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

Annie distracted the crowd with the birds, Jack scooped the deck of cards off the table and stepped into the shadows. Behind his back, he divided the deck equally. Then he hid the two halves in the palms of his hands.
    Annie gave the doves to Hank and Butch. Then she turned back to the crowd. “I believe my brother has something to share with you now!” Annie shouted. “Jolly Jack?”
    Jack took Annie’s place in the spotlight. “Are there any cardplayers in the house?” he called.
    Many in the audience raised their hands. Some laughed loudly and teased each other.
    “Well then, my friends,” said Jack, “my strong advice to you tonight is
never
play cards with a magician!” As he spoke, he secretly gripped the edge of the card stack in his right hand. Using his thumb, he expertly inched the top card up until it was just behind his fingers.
    All the while, Jack kept talking: “But oddly, some folks are foolish enough to challenge me to agame. Therefore, I never travel anywhere without a deck, but I prefer my cards to remain invisible until I am ready to use them!”
    Jack then raised his right hand and flipped out the card, pretending to pluck it out of the air. The audience gasped. Cymbals clashed.
    “Of course, you can’t play a card game with only one card!” Jack said. He reached into the air with his left hand. “Ah, good! Here is another … and another … and another!”
    The drummer pounded his drums each time Jack appeared to snatch a card from the air. He produced card after card. “What’s this? Another! Another!” Finally, he said, “My goodness! I seem to have gathered an entire deck. Who wants to play a game?”
    The cymbals crashed. The crowd cheered and Jack bowed.
    Annie stepped into the spotlight, holding up three large rings. “Once upon a time, in a palace in China, we learned the ancient art of magic rings,” she said.
    Jack knew that one of the rings had a tiny opening in it. Annie hid the opening between her thumb and index finger so no one could see it.
    “These are three solid rings,” Annie told the crowd. “There is no way on earth to link them together!” She banged the rings against one another, making a show of trying to fit them together. Each time she failed.
    Jack stepped forward. “But deep in the palace of the emperor,” he said, “a Chinese sage taught us a magical song.” Jack waved his wand over the first ring and sang, “
Hong-hong-hong-hong!
”
    Annie banged the rings together again. This time she slipped the solid rings through the hidden opening in the other ring. Her hands moved so swiftly no one could see what she was doing.
    “Once again, the magic song has worked!” she shouted, holding up the three connected rings.
    Cymbals crashed.
    As the crowd applauded, Annie easily disconnected the rings. Then she tossed the two solid ones high into the air. When they came down,she caught them so they slipped perfectly through the tiny opening of the third ring.

    Annie held up the connected rings, and the orchestra played triumphant music. As she bowed, the audience clapped and cheered wildly.
    Jack joined her in the spotlight. “You have been most agreeable and welcoming tonight!” he shouted. “We will think of you fondly for years to come. But now we must leave you. During intermission, you can prepare your minds and nerves, in anticipation of the
most
amazing escape artist of all time: the
Great Houdini
!”
    Trumpets sounded. Everyone cheered and stamped their feet.
    Jack and Annie each bowed with a flourish. They raised their top hats to the crowd. Then, laughing and waving, they ran offstage, and the curtain came down.

“W ell, my dear,” said Annie, “we did it!”
    “We were brilliant!” said Jack.
    Smiling, they pulled off their white gloves and grabbed their top hats. Hank and Butch quickly appeared and carried away their table and props. “Good show! Good show!” they said.
    “Thanks, guys,” said Jack, pulling off his bow