A Funny Ending from R.L. Stine's book “Under The Magician's Spell”.

A Funny Ending from R.L. Stine's book “Under The Magician's Spell”.

1^st February 2019, Friday.

Sable, Douala, Cameroon.

I laughed hard when I saw this ending.

Now you read.

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You are pulled through the doorway and into glaring white lights. Joanie and Sid tumble out after you.

You gaze up at the creature. You start laughing when you realize the face that scared you was only a gorilla mask!

The man takes off his mask and winks at you. He’s short and bald. “Had you going there for a minute, didn’t I, pardner?” he says. He sounds like your cousin from Texas.

The man drops the gorilla mask on the floor and picks up a giant cowboy hat. That’s when you notice he’s dressed head to toe in a cowboy outfit — jeans, cowboy boots, spurs. He helps Joanie to her feet, then shakes Sid’s hand.

“You’re just in time, pardner,” he tells Sid.

“In time for what?” Sid asks.

“In time for some real fun,” the cowboy answers.

You glance around. You are on a stage that has been decorated to look like a western ranch. Bales of hay are stacked around a fake barn door. A large wooden wheel painted red, white, and blue stands in the center of the stage.

What kind of place is this? you wonder. Then you feel something cold and hard pressed into your back.

A knife.

You peer over your shoulder at the cowboy.

“Stand aside, kid,” the cowboy says, flashing the knife blade at you. “You’re in my light.”

You don’t need to be told twice. “Sorry,” you mumble. You take a few steps back.

The cowboy strides toward center stage and positions himself in front of the wheel. He tosses the knife into the air and catches it behind his back. Then he tosses it up and catches it with his eyes shut.

Joanie applauds.

“My, what a cute little girl,” the cowboy says to Joanie. “Would you like to see another trick?”

“Sure,” Joanie says. Sid nods. You don’t think you ever want to see another trick in your life.

“Take your seats, take your seats,” the cowboy commands, waving Sid and Joanie toward folding chairs at the side of the stage. Then he turns to you.

You have a terrible feeling that you’ve been chosen to be part of the cowboy’s act. Right you are!

The next thing you know, the cowboy is strapping you to the wooden wheel.

“You be real still,” the cowboy instructs. “No wiggling.”

Now what? you wonder.

You watch the cowboy pick up four deadly looking knives.

Now you know you don’t like this.

“Excuse me,” you begin. But you are so frightened that you have trouble getting the words out.

The cowboy doesn’t hear you. He takes three knives in his left hand. The other knife he aims directly at your head.

THWANG! The knife thuds into the wood next to your left ear. That was close.

THWANG! A second knife cuts into the wood next to your right ear. That was even closer.

“Hey! Wait a minute!” Your voice comes out as a squeak. THWANG! The third knife thuds right above your head.

“And now for the grand finale,” the cowboy announces, “I will spin the wheel.” He strides toward you.

“Let me off this thing!” you shout. But the cowboy ignores your protest. He smiles at you, grasps the side of the wheel, and gives it a sharp yank.

Round and round you turn. The cowboy takes aim with the last knife.

“Noooooo!” you wail. You can’t look. You shut your eyes.

You open your eyes and sneak another look at the cowboy. It’s hard to see his face as you spin round and round. He seems to be concentrating very hard.

“Is this trick safe?” Joanie asks, her voice trembling. She sounds scared. It’s kind of nice to know she’s worried about you.

“I’ll tell you a secret, young lady,” the cowboy assures her. “It’s a trick knife. Completely harmless.”

“Cool,” Sid says. He and Joanie lean forward in their seats.

Maybe the cowboy knows what he’s doing, you think. You’ve seen this act in circuses before.

You shut your eyes just before the cowboy throws the knife.

“Ooooops! Wrong knife!” are the last words you ever hear.

THE END

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Tamajong Tamajong Philip (PHL)