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

“Ready to tame the lions?”
    Jack still felt the confidence that came from being a great magician. “Showtime!” he said.
    “No problem!” said Annie.
    Jack and Annie left the dressing room and followed Mr. Wilson through the backstage area.
    “Dewey’s out on the avenue, looking for Houdini,” said Mr. Wilson. “Take your places, and I’ll pull the curtain.”
    Jack and Annie strode onto the stage and stood in front of the table. Jack looked at his pocket watch. It was nine o’clock.
    The curtain rose to great fanfare. The audience clapped and cheered. It took a moment for everyone to realize they were looking at Jack and Annie again. After a stunned silence, some people started booing and hissing.
    Jack stepped forward. He tipped his hat and laughed his jolly laugh. “What a terrible surprise,eh?” he shouted. “You didn’t know Jolly Jack is the secret identity of the Great Houdini, did you?”
    More booing and hissing.
    “Seriously, folks, I understand your disappointment,” said Jack. “But the world’s greatest magician is preparing himself backstage right now to give you the best show you’ve ever seen. So please allow Jolly Jack and the Amazing Annie to entertain you for a few more minutes!”
    The audience quieted down, but then someone yelled, “We want Houdini!”
    “Take it outside, pal!” said Jack. “So do we!”
    The audience laughed.
    Jack turned to Annie. “The wand, sister dear.”
    Annie expertly dropped the wand down her sleeve into her hand. The cymbals crashed. But this time, there wasn’t much applause.
    Annie gave the wand to Jack. As he placed his hat over the hidden compartment on the table, he secretly pushed down on the trapdoor. Jack then waved the wand around the brim of the hat. He opened his mouth to speak—but suddenly,
horribly
, he couldn’t think of anything to say!
    Holding the wand in midair, Jack turned to Annie. She looked confused, too. Their hour of being great stage magicians had ended. The magic was over.
    Some people yelled from the audience. Jack felt embarrassed and self-conscious. He couldn’t believe he was trying to perform magic in front of a gazillion people. It was like a nightmare! He couldn’t move or speak!
    Annie rushed over. She reached into Jack’s hat and pushed down on the top. Out jumped the rabbits—one, two, three! But this time, Annie couldn’t catch them, and they jumped to the floor and hopped around the stage.
    The audience laughed and booed.
    Annie put her hat over the second trapdoor and pushed down on the top. Out flew the birds. They circled above the table while Annie grinned foolishly. “See? Magic doves … again,” she said. The stagehands came out and tried to gather up all the creatures.

    The audience booed.
    The musicians didn’t know what to do. They played random violin squeaks, drum sounds, and trumpet wails.
    Jack grabbed the deck of cards. “Um … are there still some cardplayers here?” he said. He thrust out his arm. Instead of a card appearing in his hand, the whole deck flew into the air.
    BLAAAAH!
played the trombone.
    Annie grabbed the three silver rings, but she fumbled them, too, and they clattered to the floor.
    Again, the trombone played,
BLAAAAH!
    The audience laughter and booing had turned to shouting, “Hoo-dee-nee! Hoo-dee-nee!” People stamped their feet.
    Mr. Wilson yelled from the wings, “Different tricks, kids! Do something new!”
    Jack was desperate to leave the stage. He grabbed Annie by the arm. “Let’s get out of here!” he said.
    “Wait,” she said, squinting out at the crowd. “Listen.”
    Jack heard people yelling, “Hurrah!” Then he heard cheers and clapping!
    Has Houdini arrived?
Jack wondered.
    The audience clapped and chanted louder than ever: “Hoo-dee-nee! Hoo-dee-nee!”
    Mr. Dewey was leading a man and woman down the aisle, toward the stage. The woman’s hat was piled high with bananas and roses. “Is that Bess?” said Jack.
    “Yes,” said Annie.