Read Online R. L. Stine_Mostly Ghostly 07 by Freaks, Shrieks - Free Book Online Page B
Tags: Fiction, Medical, Juvenile Fiction, Magic, Fantasy & Magic, supernatural, Animals, Children's stories, Ghost Stories, Horror & Ghost Stories, Haunted Houses, Ghosts, Brain, Neuroscience, Body; Mind & Spirit, Apes; Monkeys; Etc, Chimpanzees
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before!
That's what I wanted to say. But of course I didn't.
I thanked her for the ride and climbed out of the car. Again, there was a big crowd around the magic store. The line of magicians stretched down the block. I wobbled my way to the back of the line.
Luckily, I had packed a couple of bananas and a few tangerines in my magic kit to keep up my energy. The woman in front of me had long red hair. I wanted to groom it for her. But somehow I managed to keep my hands to myself.
The line moved up slowly.
I couldn't help myself. I hopped up and down and shouted, “Hoo hoo hoo!”
The red-haired magician spun around. “What's your problem, kid?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Just warming up my voice,” I said. I picked a piece of lint off her poncho. Then I pulled back my lips and flashed her a toothy grin.
She rolled her eyes and spun back around.
Finally, my turn came to perform for Ballan-tine the Nearly Amazing. He sat on his tall chair, with Mr. and Mrs. Hocus at his sides. Today he was dressed all in black—black trousers, a black turtleneck, and a black turban on his head.
“Hello, Max. Nice to see you back,” he boomed in his deep voice.
He remembered me!
I climbed onto the little stage and took a bow. I'd brought a new trick with me because I couldn't do the drinking glass trick. Aaron's doctor had to break the glasses to get them off his hands.
I set a top hat upside down on the table on the stage. Then I raised a pitcher of water over the hat. “Hoo hoo. The Pitcher of Endless Disappearing Water!” I announced.
The idea was that I would pour the pitcher of water into the hat. The pitcher would keep pouring and pouring. It would never empty. And when I picked up the hat, it would be totally dry. No water.
It wasn't a hard trick. I'd practiced it hundreds of times.
But as I raised the pitcher, I suddenly got a better idea. I decided to stand on my head and pour the water.
“Hoo hoo hoo,” I said. My chest suddenly itched a lot. I stopped to scratch it with both hands.
Then I stuck out my tongue at Ballantine and made a loud spitting noise.
His smile faded. He leaned forward in his big chair. He had a confused look on his face.
“Hoo hoo.” I started to stand on my head.
But then I had an even better idea. I jumped onto the table. I kicked the top hat into the air. “Hoo hoo!” I cried. I scratched myself some more.
“Ha, ha!” Ballantine laughed. “He's a monkey. I get it! He's a monkey magician!”
Mr. and Mrs. Hocus started to laugh. And soon everyone in the back room at the store was laughing.
I made more spitting noises. I did a few cartwheels over the tabletop.
“Hoo hoo hoo.”
Then I poured the pitcher of water over my head.
“Ha, ha, ha,” Ballantine laughed some more. “Chimp magic. Look at him. He's very believable! Ha, ha!”
I wobbled off the stage. I felt kinda sick. That wasn't the trick I'd rehearsed.
Ballantine was laughing. Did that mean he liked it?
I wanted to climb a tree and hide on the highest limb and eat leaves.
But I saw him waving me over. He climbed down from his chair and led me to the side of the room.
My heart was pounding. I couldn't stop hopping up and down.
Ballantine rested his hand on my shoulder. “Chimp magic, huh?” he said softly. “Funny. Very original. It made me laugh, kid. But it's not what I'm looking for.”
I pressed my lips together and made a loud spitting sound.
“Don't be disappointed,” Ballantine said. “It was a nice try. But that monkey act just doesn't make it.”
He patted my shoulder and gave me a gentle shove toward the door. “Come back in a few years—okay, Max?”
I slumped through the store. I gazed at the line of eager magicians. Two or three of them would be lucky. They would become students of Ballantine's.
