Il Circo dei Fiori
The children in Prague noticed our circus no longer had lions or tigers. At first, their disappointment was evident. But our slogan was “a flower for every woman, a smile for every child,” and we kept our promise with a supply of fall roses and Emil Bratiano, the favorite of more than just the children. Emil had learned enough sleight of hand to pull coins from ears and tumbled good-naturedly into the pranks of our mischievous clowns. But the true magic occurred when he was in the air. These days, it seemed a typical circus had a lovely woman twirl and tumble on the corde lisse, but the lines of Emil’s beautiful body and his gravity-defying feats held audiences rapt. I’d only been in charge of the circus for half a season, and I already knew people came just for our sta
