Carnival

Carnival, hurry, hurry. Here is a happy mixture of shouting and music, of laughing and barkers calling the crowd. And there's the giant Wonder Wheel that sweeps you off the earth. It's a mass of iron lace reaching far into the sky. Up. Up you go. Up into the clouds for a bird's-eye view of this noisy, carefree island of helter-skelter joy. And down, down, down. You ride the circling rim of this gigantic wheel and suspended in the air. Up again. Up, up. Higher, higher, until the people below shrink to toy size. Up, up, and spread out below a maze of fantastic rides that are guaranteed to whirl your breath away. Here are bombers whizzing round and rides enough to get you dizzy in a dozen different ways. They roll you over and roll you back. Then you're snapped around the corner by the cracking of a whip. Try to get your bearings in a steel smiter's grip. You feel a little shaken from all those crackbrained rides, but that girl really shakes. It seems that it's contagious, too. Look, they've caught it way off near the water. That's the real South Seas action on a cool Atlantic beach. Now for a stroll down the boardwalk. Kids and ice cream cones are part of any scene. Make it double vanilla. This tiny train takes youngsters to Kiddieland. There's a small-size Ferris Wheel to match the small-size train. And another junior ride. Watch for the horses in the background. There they go. Those are the horses of the Steeplechase racing along a track that circles the entire sprawling carnival. Well, let the horses go. These youngsters much prefer to ride in autos anyway, even if it gets them nowhere fast. Shiny fire engines sure can travel. Speed is a modern invention, but art is old as man himself. Even children are critics. At carnivals, however, they're easily distracted. Oh, movies. Hey, look. One, two, three, four. Watch the birdie. Here is one that can tell your fortune. Want to know what the future holds in store for you? This smart bird will climb a ladder into an Oriental temple and let you know the future for every one of us is sure to hold some rocket ships that zip off into space. These silver rockets, though, we see here are still anchored to the earth. The merry-go-round is far from modern. It's been enjoyed since great-grandma was a little girl and long before that, too. It jogs you up and down and twirls you around, both at the same time. And maybe it's the music that makes the old ride a favorite. That's right, young lady. Get your hair out of your eyes. A jockey has to see to keep his horse in the running. They're off. First, slowly, then up and down, prancing to a hurdy-gurdy tune. Grab a ring quick. They're all alike, excepting one. Catch that yellow one that's made of brass and you'll ride again for free. Okay, toss them back. That is all except that winning ring. Whoa. Nice horsey. These dads are proud of their young cowboys. Merry-go-rounds and bright balloons. No carnival in any land can do without them. But no balloons for this baby. He's been bad. Next time you'll mind your mother. How would you like to float in the sky like a toy balloon? Then try the parachute jump. It's the highest in the whole United States and was built for the World's Fair. Watch how gently the silk lets you down, softly as a balloon. They're beautiful to look at, too, framed against the sky, almost dreamlike. Say, you landed like a ton of bricks. Guess your weight, young lady. Watch him size her up. He's pretty clever at it. It isn't often that he misses. If he does, you get a prize. It may look gaudy later, but right now it looks wonderful. Wrong? Pick your prize. It's late. Still, the ocean breeze refreshes you. Just one more thrill, then home. The roller coaster, that's the one, the last, the best of all, they say. It's mountain climbing on wheels. It starts off easy. Up you go, slowly, nothing to worry about. Then down, whee! And around, gee, another dip. Your heart's right up against your teeth. Wow, hold on tight. Here we go again. Now back to earth. And goodbye, carnival.