The Man Who Was Magic by Paul Gallico Read Free Book Online Page B

understood him. So many people in the world were the same, full of hopes and ambitions but lacking the talent or skill to realize them. But unlike Ninian, they refused to acknowledge it. What had touched Adam, Jane too, was the fact that Ninian admitted he was not much of a magician but still felt impelled to try.
    “Begin!” commanded The Great Robert.
    A hush settled on the room and none of the other candidates, successful as well as unsuccessful, around the sides stirred. They wished him well and were all holding their breath, because of the sense of impending disaster.
    Ninian threw an agonized look in the direction of the Chief Magician and quavered, “I h-have here, as everyone can s-see, a live c-canary in a real c-c-c-cage. When I say ‘Presto! Change-o!’ c-c-cage and c-c-c-canary will v-v-vanish into the th-thin air.”
    Adam heard Malvolio whisper, “That’s what he thinks. Odds on it doesn’t,” and Dante said, “Shut up, Malvolio!”
    Now the big moment had arrived.
    “Presto! Change-o!” intoned Ninian and gave a tremendous twitch, not only to his left wrist but his arm, shoulder and his whole left side as well. But, alas, there was no ‘Change-o’.
    Cage and Albert within, now in a perfect frenzy of flutterings, scoldings and complainings, remained exactly where and how it was between Ninian’s hands. Something had got stuck.
    The magician struggled. He jerked his left arm again. He heaved and pulled and tugged. Nothing happened.
    “Change-o! Change-o! Change-o!” cried the unfortunate man. “Oh, please Change-o, just this once!”
    Jane was gripping Adam’s arm. “Poor Ninian,” she cried. “Adam do something.”
    “What he needs,” Adam said, “is an assistant. Mopsy, go out there and create a disturbance.”
    “Oh boy! Goody!” cried Mopsy. “Won’t I just. Watch me, everybody!” And with that he ran to the center of the floor, not far from the struggling magician, began to chase his tail and naturally, drew all eyes upon himself.
    For since it was already difficult enough when the animal was in repose to tell which was front and which was rear, when he went spinning into a circle, the result was colossal as well as mystifying. The general effect was as though a feather duster had suddenly become endowed with life and gone mad.
    As he spun Mopsy was shouting happily:
“One for the money, two for the show,
    Around and around and around we go!”
    The Great Robert now arose, an annoyed expression upon his large features. He cried, “Here, here, what’s all this? To whom does that nasty thing belong? And what is it, anyway?”
    Adam arose and said, “Begging your pardon, Your Worship, he’s mine. He’s my talking dog, Mopsy.”
    “Well, get him out of there, then,” Robert commanded. “He oughtn’t be in here in the first place.”
    “I’m sorry, Your Worship,” and then he ordered, “Mopsy, you naughty dog, come here at once!”
    Mopsy, of course, did nothing of the kind, since this was a part of the game. He merely reversed his direction and went spinning the other way, singing:
“One, two, three; one, two, three,
    No one can tell the end of me!”
    “Then I shall have to come and fetch you,” said Adam, who strode to the center of the room, and picked up Mopsy. But to do so, he passed in front of Ninian, blocking him thus for an instant from the view of the Judges.
    “Now!” he whispered to the frightened and miserable magician. “Try not to look too surprised.” Then with Mopsy wriggling in his arms and screaming with laughter, he returned and sat down next to Jane, who was staring unbelieving, her mouth wide open and her eyes as big as teacups at what had happened.
    “Try not to look too surprised!” That was a good one! For Ninian’s own eyes bulged as though they were about to drop out of his head. There, between his hands, was no longer the flimsy bird cage with the hysterical Albert, but a large, solid, glass bowl of water with fish swimming about