Read Online A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket - Free Book Online Page A

He is brilliant for thinking of the lion show, please. He is brave man for hitting lions with whip, please. And he is generous man for giving lions to Lulu." "He gave those lions to you?" asked a sinister voice. "They were presents?" Now that most of the carnival visitors had departed, the Baudelaires could see Esme Squalor step forward from the doorway of another caravan and walk toward Count Olaf and Madame Lulu. As she passed the lions' trailer, she ran her enormous fingernails along the bars, and the lions whimpered in fear. "So you gave Madame Lulu some lions," she said. "What did you get me?" Count Olaf scratched his head with one scraggly hand, and looked a little embarrassed. "Nothing," he admitted. "But you can share my whip, if you'd like." Madame Lulu leaned over and gave Olaf a kiss on the cheek. "He gave lions to me, please, because I did such wonderful fortune-telling." "You should have seen it, Esme," Olaf said. "Lulu and I entered the fortune-telling tent and turned out all the lights, and the crystal ball began to hum its magical hum. Then, magical lightning crackled above us, and Madame Lulu told me to concentrate as hard as I could. While I closed my eyes, she gazed into her crystal ball and told me that one of the Baudelaire parents is alive and hiding in the Mortmain Mountains. As a reward, I gave her these lions." "So Madame Lulu needs a carrot, too, eh?" the hook-handed man said with a laugh. "First thing tomorrow morning," Olaf continued, "Madame Lulu will consult her crystal ball again, and tell me where the Baudelaires are." Esme glared at Lulu. "And what sort of gift will you give then, Olaf?" "Be reasonable, my dear," Count Olaf said to his girlfriend. "The lions will make Caligari Carnival much more popular, so Madame Lulu can devote her time to fortune-telling and give us the information we need to finally steal the Baudelaire fortune." "I hate to criticize," Hugo said hesitantly, "but is there any way we can make the carnival more popular without feeding us to the lions? I must confess that I'm a little nervous about that part." "You heard the crowd when I told them about the new attraction," Count Olaf said. "They couldn't wait to see the lions devour you, and all of us need to do our part to give people what they want. Your part is to return to the freaks' caravan until tomorrow. And the rest of us will do our part and start digging the pit." "Pit?" one of the white-faced women asked. "What do we need a pit for?" "To keep the lions in," Olaf replied, "so they only eat whichever freak jumps down there. Let's dig it over by the roller coaster." "Good idea, boss," the bald man said. "There are shovels in tool caravan," Lulu said. "I will show you, please." "I'm not going to dig a pit," Esme announced as the others walked away. "I might break a nail. Besides, I need to talk to Count Olaf alone. " "Oh, all right," Count Olaf said. "Let's go in the guest caravan where we won't be disturbed." Olaf and Esme walked off in one direction, and Madame Lulu led the henchmen in the other, leaving the three children alone with their coworkers. "Well, we'd better go inside," Colette said. "Maybe we can think of a way not to get eaten." "Oh, let's not think about those fearsome creatures," Hugo said with a shudder. "Let's play another game of dominoes instead." "Chabo, my other head, and I will be along in a moment," Violet said. "We want to finish our hot chocolate." "You might as well enjoy it," Kevin said glumly, following Hugo and Colette back into the freaks' caravan. "It might turn out to be the last hot chocolate you ever drink." Kevin shut the door with both hands, and the Baudelaires stepped farther away from the caravan so they could talk without being overheard. "Adding cinnamon to hot chocolate is a terrific idea, Sunny," Violet said, "but I'm having trouble enjoying it." "Ificat," Sunny said, which meant "Me too." "Count Olaf's latest scheme leaves a bad taste in my mouth," Klaus said, "and I don't