Abracadabra! Magic with Mouse and Mole (3 page)

Minkus the Magnificent swayed to and fro.
He waved his wand with a flourish.

"
ABRACADABRA!
" Minkus cried—
and jerked the cape off.

Two long ears poked out of the hat.
PLOP!
Mole toppled right off the log.
The crowd went bonkers!
Mouse sprang to her feet.
"Bravo!" she squeaked.
"Encore!" cheered Mole.

The white rabbit stood to take a bow.
Suddenly, the table began to wibble-wobble.
"Yikes!" yelped the rabbit.
The table tipped—
then flipped upside down.
There was a HOLE
in the center!

Cards rained down on the crowd.
ALL were the
ace of clubs!
"We've been tricked!" Mole hollered.
Everyone began to boo and hiss.

POOF!
A cloud of smoke filled the air.
By the time it cleared, Minkus the
Magnificent had vanished!
"Rats!" muttered Mole.
He ripped his card in two.
Mole was no longer
mad about magic.
He was just
mad!

Mouse knocked on
Mole's door:
TAP-TAP-TAP.
Mole did not answer.
He was not at home.
Mouse skipped along
the path to the pond.
There was Mole sitting in his boat.
"Hey!" Mouse shouted.
Mole did not answer.
He did not even look up.

Mouse climbed into the boat.
"Are you still mad?" she said.

Mole let out a sigh.
He tossed a stone into the pond: PLOP!
"Yesterday I was mad; today I am sad."
Mole handed Mouse a pebble.
Mouse flipped it into
the water:
PLIP.

"Why are you sad?" she asked.
Mole got out of the boat.
He found another pebble and stone.
Mole pitched them into the water:
PLIP
-PLOP.

"Yesterday there was magic," sulked Mole.
"Today there is
not.
Minkus was
not
magnificent.
Minkus is
not
a magician.
Minkus is a FAKE!"

"But magic tricks are what magicians do,"
said Mouse. "It's just—
show biz!
"
"Tricks they may be," grumbled Mole.
"Magical they are NOT!"
Mole picked up two pebbles,
a stone, and a large rock.
He hurled them with
all his might:
PLIP,
PLIP,
PLOP—
PLUNK!

"I say
phooey
to magic!
Phooey
to show biz!
There is NO such thing as
magic!
"
"Don't be silly," said Mouse.
She hopped out of the boat.

"See that caterpillar?" Mouse pointed.
"I see it," grumped Mole.
"That caterpillar will form a
chrysalis,
"
she explained. "From the chrysalis,
a beautiful butterfly will fly.

That is no trick, Mole.
That
is magic!"
"How long will
that
take?" muttered Mole.
Mouse twirled her tail.
"Oh, a few weeks."
She waded into the pond.

"See those things swimming to and fro?"
"You mean the little fish with
bulgy eyes?" Mole pointed.
"Those are
tadpoles,
"
said Mouse.

"
Soon
the tadpoles will sprout legs.
Soon
the tadpoles will grow arms.
Tadpoles turn into
frogs.
That is no trick, Mole.
That is
magic!
"
Mole rubbed his snout.
"How long does
soon
take?"
"A few months, perhaps," said Mouse.