“HAPPY Birthday Tasha!” mum and dad sang in a chorus as they opened the bedroom door to wake her up on her birthday. It was Tasha’s fifth birthday and as soon as she heard her parents, she opened her beautiful eyes and gave her parents a big hug.

“Hurry up now, princess!” mother said to her, ‘Get out of bed and get dressed. We’re going to the carnival!”

“What’s that?” Tasha asked.

“Well, a place with kiddy rides, clown shows and lots and lots of candy for my angel,” dad said and went downstairs with mum, leaving Tasha all alone to imagine what a carnival would be like.

‘Kiddy rides are so much fun to ride on,’ she thought, ‘and I love candy and gum balls and…’ She froze on the next thought: ‘Clowns ... I don’t like clowns. Clowns are scary!’

“Here we are! The Teddy-Bear Carnival!’ dad said they arrived at the parking lot. Tasha didn’t say a word in the car, her mind kept wandering to clowns and how frightening they would be. She just couldn’t tell her parents about her fear.

“Let’s go see Mr Juggler, the clown; I’m sure Tasha would be delighted!’ mum said.

“Daddy, can we go play hoops? I want a teddy bear!” Tasha tugged on her dad’s hand.

“Alright! Let’s go get you a teddy first,” mum said, flashing her warmest smile.

When she won the brown teddy bear, her mother reminded about the juggler show. But Tasha immediately pulled on her father’s arm and pointed a tiny finger at the gumball machine a few steps away.

“Can I have some? Oh, please, daddy?” she asked, making the most angelic face at him.

“Okay, let’s get you candy first,” her father replied.

By the gumball machine, it took Tasha a whole of five minutes to decide what colour gumballs she wanted. ‘If I take more time, we’ll definitely miss the juggling show,’ Tasha thought.

Suddenly, there were sounds of drum roll and blowpipes.

“Hurry up!” mum grabbed Tasha’s hand and they started to scurry towards the cheering crowd along with the mob of other people running to catch up with the show. Tasha’s little heart started to pound heavily and she tugged on her mum’s arm again, and her little hand freed from the grip. She was pushed aside by the mob of people rushing.

Soon Tasha realised that mummy and daddy were nowhere to be seen among the strange faces around her. She hid behind an old truck and started to cry. What if the clowns found her? She thought, they would lock her up in some dungeon and not give her food or water; then she would never see parents again.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps near her. She stopped crying and held her breath.

“Hey ya, little girl!” she heard a man’s voice, “What are you doing here?”

Tasha saw an old man dressed up in a dungaree. He wore big yellow boots and had brown hair with specs of gray in them. Tasha did not reply. She just stared at him with tearful eyes.

“Hey!” the man said again, now sitting next to her, “What’s your name?” He seemed like a nice man to Tasha, with a jolly smile.

“Tasha,” she replied hesitantly.

The man offering a hand and said, “My name is Willy Wolf, but you can call me Mr Wolf. Alright! So where are your parents?” Willy asked her.

“I got lost in the crowed and there were too many people who pushed me.”

“Oh sweety! Don’t worry, we’ll find your parents! I’m sure they’re looking for you!” said Willy.

She then asked, “Why are you here, Mr Wolf?” Tasha asked.

“I am a clown, dear!” Tasha looked up at him.

“You don’t look scary to me!”

“Are clowns scary?” Willy asked.

“Yes, they are scary. Their face is frightening,” Tasha replied sadly.

“Oh my! Let me show you,” he said and Willy led her behind an old truck next to the rink, where he opened a backdoor that led inside the truck. Tasha followed.

Inside was a dressing room with all sorts of funny clothes, a big mirror, lots of makeup stuff, boots just like Mr Wolf’s but in different colours.

Taking a mask from the corner Willy said to Tasha, “This is my clown mask! And it’s just the mask that makes a clown a clown! We wear this colourful laughing mask for you people to laugh and not to scare you!” He added, “And you have met me, am I scary?”

Tasha smiled embarrassingly, realising how jolly and simple clowns were. Just then she heard, “Tasha! Tasha!” familiar voices from outside, and she rushed out of the truck and saw her parents.

“Where on earth were you?” dad said embracing his daughter. As she hugged her parents, Tasha saw a clown watching them from behind the truck. Tasha waved at him, and Mr Willy Wolf waved back.