Magic Tree House #50: Hurry Up, Houdini! (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) Read Online Free PDF Page A

handle, it was locked. Hebanged and banged on the door, but no one answered.
    The windows!
Jack thought. He hurried back into the alley. To reach the row of windows, he had to step from a packing crate onto the top of a garbage can. Jack stood on his toes and looked through a lit window. He saw a hallway, but no one was there. He carefully stepped from one garbage can to another until he reached the next window.
    Jack looked through the glass into the Bambinis’ dressing room. He saw Annie dressed in an oversized tuxedo. She was staring at a piece of paper.
    Jack pounded on the window. “Annie! Annie!” he shouted, panting.
    When Annie saw him, her face lit up. “Hi!” she yelled. She put down the paper and jumped onto a chair. She lifted a latch and then pushed the window up. “Thanks for coming back!” she cried. “I am so sorry, Jack!”
    “Don’t worry about it,” he said.
    “Are you coming in?” asked Annie.

    “Yeah. Hold on.” Jack jumped down and picked up the packing crate. He placed it on top of the garbage can. Then he carefully climbed onto the can and the crate. Clutching the windowsill, he hoisted himself through the window.
    Annie helped him step down onto a chair, and then onto the floor.
    Jack reached into his bag and pulled out the small bottle. “You’ll need this before you go … onstage,” he said, out of breath. “Mist gathered at first light … on the first day … of the new moon … on the Isle of Avalon.”
    “Thanks!” said Annie, taking the bottle. “When I realized I didn’t have it, I didn’t know what to do.”
    “That’s what I figured,” said Jack.
    Annie grabbed the paper from the table. “Look at this,” she said, handing it to Jack. “The Bambini Brothers must have left it.”
    Jack and Annie looked at the paper together. “It looks like a list of tricks,” said Jack. He read:
    Instant Wand
    Three Bunnies
    Miracle Doves
    Cards from Thin Air
    Chinese Rings
    “Yeah, I think I have all the props for them,” said Annie. “See? There are two wands, three rabbits, two doves, a pack of cards, and three big rings.”
    “Yeah, it’s all here …,” said Jack.
    “But what do I do with it?” said Annie.
    “Maybe you’ll find out when you use the magic mist,” said Jack.
    “Oh, yes, I bet I will!” said Annie.
    “Yeah,” Jack said.
    “Now I can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen!” said Annie.
    “Bet you’ll have a good time,” said Jack.
    “What are you thinking?” asked Annie. “Should I still perform all by myself? Or do you think maybe we should perform
together
?”
    Jack stared at her a moment, then sighed. “Together,” he said softly.
    “Yay!” said Annie. “We’ll be a great team. I promise.” She held up the bottle. “Should we use this right
now
? Do you want to?”
    “Hmm,” said Jack. “Yeah. Then we’ll be able to figure everything out. But remember, the magic only works for one hour.” He looked at his watch. “It’s five after eight. If we start the magic now, we’ll be great stage magicians until five after nine.”
    “No problem!” said Annie. “We go on at eight-fifteen for thirty minutes. That means we’ll leave the stage at eight-forty-five.”
    There was a knock on the door. Mr. Wilson poked his head inside, and the noise of the audience rushed into the room like a lion’s roar. Jack heard stamping and whistling and shouting.
    “You go on in ten minutes!” Mr. Wilson said.
    “Thanks,” said Annie.
    The door closed. Jack looked at Annie in a panic. “Did you hear that crowd?” he said.
    “Don’t think about it,” said Annie. “Quick, let’s use the magic!” She pulled the cork out of the bottle. “Ready?”
    Jack nodded.
    Annie held the bottle under her nose. “We wish to be two
great
stage magicians!” she said, and she took a deep breath. “Ahhh!” Then she handed the bottle to Jack.
    Jack closed his eyes and inhaled the mist. It smelled of dewy grass, sparkling lake