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INTRODUCING THE MAGICIAN
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 In the grange hall rows and rows of chairs were lined up, like soldiers, before the stage. Green and yellow streamers hung from the ceiling and flowers were everywhere. Mary said she helped decorate.
 
“What did you do with all the colored lanterns?” Tommy asked.
 
“Oh, did you see them? They’re going to be hung out in the grove1 after the show. There’s cake and ice cream and we’re going to bring the chairs out and sit and talk with the Bramble Bush Man.”
 
Muffs felt too excited even to guess what he looked like. “The Bramble Bush Man! The Bramble Bush Man!” her thoughts kept saying. “He’s real! He’s true! I’m going to see him!”
 
“You’re going to be so surprised,” Mary went on. “I was. I couldn’t believe it at first and then I began to get used to it and he isn’t at all the way we thought he was and he’s studied so hard and tried out every one of his tricks before that big mirror so that he’s sure how it will look to us down here in the theatre. Honest, now, doesn’t the grange hall look something like a theatre?”
 
Tommy said it did although he hadn’t the ghost of an idea91 what Mary was talking about. She seemed to have found out a lot all that time she wouldn’t play.
 
“It seems as though Muffs would have guessed it. She must have remembered a little of what he looked like,” and Mary kept talking things like that until they had walked the whole length of the hall and were standing2 beside the first row of chairs. A printed sign said RESERVED but Mary turned it over and sat down, pushing Muffs and Tommy into the two empty seats beside her.
 
“Mom’s out there in back with Ellen so she can go home early if she cries. Daddy and Donald and Great Aunt Charlotte are helping3 and we’re supposed to help too,” Mary whispered.
 
“But how can we help?”
 
“By sitting right up near the front so that I can go up quickly when he calls on me.”
 
“When who calls on you?” asked Tommy, much mystified.
 
“Why, the Bramble Bush Man, of course. I’m to take part in his show.”
 
Tommy gave a whistle of surprise but Muffs did not even hear what Mary was saying. She was busy looking at the stage. There everything was, just the way she had seen it in the Bramble Bush Man’s queer4 little house that day they came in through the window. There was the long table with many strange things piled upon it. There was the plate and the ball and hoops5 and rings and giant playing cards in a pile. Even the vase was there and it looked as if it had never been broken. But the flags and ribbons were not to be seen. Neither was the cage with the rabbit in it.
 
“I wonder where Bunny Bright Eyes is,” Muffs said aloud. “I wouldn’t like it if he wasn’t in the show.”
 
92 “Mary’s in it,” said Tommy reassuringly6.
 
“Is she? Then why isn’t she on the stage?”
 
“I’m supposed to go up when he calls me. It’s near the end of the show. I disappear.”
 
“You—what?”
 
“I disappear,” Mary repeated calmly. “The Bramble Bush Man makes me disappear.”
 
“I don’t believe that,” declared Tommy. “Even a wondrous7 wise man couldn’t make a girl disappear.”
 
Will you
tell us how the house disappeared?
“He could too. He made his house disappear, didn’t he?”
 
“Will you come back?” Muffs questioned anxiously.
 
“Of course I’ll come back and when it’s over I’ll tell you how I did it.”
 
“Will you tell us how the house disappeared?” asked Tommy.
 
93 “I can’t,” said Mary, “because I don’t know.”
 
More and more people came in. All the chairs were filled and the doorway8, too, was filled with people who had come to see the Bramble Bush Man’s big show. Tommy had the magic glasses to his eyes and was looking over the crowd.
 
“I wonder where Mother is,” Muffs said.
 
“Maybe she’s back there with Mom minding Ellen,” Tommy suggested. “Maybe she’s afraid to come too close to a wondrous wise man.”
 
“I guess she’d be afraid to disappear like I’m going to do,” said Mary importantly.
 
Muffs was thinking very hard. The Bramble Bush Man must be a rather terrible person if he could make things disappear whenever he felt like it. Even his house! She looked again at the stage, at the long table and the big bowls and rings and playing cards upon it. She looked at the vase that was whole again and shivered.
 
“I b’lieve he’s a giant after all,” she said.
 
Mary laughed and laughed. “Ha! Ha! Why, he isn’t even a big man. Look! There he is now!”
 
She pointed9 but Muffs and Tommy could see no one who looked in the least like a wondrous wise man. Mr. Tyler had walked up toward the stage and he and the headless man stood there talking. Then he pressed a button that made lights all around the stage. A blue light shone from the ceiling, making everything shadowy and mysterious the way it had been in the Bramble Bush Man’s own house.
 
“But where is he?” Muffs and Tommy both asked. “We don’t see him.”
 
“There he is! There! Right where I’m pointing.”
 
94 Mr. Tyler had gone back to his seat and left the headless man standing alone. Soon he went up the little stairs that ended on the stage. Now he was standing before them and smiling.
 
