Stage Fright on a Summer Night - Mary Pope Osborne [3]
The boys ran toward the stone gateway leading onto the bridge.
“Late for what?” said Annie. “What’s on the other side of that bridge? Why are they in such a hurry to get there?”
“I don’t know,” said Jack. He pulled out their research book. “I’ll see what the book says.”
“No, let’s just go—or we’ll be late!” said Annie. She took off running.
“Okay, okay,” said Jack.
He put away the book and ran after her toward London Bridge.
Jack and Annie passed under the stone gateway that led onto London Bridge.
As they started across, Jack was amazed. The bridge was so noisy and smelly! Wagon wheels rumbled like thunder over the cobblestones. Pots clinked in carts. Horses neighed. Shopkeepers shouted.
“Good pies!”
“Hot peas!”
“New pins!”
“Shoes! Soap! Salt!”
A shopkeeper caught Jack’s eye. “What lack you, boy?” he shouted.
“Nothing, thank you,” said Jack, and kept walking.
“Watch out!” a cart driver yelled.
Jack grabbed Annie’s hand. He pulled her out of the way. The cart rolled past them over the narrow roadway.
“Look!” said Annie. She pointed to a bear in a wooden cage in the back of the cart. The bear had matted brown fur. His head was down.
As the cart rumbled on, Jack shook his head. “What next?” he said.
“Them,” said Annie, looking up.
She pointed at huge black birds sitting hunched at the edges of the rooftops. The birds sat still as they stared down at all the carts and animals and people crossing London Bridge. Jack shivered and moved quickly past the gaze of the giant silent birds.
Finally he and Annie came to the end of the bridge. They stepped onto the riverbank. There they stopped and looked around.
“I wonder where those big kids went,” said Annie.
Jack studied the crowd heading down the road that led from. the bridge. There was no sign of the group of ragged boys.
Jack took out their research book. He found the picture of London Bridge. He read aloud:
London Bridge connected London to the south bank of the river, an area where Londoners went for entertainment. The Bear Garden was a popular spot.
“The Bear Garden?” said Annie. “That sounds good. Where’s that?”
Jack found a map of the south bank. He pointed to a circle that was labeled BEAR GARDEN.
“Here,” he said. He looked up. “And … there!” He pointed to a dark, round building in the distance.
“Great!” said Annie. “I want to see the garden filled with bears.”
“Let’s read—” started Jack.
“Let’s look!” said Annie. She headed toward the Bear Garden.
Jack put away their book and followed her. As they got closer, they heard loud shouting and laughter coming from inside the round building.
Annie stopped.
“Wait,” she said. “I’m getting a bad feeling about the Bear Garden. Maybe we should read more about it.”
Jack opened their book again. He read aloud:
At an arena called the Bear Garden, people watched bears fight with dogs. Animal fights were a common sport in old England. They are against the law today.
“Bears fight with dogs? Yuck!” said Annie. “I couldn’t stand to watch that!”
“Me neither,” said Jack. “Forget that place.” He started to walk away.
“Hey, Jack! Look over there!” said Annie. She pointed to a cart nearby. “That’s the bear that passed us on the bridge!”
Annie and Jack ran over to the cart. In the back of it was a cage. In the cage was a big brown bear.
The bear was slumped over, his head still down. The sign on the cart said DAN THE DANCING BEAR.
“Dan?” Annie asked. “Are you going to fight?”
The lonely-looking bear raised his huge head and looked at Annie. His dark eyes were sad. He let out a low moan.
“I understand,” Annie said. “You don’t want to fight. You’re asking me to take you away.” Annie reached for the door of the bear’s cage.
“Away with you!” someone shouted angrily. “That’s my bear!”
Jack and Annie whirled around. The cart driver was charging toward them.
“He’s mine! I’m selling him!” the man shouted.
“Come on, Annie. Let’s go,” said Jack. He pulled her into the crowd walking down the road.
“But I have to save Dan!” said Annie, looking over her shoulder. “That guy wants to sell him to