Held on leashes by a laughing, red faced, fat white man, in a white shirt, three taunting little white dogs with vicious intentions, snapped at the ankles of the two teenage negroes trudging across the ground strewn with hay as they walked up to a contraption where a large mallet was used to hit a platform to send a metal ringer upward ten feet to a bell. One of them rang the bell but there was no prize and they left.
      The smell of popcorn and cigar smoke and cotton candy permeated the cool night air along with barnyard smells from pigs, cows, chickens, geese, rabbits, goats, sheep, guinea hens, of all types and colors, as pumped organ music drowned out their bellows and oinks, and the cackle of the little old ladies who were gathered in open tents to have their rhubarb pies, coconut cakes, and plum jellies judged.
      Leathered faced, middle aged men reached out with their loud voices, from their little booths with little teddy bears hanging on the back wall, telling all to step right up to try their chance at winning a rifle. The carousel with its pretty music attracted the little girls and mothers who sat their reluctant sons on the wooden beasts. Farris wheel and slingshots whizzed along with the big apple as boys dared each other to take a ride, but the real attraction was the bearded woman and the two headed snake not to be out done by the man with three eyes all hidden in closed tents.
      A ride on the small roller coaster and a round with the bumper cars, then the taste of hot hamburgers, mustard corn dogs, cotton candy, and coke topped the night; and, as we headed home, we knew it was worth having begged Daddy to take us to the Beauregard Parish Fair.

Copyright © 2006 Carlton Calcote