“He’s got a lot of nerve,” Tommy said.
 
Then everything was quiet for the headless man had begun to speak. “Boys and girls, big and little,” he said. “I have come to introduce the Bramble Bush Man, a wondrous wise magician10. He owes his name to three children who are sitting here in the front row. Also, I think, his wisdom.”
 
“What does he mean?” whispered Tommy.
 
“He means us,” Mary whispered back. “Sh! He’s still talking.”
 
“Watch carefully now. Hokus! Mokus! Pokus! and PRESTO11! You have the Bramble Bush Man.”
 
There was a flash of light and a booming12 sound. The headless man had disappeared and there, in his place, stood the Bramble Bush Man himself. He wore a golden robe with black stars on it and a tall black silk hat. He had a black moustache and black glasses but he was about the size of the headless man.
 
“I bet he’s the headless man with a black and gold robe and a make-believe moustache,” Tommy whispered.
 
He looked around, expecting Mary to say, “he is not,” but she and Muffs were both busy watching the magician. He had pulled a hair from his moustache. It couldn’t have been more than an inch long when he pulled it out but now he was stretching, stretching it until it became the length of his arm.
 
“There,” he said. “That is how we stretch a hair. Now that it is long enough, I shall proceed to thread it through my hands.”
 
95 This he did, to the amazement13 and mystification of all who were watching.
 
“Now,” he continued, “I shall sew it through my head.”
 
He put the needle, hair and all, into his mouth.
 
“He’s swallowed it,” cried Tommy.
 
This time Mary did contradict14 him. “No, he hasn’t! He’s sewing it through his head. Watch now! He’s taking his hat off!”
 
First he felt for the hair and everyone expected him to pull it out of his head but he searched awhile and couldn’t find it.
 
“Perhaps it’s in my hat,” he said at last and reached in one hand to see. He drew the hand out and with it, a white rabbit. “One hare is as good as another,” he chuckled15 and then made a low bow.
 
“That’s right,” said Mary in a hushed voice. “They do call a rabbit a hare.” But Muffs said, not in a hushed voice at all but in a very loud one, “It’s Bunny Bright Eyes!”
 
The bunny twitched16 his nose just the way he used to do and seemed to say, “Yes, little mistress17, it’s Bunny Bright Eyes and how glad I am to see you again!”
 
“Will this little girl step up to the stage just a moment?” the magician was asking.
 
“Who? Me?” cried Muffs. She looked at Mary. Surely he must mean Mary.
 
“Yes, you. Madeline Moffet. You’re the girl I want to hold this rabbit while I make him a cage.”
 
Muffs walked uncertainly up the steps and onto the stage. She felt afraid at first but all that feeling left her when she had Bunny Bright Eyes in her arms again.
 
96
One Hare Is as Good as Another,” the Magician Said.
97 “Place this hat on the table,” said the magician. “Bunny Bright Eyes has a little present for you.”
 
“What is it?” asked Muffs moving closer to the Bramble Bush Man and wondering if maybe he wasn’t the headless man’s twin brother. He wanted her handkerchief and she gladly gave it to him.
 
“I hope you don’t mind what happens to it,” he said as he began rolling it into a ball. Soon the handkerchief was gone and in its place was a round white egg!
 
“My handkerchief!” cried Muffs.
 
“Perhaps it’s in your pocket,” said the Bramble Bush Man.
 
“But what became of the egg?” Muffs asked.
 
He suggested that she look in the hat where Bunny Bright Eyes was. Sure enough. There was the egg!
 
“Ha! Ha!” laughed the magician. “Now will you believe in the Easter Rabbit? It’s a magic egg too. I’ll break it and show you.”
 
He gave it three taps on the edge of the long table. It broke and a cage unfolded before the audience. It was the same cage that had disappeared back in the Bramble Bush Man’s house.
 
“As a rule,” he said, “magicians don’t explain their tricks but a certain little girl,” and he looked at Muffs, “would just love to know something about this cage. Look, everybody!”
 
He touched the cage with the magic wand and it disappeared in his hand. Then he held up a tiny piece of metal and unfolded the cage again.
 
“Easy! A folding cage inside a hollow wooden egg. You’ve seen a magnet attract a pin or a needle. Well, the magnet98 on the end of my magic wand attracts the spring that collapses18 the cage.”
 
He set the cage down on the table. “There’s a house for you, Bunny Bright Eyes,” he said and the rabbit hopped19 into it.
 
Suddenly Tommy stood up in his chair. “Oh, Mr. Bramble Bush Man,” he called. “We have a better house than that. Just wait!”
 
So everybody waited and the Bramble Bush Man entertained them with more tricks until Tommy came back with the red and green house that the children had painted. He walked boldly up on the stage and placed it on the long table. “There!” said he, “It’s a prize for Bunny Bright Eyes.”
 
