It's the fifth day of Christmas, and what did Barnum see, but FIVE WOODEN SLEDS!

December 18, 1851

Anne eyed the toboggan sceptically.

"I don't know, Caroline. This doesn't look very safe." Barnum's older daughter, bundled from head to toe to protect her from the cold, shook her head.

"It's really fun, I promise!" P.T. had just brought the last toboggan to the top of the huge hill.

"Come on, Anne! I've always wanted to try this," Phillip begged. When she still looked doubtful, P.T. added,

"Do you think Charity would let the girls do this if it was really so unsafe?" Anne blinked. Barnum using logic was a rare occurrence, and it was kind of freaking her out. But she did tell the girls she wanted to experience snow this year, and apparently this is what one did...she sighed and climbed on the sled.

"We just ride down the hill, right?" she whispered to Phillip as he got on behind her. He nodded.

"I think so." Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.

"Hey, P.T.? How do you steer this thing?"

"You don't!" P.T. replied cheerfully. "Have fun!" He shoved the toboggan.

"What?!"

"AHHHHHhhhhhhh!" the couple shrieked all the way down the hill.

"Just jump out if it looks like you're gonna crash!" Helen shouted after them. P.T. was pretty sure Anne was now swearing revenge on him, but he couldn't quite hear her.

Oh, well.

He grinned at Charity, Lettiie, Tom, and W.D., who had just arrived at the top of the hill in time to see him push the couple down the hill.

"That wasn't very nice, dear," Charity admonished gently, though she couldn't hold back a smile. Caroline and Helen bounced around eagerly.

"Can we go meet them at the bottom of the hill, Daddy?"

"Yeah, come on!" He smiled.

"Alright, let's go!" The girls cheered as the three of them climbed onto another sled and rode down the hill.

Phillip had closed his eyes long ago. However, they opened abruptly when he felt the toboggan go airborne and he and Anne were thrown into a snowdrift.

Cold! Very cold! Was all he could think for a few moments as he struggled out of the snow. However, that was nothing compared to how his insides turned to ice as he saw that Anne was still lying face-down in the snow.

"Anne!" he called to her frantically, struggling to his feet and trying to rush to her. He slipped on the snow and went oof as he flopped down near Anne, the breath knocked out of him. Just then, Anne sprang to her feet, both scaring him half to death and simultaneously causing him to breathe a sigh of relief. Well, if he had any breath, that is.

"That was SO GREAT!" she shouted, beaming and waving cheerfully at P.T. and the girls as they came down the hill. "Wasn't that amazing, Phillip?" He had finally caught his breath and stood back up.

"Well, it was certainly an adventure!" he grinned. Now that he knew Anne was alright, and what to expect, he could appreciate that the ride down the hill had been quite a thrill.

"Phillip! Anne!" Caroline shouted, jumping off the sled before it could even come to a stop at the bottom of the hill. "You guys have to come back up, everyone's here now and we can have a five-way race!" Phillip blinked. One toboggan was one thing, but five, all without the capability of steering?

"I don't know…" he said doubtfully. P.T. only grinned at him.

"Phillip's afraid we're going to beat him, girls," he said in a loud stage-whisper.

"Wha -? Challenge accepted!"

...four painted zebras,

three new daring acts,

two dancing daughters,

and a beautiful Christmas tree!

And something a little extra...the fifth (and a half) day of Christmas:

"Oh, Helen?" P.T. called to his daughter. If anyone could explain why his top hat was now pink, and covered in gold glitter, it would be her. She looked up from where she was playing.

"Yes, Daddy?" He waved the hat at her.

"I see my top hat is now Christmas-themed." She nodded.

"Yesterday, when I showed everyone the zebras, they really liked them. But then Lettie said that it would really work better if your top hat matched the zebras for the Christmas show."

"Oh, did she now?" He turned around to look at Lettie, who did not even look slightly contrite.

"You're welcome," she said sweetly. P.T. sighed and put the hat on. He didn't mind, really It's just that Phillip was going to insufferable when he saw this. He paused in thought. That gave him an idea...

"Hahahahaha…" As P.T. predicted, Phillip had laughed for a good solid minute at his new hat. When he finally came up for air, he gasped,

"That color really suits you, P.T. Very festive!" before dissolving into laughter again.

"Why, I'm so glad you think so, Phillip!" Phillip stopped laughing, suspicious. He knew that tone.

"When I saw my new hat, I told Helen it just wouldn't do if I matched the zebras and you didn't. So, I had Helen decorate one for you as well!" The little girl gave Phillip an equally pink and equally sparkly top hat.

"Do you like it?" she said worriedly, "I was gonna make it green and silver to match the other zebras, but I ran out of green paint. Do you like it?" Phillip's expression softened, and he picked Helen up and twirled her around.

"I love it!"

Question of the day: What's your favorite snow activity (if you get any snow, that is!)? Mine probably is sledding, actually. I do enjoy downhill skiing, but it's a little scary, too. Cross country skiing and ice skating is just extremely hard. And as for snowboarding...no.