But not me. I'd blown my big chance. I'd poured water on myself and spit in Ballantine's face.
How stupid was that?
And all because of my two ghost friends, Nicky and Tara.
Where were
That's what I wanted to say. But of course I didn't.
I thanked her for the ride and climbed out of the car. Again, there was a big crowd around the magic store. The line of magicians stretched down the block. I wobbled my way to the back of the line.
Luckily, I had packed a couple of bananas and a few tangerines in my magic kit to keep up my energy. The woman in front of me had long red hair. I wanted to groom it for her. But somehow I managed to keep my hands to myself.
The line moved up slowly.
I couldn't help myself. I hopped up and down and shouted, “Hoo hoo hoo!”
The red-haired magician spun around. “What's your problem, kid?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Just warming up my voice,” I said. I picked a piece of lint off her poncho. Then I pulled back my lips and flashed her a toothy grin.
She rolled her eyes and spun back around.
Finally, my turn came to perform for Ballan-tine the Nearly Amazing. He sat on his tall chair, with Mr. and Mrs. Hocus at his sides. Today he was dressed all in black—black trousers, a black turtleneck, and a black turban on his head.
“Hello, Max. Nice to see you back,” he boomed in his deep voice.
He remembered me!
I climbed onto the little stage and took a bow. I'd brought a new trick with me because I couldn't do the drinking glass trick. Aaron's doctor had to break the glasses to get them off his hands.
I set a top hat upside down on the table on the stage. Then I raised a pitcher of water over the hat. “Hoo hoo. The Pitcher of Endless Disappearing Water!” I announced.
The idea was that I would pour the pitcher of water into the hat. The pitcher would keep pouring and pouring. It would never empty. And when I picked up the hat, it would be totally dry. No water.
It wasn't a hard trick. I'd practiced it hundreds of times.
But as I raised the pitcher, I suddenly got a better idea. I decided to stand on my head and pour the water.
“Hoo hoo hoo,” I said. My chest suddenly itched a lot. I stopped to scratch it with both hands.
Then I stuck out my tongue at Ballantine and made a loud spitting noise.
His smile faded. He leaned forward in his big chair. He had a confused look on his face.
“Hoo hoo.” I started to stand on my head.
But then I had an even better idea. I jumped onto the table. I kicked the top hat into the air. “Hoo hoo!” I cried. I scratched myself some more.
“Ha, ha!” Ballantine laughed. “He's a monkey. I get it! He's a monkey magician!”
Mr. and Mrs. Hocus started to laugh. And soon everyone in the back room at the store was laughing.
I made more spitting noises. I did a few cartwheels over the tabletop.
“Hoo hoo hoo.”
Then I poured the pitcher of water over my head.
“Ha, ha, ha,” Ballantine laughed some more. “Chimp magic. Look at him. He's very believable! Ha, ha!”
I wobbled off the stage. I felt kinda sick. That wasn't the trick I'd rehearsed.
Ballantine was laughing. Did that mean he liked it?
I wanted to climb a tree and hide on the highest limb and eat leaves.
But I saw him waving me over. He climbed down from his chair and led me to the side of the room.
My heart was pounding. I couldn't stop hopping up and down.
Ballantine rested his hand on my shoulder. “Chimp magic, huh?” he said softly. “Funny. Very original. It made me laugh, kid. But it's not what I'm looking for.”
I pressed my lips together and made a loud spitting sound.
“Don't be disappointed,” Ballantine said. “It was a nice try. But that monkey act just doesn't make it.”
He patted my shoulder and gave me a gentle shove toward the door. “Come back in a few years—okay, Max?”
I slumped through the store. I gazed at the line of eager magicians. Two or three of them would be lucky. They would become students of Ballantine's.
But not me. I'd blown my big chance. I'd poured water on myself and spit in Ballantine's face.
How stupid was that?
And all because of my two ghost friends, Nicky and Tara.
Where were
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