The audience thought this was part of the show. They watched the house, expecting it to disappear but this house was solid. The rabbit could live in it without any danger of having it vanish over his head some cold night in winter. Tommy explained this in a loud voice and the Bramble Bush Man thanked him.
 
“Boy! What a show!” said a voice below the stage.
 
Muffs and Tommy both took their seats soon after that for the great act of vanishing a girl was about to begin. Muffs almost held her breath and Tommy looked a little whiter than usual. It might be fun to watch some stranger disappear. But Mary! They remembered how they had never been able to find the Bramble Bush Man’s house again.
 
“Are you sure you’ll come back, Mary?” they both asked, holding her hands until the last minute.
 
“Oh, yes,” she promised them. “I told you I’d come back only you couldn’t guess in a million years how I’m going to do it.”

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 grove v5wyy     
n.林子,小树林,园林
参考例句:
  • On top of the hill was a grove of tall trees.山顶上一片高大的树林。
  • The scent of lemons filled the grove.柠檬香味充满了小树林。
2 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
3 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
4 queer f0rzP     
adj.奇怪的,异常的,不舒服的,眩晕的
参考例句:
  • I heard some queer footsteps.我听到某种可疑的脚步声。
  • She has been queer lately.她最近身体不舒服。
5 hoops 528662bd801600a928e199785550b059     
n.箍( hoop的名词复数 );(篮球)篮圈;(旧时儿童玩的)大环子;(两端埋在地里的)小铁弓
参考例句:
  • a barrel bound with iron hoops 用铁箍箍紧的桶
  • Hoops in Paris were wider this season and skirts were shorter. 在巴黎,这个季节的裙圈比较宽大,裙裾却短一些。 来自飘(部分)
6 reassuringly YTqxW     
ad.安心,可靠
参考例句:
  • He patted her knee reassuringly. 他轻拍她的膝盖让她放心。
  • The doctor smiled reassuringly. 医生笑了笑,让人心里很踏实。
7 wondrous pfIyt     
adj.令人惊奇的,奇妙的;adv.惊人地;异乎寻常地;令人惊叹地
参考例句:
  • The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。
  • We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。
8 doorway 2s0xK     
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径
参考例句:
  • They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
  • Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
9 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
10 magician 287zL     
n.魔术师,变戏法的人,术士
参考例句:
  • With a wave of his hand,the magician made the rabbit vanish.魔术师手一挥兔子便不见了。
  • The magician transformed the man into a rabbit.魔术师把那个人变成了兔子。
11 presto ZByy0     
adv.急速地;n.急板乐段;adj.急板的
参考例句:
  • With something so important,you can't just wave a wand and presto!在这么重大的问题上,你想挥动一下指挥棒,转眼就变过来,办不到!
  • I just turned the piece of wire in the lock and hey presto,the door opened.我把金属丝伸到锁孔里一拧,嘿,那门就开了。
12 booming mxKzi6     
adj.急速发展的v.激增( boom的现在分词 );猛涨;发出隆隆声;以低沉有力的声音说话
参考例句:
  • The opera singer has a deep, booming, masculine voice. 这位歌剧演唱家有一副深沉而又浑厚有力的嗓音。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • He is booming as a teacher. 作为一位教师,他日趋成功。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
14 contradict HpgzU     
vt.反驳,否认...的真实性,与...发生矛盾
参考例句:
  • Young children should never contradict what their parents say.孩子们绝对不应顶撞父母。
  • They contradict each other all the time.他们总是相互抵触。
15 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
16 twitched bb3f705fc01629dc121d198d54fa0904     
vt.& vi.(使)抽动,(使)颤动(twitch的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Her lips twitched with amusement. 她忍俊不禁地颤动着嘴唇。
  • The child's mouth twitched as if she were about to cry. 这小孩的嘴抽动着,像是要哭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 mistress YDYxZ     
n.(文学用语)使男子为之倾倒的女人,女主人
参考例句:
  • Does his wife know he has a mistress?他的妻子知道他有一个情妇吗?
  • Is your mistress at home?你家女主人在家吗?
18 collapses 9efa410d233b4045491e3d6f683e12ed     
折叠( collapse的第三人称单数 ); 倒塌; 崩溃; (尤指工作劳累后)坐下
参考例句:
  • This bridge table collapses. 这张桥牌桌子能折叠。
  • Once Russia collapses, the last chance to stop Hitler will be gone. 一旦俄国垮台,抑止希特勒的最后机会就没有了。
19 hopped 91b136feb9c3ae690a1c2672986faa1c     
跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 ); 单足蹦跳; 齐足(或双足)跳行; 摘葎草花
参考例句:
  • He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
  • He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车,向市区开去。


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