joey

Vocatio PUBLiSHiNG HoUSE Warsaw

Created by Lawrence W. O’NanWritten by Gerald D. O’Nan

Illustrated by Norman McGary

Danger at the circus

To our Dad, Lawrence Amos, who loves adventure

“andy, guess what,” i shouted as i ran over to the crack in the sidewalk.

“What’s going on?” andy said, sticking his head out the window of his room. andy had just gotten out of bed and yawned as he said, “this better be important, Joey. it’s Saturday morning, you know,

and i was sound asleep.”“You bet it’s important andy,” i began. “Last night Dad said we

were going to the circus today. it’s a reward for helping him clean the yard. But listen to this, andy, you can come along!”

Suddenly andy was wide awake. “Wow, do you mean it, Joey?” andy said. i’ll go ask Mom.”

in a few minutes, andy was back, but he didn’t look very happy.“Mom said i can’t go,” andy grumbled.“You can’t go?” i questioned. “this could be the most exciting

day of your life. She just has to let you go!”

“Mom said i’m not old enough to go by myself, so i can’t go unless a grownup comes with me.”

“Well, did you tell her my dad is going and he is a grownup?” i asked.

“i don’t think that’s what she had in mind, Joey. Your dad doesn’t like ants any better than your mom. and you’ve told me what your mom does to ants,” andy said in a low

voice. “Why can’t your mom or dad come along” i asked?“Mom and angelica already have some special plans, and Dad

has to work today. the condominium project over at the vacant lot is behind schedule, so he has to put in extra time,” andy complained.

“Well, maybe you should just go anyhow,” i said. “She’ll never know.”

“i don’t think so,” andy began. “You know the trouble we’ve had when we didn’t obey our parents.”

“isn’t there anybody else who could come with you?” i asked.“Mom said i could ask Uncle andrew, but he’s still asleep and

she told me not to wake him,” andy said. “Besides, i’m not even sure he would like the circus.”

“Well, let me know as soon as you can,” i said, heading back into my house.

Somehow, i was sure Uncle andrew would take andy to the cir-cus. after all, he had been part of andy’s family since his wife

died, and that was a long time ago. andy once told me that Uncle andrew had been all over the world and always had good stories to tell. one time, he took andy’s dad along on a trip. He always says andy’s dad is his favorite brother. andy’s dad laughs and says he is the only brother Uncle andrew has, so he should

be the favorite. i was hoping andy would be one of Uncle andrew’s favorites, too, so andy could go to the circus.

i hadn’t been back in my room very long when i heard the fami-liar tap on my window.

“Hey, Joey,” andy said, giving me the thumbs-up sign. “Uncle andrew says he’ll be glad to take me to the circus. and we’re rea-dy to go!”

“there stood andy and his uncle almost looking like they were part of the circus — at least the wild animal part. they both had on lion trainer hats and jackets with big pockets and a belt. i figu-red that must be what ants wore to a circus.

“What do you think of these neat outfits, Joey? Uncle andrew got them in africa a long time ago,” andy announced with a big smile.

“they’re terrific,” i said. “You look just like lion trainers.”“Yeah, but we’re not going to get

very close to the lions cause they can be pretty dangerous.”

Uncle andrew nodded his head in approval as andy began expla-

ining all the instructions his mother had given him about being careful. With all the orders andy had

memorized, i couldn’t figure out why Uncle andrew had to go with him. after all, what could possibly happen? But i didn’t say anything.

all of a sudden, i heard dad call, “Joey, it’s time to go. Let’s get in the car.”

Dad didn’t have to tell me twice like he does sometimes. in a flash, Uncle andrew and andy jumped in my shirt po-cket and we were off.

as we drove down the street, i started getting really excited. i co-uld tell that andy was excited, too, because he kept sticking his head out of my pocket. i wasn’t sure what my dad would think if

12

he saw an ant peeking out of my shirt pocket—especially an ant wearing a lion trainer’s hat.

13

But i didn’t have to find out what Dad thought, because we turned the corner and he said, “Here we are, Joey.”

i looked all around, but i didn’t see any circus.

