---
title: "Benny and Charlie's Big Show"
description: "Benny and Charlie are two clowns preparing for a big show. Both of them have different ideas about what is funny. After asking friends around the circus, they learn that different jokes can make different people smile, and they build one shared routine together."
tags: ["Circus Tales", "friendship", "teamwork", "acceptance", "empathy", "preschoolers", "kindergarteners", "early-readers", "funny", "classroom", "read-aloud", "excitement", "FunnyClowns", "SharedRoutine", "CircusFriends", "DifferentJokes", "Teamwork"]
language: en
source: "Stories for Kids"
url: https://www.stories4kids.net/stories/circus-tales/benny-and-charlies-big-show/
---

# Benny and Charlie's Big Show

_Two Clowns Build One Shared Routine_

Benny and Charlie are two clowns preparing for a big show. Both of them have different ideas about what is funny. After asking friends around the circus, they learn that different jokes can make different people smile, and they build one shared routine together.

Category: Circus Tales

Topics: Circus Tales, Friendship, Teamwork, Acceptance, Empathy, Preschoolers, Kindergarteners, Early Readers, Funny, Classroom, Read Aloud, Excitement, Funny Clowns, Shared Routine, Circus Friends, Different Jokes, Teamwork

## Story

## Benny and Charlie's Funny Argument

Benny and Charlie had been friends for years. They both loved making people laugh, but they did not always agree about how to do it.

![Illustration: Benny and Charlie's Funny Argument](../../../assets/stories/circus-tales/benny-and-charlies-big-show-1.png)

Benny liked big tumbles, banana-peel slips, and hats that flew off at the wrong time.

Charlie liked riddles, silly word games, and jokes that made people think for one second before they laughed.

"Tumbling is funnier," Benny said.

"Wordplay is funnier," Charlie said.

"Then we need a judge," Benny decided.

"Several judges," Charlie said.

## Asking Their Friends

Benny and Charlie walked around the circus with a clipboard and a pencil.

![Illustration: Asking Their Friends](../../../assets/stories/circus-tales/benny-and-charlies-big-show-2.png)

The acrobats liked Benny's tumbling because it matched the way they moved.

The ticket taker liked Charlie's riddles because she enjoyed guessing the answer.

The musicians liked jokes with rhythm. The costume maker liked jokes with funny hats. A child named Lucy liked both.

"Sometimes I want to giggle right away," Lucy said. "Sometimes I like figuring out the joke."

Benny tapped the pencil on the clipboard.

"No one agreed on only one kind," he said.

"That means the tent has room for both," Charlie said.

## Combining Their Styles

Benny and Charlie cleared a practice space behind the curtain.

![Illustration: Combining Their Styles](../../../assets/stories/circus-tales/benny-and-charlies-big-show-3.png)

Charlie asked, "What has two shoes, one hat, and falls over every time it bows?"

Benny bowed, stepped on his own shoelace, and rolled gently across the mat.

Charlie pointed. "That."

Benny laughed. "Now you need a tumble after one of my jokes."

They practiced again and again. Sometimes the joke came first. Sometimes the tumble came first. Sometimes neither worked, and they crossed it off the list.

By sunset, they had a routine that sounded like Charlie and moved like Benny.

## Show Day

The next evening, Benny and Charlie stepped into the ring together.

![Illustration: Show Day](../../../assets/stories/circus-tales/benny-and-charlies-big-show-4.png)

Charlie began with a riddle. Benny answered by pulling a rubber fish from his hat.

The children giggled.

Then Benny pretended to slip on a banana peel. Charlie caught him and said, "Careful. That joke has appeal."

The grown-ups laughed. A moment later, the children laughed too.

For the finale, Benny juggled three soft balls while Charlie told a counting joke. On the last line, Benny caught one ball in his pocket, one on his hat, and one in Charlie's open hand.

The tent filled with laughter from every direction.

## Two Kinds of Jokes

After the show, Lucy found them near the prop trunk.

![Illustration: Two Kinds of Jokes](../../../assets/stories/circus-tales/benny-and-charlies-big-show-5.png)

"My brother liked the falling-down part," she said.

"And you?" Charlie asked.

"I liked when the joke and the tumble happened together."

Benny and Charlie looked at each other.

"Same time tomorrow?" Benny asked.

"Same time," Charlie said. "But with a better fish joke."

Benny groaned, then laughed anyway.