The Crazy Competition by Nandu

An original narrative based on “The Jester” by Norman Rockwell

James woke up early in the morning nervous about his circus practice. The performance was only 10 days away, and the carnival was dragging behind. When James arrived at the big tent, there were already jokers juggling balls on fire, clowns roaming around on tricycles and a stuntman being shot out of a cannon. 

Billy, the ringleader, enthusiastically greeted James. “Ready for practice?” he asked as James strolled in. “Yup.” James got ready and started practicing for his act. He first messed up on his opening, then he tripped. He knew he had a long day ahead of him. Sitting down at the wooden picnic table, James felt disappointed. He was certain his circus would not win Circus of the Year, and there was no point in trying. 

Billy caught James upset and came over to comfort him. He motivated James by telling him that if he and the circus worked hard for the next 10 days, they could win Circus of the Year. From then on, James worked diligently. He kept practicing even when everyone left. He labored as tirelessly as he could every day and little by little started getting better. 

On the third day, Billy examined how persistently James was working. “Keep up the good work!” Billy roused. Suddenly, James got a call from the hospital. The doctor on the phone lamented, “Mr. Charles, your mother just had a heart attack and passed away.” The next few hours were a blur. James rushed home crying with agony. Billy got worried when James didn’t show up to practice or even answer the phone when Billy called. 

Finally, James picked up, but he wasn’t talking much. It sounded like he had been crying for days. Billy convinced James to come to practice the next day. When James finally showed up, he noticed the rest of the circus wasn’t performing well. The clowns on the tricycles kept falling and losing balance, and the man juggling couldn’t keep track of all the balls at once. Even though James was only gone for two days, the circus members were falling apart. Now that James was back, everyone in the circus started to get better at what they were doing. 

It was the day before the competition, and the circus was packed with emotion. Some people were excited; some were nervous. And some were enthusiastic. “Just do your best and don’t think about the crowd,” Billy encouraged. Everyone in the circus finally mastered their act. The magician was actually doing magic, the juggler could actually juggle, and the clowns could actually ride the tricycles without falling. 

Everyone went home ready for the competition. “Just remember what Billy said,” James told himself. When James got to the fairground, some of the circus members were already there. He looked at the scene around him. There were food carts, ice cream trucks, and other circuses. Suddenly, the man over the speakers announced, “All performers, please go to your circuses.” As James made his way toward his circus, he saw people wearing top hats, people whose faces were painted bright colors, people walking on pogo sticks, and people in costumes. The announcer called over the speakers, “Will the first group make their way toward the stage?” When they started, there was dancing, magic, and tricks.

After what seemed like forever, it was finally James’s turn. The clowns on tricycles came out first, then the clowns walking on stilts. Then the magician started doing tricks, followed by the juggler, and then the stuntman got shot out of his cannon. After that, it was James’s turn—his puppet show. In no time, everyone was gleefully laughing. After all the performances were over, it was time for the award ceremony. The announcer started with 3rd place, then 2nd, and finally, “1st place goes to Billy’s circus!” the announcer hollered. Everyone cheered, clapped and yelled.

James realized that with someone supporting you and with perseverance you can accomplish way more than if you put your head down and give up when mistakes arise.