“Where is it, Dad,” i asked, still looking around. and i could see that andy was lo-oking too.

“it’s over in the big tent, Joey, you’ll see,” Dad answered.

i got out of the car and started running across the parking lot.“Not so fast, Joey” Dad said, as he reached out and grabbed my

arm. “there are a lot of people here. So, you’d better hold my hand tight. i don’t want to lose you!”

Dad gave my hand a squeeze and we started walking to the sta-dium. Dad knew i was really anxious to see the circus, so we wal-ked pretty fast. i looked down at my shirt pocket and saw andy and Uncle andrew peeking over the top again. i was sure they were really excited, too.

When we walked into the tent, i wanted to see the animals and clowns so much that i almost forgot to stay with Dad. But Dad didn’t forget and held my hand tight.

“Before we get to our seats, let’s get something to eat and take it with us,” Dad suggested. Sure enough, he got me a hot dog, some popcorn, and a whole can of soda pop.

When we sat down, i started eating the hot dog right away. Boy, was it ever good. and so was the circus — all the wild animals, people walking on a tight rope, and the clowns. the clowns were even coming right up where people sat. “Joey, hey Joey,” andy whispered.

15

i looked over and saw andy and Uncle an-drew sitting on the edge of the popcorn box. With all the excitement, i had nearly forgot-ten that they were there.

“Would you mind if we had some pop-corn?” he asked.

“Sure, but don’t eat all of it,” i responded with a quiet laugh. i didn’t laugh very loud because you never know what people would think if they saw you talking to a couple of ants wearing lion trai-ner hats.

andy and Uncle andrew started eating the popcorn and i went back to watching the circus. the clowns made me laugh at all the funny things they were doing.

i started to take another bite of my hot dog, when a bunch of mustard squirted out. i looked down just in time to see andy get splattered by the glob.

“ooPS,” i said, trying to make sure the rest of the mustard wouldn’t slide off. “Fm really sorry.”

andy looked up at me as he wiped mustard from his eyes. at first, he didn’t say a word. then he and Uncle andrew started to laugh.

“it sure is a good thing i gave you that lion trainer hat,” Uncle andrew said, still laughing. “otherwise, you would have been co-vered all over. this way, you fit right in, you look just like a circus clown.” and they both laughed some more.

andy did look a little bit like a clown, but he decided it was time to wipe the mustard off, especially from his face. Uncle andrew helped the best he could, but finally said he needed some water.

“i don’t have any water,” i said, “but you can use some of my soda pop. it looks like water.”

17

“thanks, Joey,” andy said, clim-bing up on the pop can i was holding. “this will work fine, and besides, the popcorn and mustard kind of made me thirsty.”

andy leaned over to get some of the soda pop.

Just then, a clown came down the steps behind me and yelled, “Boo!” it surprised me so much i accidental-ly dropped my can of pop. Ker-thunk, ker-thunk, ker-thunk... the can was rolling down the steps all the way to the bottom.

My soda pop was gone and... oh no, so was andy and Uncle an-drew! i looked all around my seat just in case they might be there. But they were gone. andy must have fallen in the can when the clown scared me. But where was Uncle andrew?

“i’d better go down and get my soda pop,” i said to Dad.“Don’t worry about it, Joey. i’ll get you another one.”“But, Dad, that can was really special,” i said, almost ready to

cry.“Well, this whole day is special because i’m spending it with

you. So you don’t need to feel bad about dropping your soda pop. after all, you didn’t know the clown was there,” Dad said.

Dad must have thought the clown had really scared me, so he put his arm around me and told me i didn’t need to be afraid. i wasn’t afraid of the clowns, but i was really worried about andy. He was probably in the can at the bottom of the steps, and i had to do something.

i’ll be right back, Dad,” i said, thinking i had to recover the pop can.

19

But Dad held onto my arm, “Stay here with me,” he said. “that pop can is probably empty by now, and it looks like the people who collect the trash are about to pick it up.”

