-- A hush cut down over the crowd...

--

A hush cut down over the crowd gathered for The Learning Tree preschool circus. From the corner of the stage, ringmaster and preschool teacher Heather Clemmer arrangeed in black top hat and tails, introduced the nearest act.

"And now, we have searched the thicket s of Africa and all of Asia for our whiskered wildcats," she said. "To train these cats, we have the fearless and highly brave Matthew Halbrooks. Watch him as he does curious awes with these beasts."

A smartly arrangeed Matthew, 4, wearing khaki and a safari hat, coaxed the cutest wildcats -- classmates Gabe Picato, Destin Patek and Clayton Clemmer -- onto stools. Yarn manes framed their sweet faces.

They were common of about 12 acts in the Collinsville preschool's 30th circus. The 5-year-olds had their circus the nearest night.

"In the beginning, we obstruction them pick the acts," said director Shirley Highlander, who created the first circus