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

pair of young illusionists. These master magicians have performed in theaters all around the world, and tonight they are here to perform for
you
! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Jolly Jack and the Amazing Annie!”
    A trumpet blasted, the curtain rose, and the crowd clapped and whistled as Jack and Annie stepped into a yellow spotlight.
    Looking out at the audience, Jack chuckled like a seasoned performer. His heart pounded, but not with fear. It pounded with an excitement that made him want to do his best.
    “Good evening, friends!” Jack shouted over the applause. “They call me Jolly Jack because nothing brings me greater joy than entertaining folks like
you
! And they call my sister Amazing Annie because—” Jack held his gloved hand out toward Annie.
    “I love to amaze you with my amazing ability to amaze you!” Annie shouted.
    The cymbals crashed. The crowd laughed.
    “Do not let our youthful appearance fool you!” Annie went on. “My brother and I have traveled the globe to discover mysteries both ancient and modern!”
    Jack took off his top hat and turned it toward the crowd. “I direct your attention to my hat,” he said. “As you can see, the inside is quite ordinary. But strange things happen with this hat, especially when I touch it with a wand given to us by an Arabian princess.”
    Jack looked around. “Oh, dear, I seem to have forgotten my wand.”
    Annie stepped forward. She swept her rightarm in front of her—and
presto!
A wand appeared in her hand! Jack knew that when she waved her arm, she had simply allowed one of the hidden wands to slip from her sleeve.
    The cymbals crashed.
    The crowd cheered.
    Annie grinned triumphantly and bowed.
    While Annie was distracting everyone, Jack casually put his hat upside down on the velvet tabletop, over one of the hidden trapdoors. As he set the hat down, he pressed on the trapdoor and it flapped open.
    “Thank you, Amazing Annie!” Jack called.
    Annie handed Jack the wand, and he stepped back and waved it around the brim of the top hat.
    The crowd grew quiet.
    In a deep, mysterious voice, Jack intoned, “
Zoom-bally-win-doo-chee-gone-hay!
Which means,
Oh, marvelous hat, what do you have for me today?
”
    Jack tapped the hat, stepped back from the table, and turned to Annie. “My dear, may I ask youto check my hat, please?” he said. “I have a feeling it holds a surprise.”
    There was a drumroll as Annie slowly reached into the hat. Jack knew she was pushing down on the top of the hat, which also had a secret flap.
    A small white rabbit suddenly leapt from the secret compartment, through the hat, and into Annie’s arms!

    The orchestra played triumphant music, and the audience cheered.
    Two more rabbits jumped out! Each time, Annie caught the rabbits and pretended to be surprised.
    The cymbals crashed.
    The audience laughed and clapped.
    Annie handed the rabbits to Hank and Butch,who carried them offstage. Then she took off her own hat. “Ladies and gentlemen!” she shouted. “As you can see, my hat is as empty as my brother’s was.” She showed the inside of the hat to the audience. “But it also holds wonders.”
    Annie set her hat on the table beside Jack’s, carefully placing it on top of the second hidden door. “Oh, I’m going to need another wand!” she said. This time, she swept her left arm in front of her, and
presto!
The second wand appeared in her hand.
    As the crowd applauded, Annie waved the wand over her hat. In a strange voice, she said, “
Zoom-bally-hula-hula-hi-ho-hay!
Which means,
Oh, wondrous hat, send new friends our way!
”
    Jack reached into the hat, pushed down on the secret flap, then gently lifted out a dove. As the crowd cheered and clapped, he reached in again and took out the second dove. Jack handed the birds to Annie. They perched on her fingers as she lifted her hands into the air. The birds flapped their wings, bowing to the audience.
    The cymbals crashed.
    The crowd cheered and clapped.
    While