Sure enough, somebody put the can into a big trash bag and walked away. My heart just sank. i

20

was sure andy was lost in the trash sack. Who knows where they would put it or if andy could ever get out. i might never see andy again. and what about Uncle andrew? i couldn’t figure out how he had disappeared.

there didn’t seem to be anything i could do. the man with the trash bag was out of sight now, and i was almost sick worrying

21

about andy. i just had to do something. all of a sudden, i remem-bered how Dad had told me that God would take care of what we needed. and right now i really needed to know that andy was safe. So i asked God to take care of andy and Uncle andrew, too!

22

after that i felt better, and i started watching the circus again. there were so many things to look at that i had almost forgotten that i didn’t have anything to drink. But i hadn’t forgotten about andy.

23

Finally, Dad asked, “are you ready for another soda pop, Joey?” that sounded good, because i had finished my popcorn and hot dog a long time ago, so i was pretty thirsty. We started to get up when Dad noticed a man at the bottom of the steps selling some pop.

“Say, we don’t even have to leave our seats,” Dad said. “We can just get our pop from the

man. that way we won’t miss the last part of the circus.” Dad stood up and hollered “soda pop” as he waived his arm. When the man saw Dad, he came up the isle and we each got something to drink. the only difference was that this pop wasn’t in a can, and i usually liked drinking it out of the can best. But Dad said it would taste the same.

i started to take a drink, when i saw something move on the ice cubes. it surprised me so much that i almost dropped this pop, too! there, sitting on the ice cubes were andy and Uncle andrew.

“i thought you were lost in the pop can, andy!” i said nearly shouting.

“i was, but thanks to Uncle andrew, i’m not stuck in a trash bag some place,” he explained.

Uncle andrew explained how he had seen what was happening when the clown scared me and i dropped the pop can. So, he jum-ped on the clown’s sleeve and rode all the way down the steps. then he pulled andy out of the can just before the man put it in the trash bag. Uncle andrew said he didn’t think they could have climbed all the way up the steps before the circus was over, so he

was glad the man selling pop came along. they hopped on his shoe and here they are.

“i’m sure glad Mom made me bring a grownup along,” andy said as he gave Uncle andrew a big hug.

“i think we’ll watch the rest of the circus from your shirt po-cket,” Uncle andrew said.

26

“Would you like a drink of my soda pop?” i asked andy.“No, i’m still not dried off from my last drink,” he said with a

laugh. andy still looked a little wet, but at least the mustard was washed off.

27

the rest of the circus was terrific. Dad was right — everything was special because we were together. and i was especially glad that andy and Uncle andrew were together, too!

that night as i was getting ready for bed, andy came over and tapped on my window.

“i just wanted to say thanks for letting me go with you to the circus,” andy said.

“Well, i’m glad Uncle andrew came along and you didn’t end up in a trash bag.”

“Me too!” andy replied. “i guess Mom knew how important it was to have a grownup around. and i’m really glad i obeyed her and didn’t go by myself. Well, thanks again, Joey.” as andy scam-pered off the window sill, i pulled the covers up around me and thought about our trip to the circus. i knew things would have been

different if Uncle andrew hadn’t been there. So, i was glad andy’s mom had him go along.

and i was glad my dad was with me, too! if he hadn’t seen the man selling pop, andy wouldn’t have had a way to get back to my seat — he could still be lost. and i might have gotten lost, too, if Dad hadn’t held my hand tight. and besides, moms and dads are pretty nice just to have around, even if you don’t get lost.

Andy’s Family (Me)

MomDadU

ncle

And

rew

Ang

elic

aD

ickte

rPa

rker

Your Friend, Andy

Mom Dad

Joey’s Family (Me)

Fre

ckl

es

Your Friend, Joey

Bec

kyD

wa

yne

The Adventures of Andy AntDanger at the Circus

copyright © 1995 by andy ant Productions, inc.10951 W. center ave., Lakewood, co 80226, U.S.a.

all rights reserved

copyright for the English edition(excluding North america)

© 1996 by Vocatio PUBLiSHiNG HoUSE

all rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or any portions thereof, in any form. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic

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For the permission please contact:

Vocatio PUBLiSHiNG HoUSEPolnej Róży 1

02-798 WarsawPoLaND

e-mail: ceo@vocatio.us

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Printed in Poland

ISBN 978-83-7829-074-2