Horror of Horrors!
You try to pull your hand away. But you can't move. Will must be holding your arm really hard and you still can't feel anything.
"Will, let go! Help me!" you plead. "What's wrong with you?"
Will doesn't seem to hear you. MagnifiCAT takes a deep breath. He swings the sharp, heavy cleaver. You scrunch your eyes shut and hold your breath.
The table trembles as the cleaver buries itself in the chopping block.
You open your eyes. Then they open wider in shock. What happened to your hand?
You see your arm in the exact spot where Will held it down. There's the blade of the cleaver, sticking into the cutting board and at the end of your wrist --- nothing!
But there, across the table, sitting on its own, is a hand!
Wait! That's not your hand. It doesn't look a bit like your hand. And suddenly, the feeling returns to your hand. It's still there --- right at the end of your wrist but you just can't see it.
MagnifiCAT didn't cut off your hand. It's a trick. You slump forward in relief.
Will gives a start and releases your arm. It's as if he just woke up. He stares at your arm and the fake hand.
"You hurt my friend!" he screams. "I'll get you for that!"
He lunges across the table and reaches for the magician's throat.
"How dare you attack me!" MagnifiCAT shouts. "I'll take care of you!"
Your eyes widen in amazement as the fake hand leaps off the table. The fingers dig themselves into Will's hair and pull.
Will lets go of MagnifiCAT's throat and reaches back to get the hand out of his hair.
You dash to Will's side of the table. You grab the fake hand and yank it off Will's head. It twists in your grasp and gives you a hard pinch. You fling it across the table. It hits MagnifiCAT in the face and the fingers clamp down on his nose.
MagnifiCAT yanks the hand off his nose and hurls it into the air. Ten feet up, it disappears in a burst of yellow smoke.
"Von!" the magician shouts. "Come here at once!"
You catch Will's eye. "Let's get out of here," you mouth silently. He nods. Together you edge toward the side of the stage.
Von hurries out past you. "Yes?"
"I am trying to present a serious exhibition of magic," MagnifiCAT declares. "Am I not?"
"Of course!" Von nods.
"Then why are these two acting like CLOWNS?" MagnifiCAT screams. He points at you and Will and snaps his fingers. You suddenly find yourself in a white suit with colored pom-poms down the front. Your nose is big and red.
You glance over at Will. He has a painted smile as wide as his head and ears like an elephant. You both laugh at each other. You can't help it.
"I will not have my work spoiled by these fools," MagnifiCAT continues. "Take them away. Throw them back into their own world."
Von grabs you and Will and leads you to the door.
Hey, sometimes it pays to be the class clown.
"Will, let go! Help me!" you plead. "What's wrong with you?"
Will doesn't seem to hear you. MagnifiCAT takes a deep breath. He swings the sharp, heavy cleaver. You scrunch your eyes shut and hold your breath.
The table trembles as the cleaver buries itself in the chopping block.
You open your eyes. Then they open wider in shock. What happened to your hand?
You see your arm in the exact spot where Will held it down. There's the blade of the cleaver, sticking into the cutting board and at the end of your wrist --- nothing!
But there, across the table, sitting on its own, is a hand!
Wait! That's not your hand. It doesn't look a bit like your hand. And suddenly, the feeling returns to your hand. It's still there --- right at the end of your wrist but you just can't see it.
MagnifiCAT didn't cut off your hand. It's a trick. You slump forward in relief.
Will gives a start and releases your arm. It's as if he just woke up. He stares at your arm and the fake hand.
"You hurt my friend!" he screams. "I'll get you for that!"
He lunges across the table and reaches for the magician's throat.
"How dare you attack me!" MagnifiCAT shouts. "I'll take care of you!"
Your eyes widen in amazement as the fake hand leaps off the table. The fingers dig themselves into Will's hair and pull.
Will lets go of MagnifiCAT's throat and reaches back to get the hand out of his hair.
You dash to Will's side of the table. You grab the fake hand and yank it off Will's head. It twists in your grasp and gives you a hard pinch. You fling it across the table. It hits MagnifiCAT in the face and the fingers clamp down on his nose.
MagnifiCAT yanks the hand off his nose and hurls it into the air. Ten feet up, it disappears in a burst of yellow smoke.
"Von!" the magician shouts. "Come here at once!"
You catch Will's eye. "Let's get out of here," you mouth silently. He nods. Together you edge toward the side of the stage.
Von hurries out past you. "Yes?"
"I am trying to present a serious exhibition of magic," MagnifiCAT declares. "Am I not?"
"Of course!" Von nods.
"Then why are these two acting like CLOWNS?" MagnifiCAT screams. He points at you and Will and snaps his fingers. You suddenly find yourself in a white suit with colored pom-poms down the front. Your nose is big and red.
You glance over at Will. He has a painted smile as wide as his head and ears like an elephant. You both laugh at each other. You can't help it.
"I will not have my work spoiled by these fools," MagnifiCAT continues. "Take them away. Throw them back into their own world."
Von grabs you and Will and leads you to the door.
Hey, sometimes it pays to be the class clown.
