TAO'S MAGIC TRICKS
By Guy Bullock
Drawings by Tao and Amber Bullock
Text © G. Bullock 2015
Drawings © T. Bullock 2015
All rights reserved
CHAPTER ONE
Tao and the nasty neighbours
THE HOUSE next door to Tao’s had been empty for some time and Tao and her sister Amber would often slip through the fence and climb through a window that hadn’t been closed properly. It was a big house with a huge lounge, dining room, kitchen and even a study downstairs, and bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs. The lounge was just right for them to play games like indoor tennis. There was lots of space in the big empty room.
One day they were in the middle of a game, when a car drew up in front of the house, and a thin lady with a sharp nose and black rimmed glasses got out followed by a podgy girl of about eleven. They went up to the front door.
“Here Mom, I’ve got the key the estate agent lady gave us,” the girl said in a squeaky voice.
Tao and Amber stood still looking at each other in dismay. “Quick, let’s hide,” whispered Tao, but before they could move the front door opened and the thin lady walked in. “Priscilla dear, will you please fetch my notebook. I left it on the front seat,” she said; then she saw the two children.
She glared at Tao and shouted. “And what do you think you are doing here. This is private property. You have no right to break in where you don’t belong.”
“Sorry we didn’t know,” stammered Tao. “We live next door and we were just playing in here.”
“I don’t care if you live in Timbuktu or on the moon. You should not be here,” the lady said. “Now get out immediately and never come back.”
Tao and Amber stumbled to the door where the podgy girl called Priscilla was standing smirking at them. “Get out and don’t come back,” the girl repeated. “You’ve got a cheek playing in our property.”
“Sorreeeee!” said Tao sarcastically and they scooted through the driveway gate back to their own house.
CHAPTER TWO
Tao gets the blame
Next morning they were wakened early by the sound of a large pantechnicon truck arriving next door. They watched as workmen started moving furniture, stoves, fridges, a huge plasma TV, and all sorts of expensive things, into the house.
Then a big black Mercedes car drew up and the thin lady and her husband, who was dressed in a smart black suit and carrying a brief case, got out, followed by the podgy girl. The girl noticed Tao and Amber watching from the fence, and she pulled a tongue at them and went into the house after her parents.
It took nearly an hour to offload, there was so much stuff, and they could hear the sounds of furniture being moved around and at last the truck drove off. The next day workmen arrived and started painting the outside of the house, and other people came and landscaped the garden.
Priscilla was nowhere to be seen for several days but the man went off to work every morning looking important in the big black car.
Tao and Amber were playing in their garden one morning when they heard a squeaky voice on the other side of the fence. Tao went across and saw that it was Priscila.
‘“Hello, my name’s Priscilla Burton,” the girl said. “What’s yours?”
She giggled when Tao told her. “That’s a funny name. I’ve just moved here with all my stuff. You can come and see what I’ve got if you like. I bet I’ve got more stuff than you.” She seemed to have forgotten they had already met.
They were on the way upstairs to podgy Priscilla’s bedroom when the thin lady noticed Tao. She looked her over suspiciously.
“Aren’t you that little girl who was playing here when we moved in,” she said sharply. “I thought I told you not to come back.”
“It’s all right Mom, this is my friend Tao. She wants to have a look at my bedroom and all my stuff.”
“Well don’t make a noise,” Mrs Burton replied. “And, little girl, just you be careful with Priscilla’s toys. They are very expensive and we don’t want them broken.”
Tao saw that the big house was beautifully furnished and there were maids dusting and cleaning. Priscilla’s room had a thick soft carpet and she had a big double bed with a brightly coloured duvet. There were cupboards and shelves all round stacked with dolls and books, her own LED television, computer and hi-fi as well as an ensuite bathroom. It made Tao quite envious. “My father works in a bank, so he has lots of money,” Priscilla boasted. “What’s your father do?”
“Well he’s a builder. He builds houses and fixes roofs and things like that. He has his own business.”
“Of course that’s not nearly as important as being a banker. Bankers are the people that look after money, and that’s what counts, isn’t it.”
She showed Tao some of her dolls and their sets of clothes.
“This one is my favourite,” she said proudly. “It’s handmade and imported.”
It was an expensive doll made of porcelain with a face that looked like a real baby and it was dressed in a long hand-embroidered gown.
“Here, you can hold her if you like,” she said and Tao gingerly held the doll for a few moments before handing it back to Priscilla who put it on a chair and started showing Tao some of her other things. She stood on the chair and reached up to get a book but the chair toppled and Priscilla and the doll crashed to the floor.
Tao felt a little guilty because for some reason she didn’t understand accidents often happened while she was nearby. An object would move mysteriously and cause trouble. But this time she was sure she had nothing to do with it. She had been on the far side of the room when it happened.
Priscilla gave a piercing scream as she lay writhing on the floor. She had landed on the doll, which Tao saw was broken into small pieces. “Ow, ow I’ve hurt my leg,” yelled Priscilla, “and look what’s happened to my favourite doll.” She sobbed loudly and called for her mother, who rushed into the room in panic.
One of the maids helped lift Priscilla onto the bed where she lay crying about her broken doll and sore leg.
“It was Tao’s fault,” she sobbed. “Tao pushed me.”
Tao was indignant. “That’s not true,” she protested. “Priscilla lost her balance while she was standing on the chair. It was an accident.”
Mrs Burton glared at her. “Priscilla would never say anything untrue,” she declared sternly. “She has been well brought up and is an honest girl.”
“Yes, it was Tao,” cried Priscilla. “She pushed me and I fell off the chair and broke my favourite doll too.”
Tao protested but it was no use. Mrs Burton wouldn’t believe her. “I take a very serious view of this, young lady,” she said. “You were invited into our home and you have taken advantage of our hospitality and injured my daughter and broken a valuable doll. I shall have to report this to your father. And I expect any damage to be paid for.”
CHAPTER THREE
Podgy Priscilla gets drenched
That evening after her father got home the phone rang. It was Mrs Burton, and she angrily told Tao’s father what had happened. She blamed Tao and demanded he must pay for the damage.
Tao told her Dad her side of the story. She said Priscilla was trying to blame her for something that was her own fault. In the end Tao’s father said there had been no one to witness what happened so nothing could be proved.
After that no more was said but Mrs Burton was still angry. Tao kept away from the Burtons. A week or so later she was watering the garden near the fence when she was surprised to hear podgy Priscilla’s squeaky voice.
“Hello,” she said as if nothing had ever happened. “Where have
you been lately?”
“I haven’t been anywhere. I’m surprised you are speaking to me after what happened.”
“What happened?”
“You said I pushed you,” said Tao angrily.
“I never did say that.”
“Of course you did.”
“Didn’t, didn’t, didn’t,” the podgy girl said stamping her foot. “If you say I did I’m going to get you into trouble.”
Tao was so angry she pointed the hosepipe at Priscilla and blasted her with water. The podgy girl shrieked and ran off soaking wet. Of course that led to another phone call to Tao’s father, and this time he had to apologise to Mrs Burton. Tao was told she was to keep away from their neighbours in future and not even look their way.
But this was difficult because although she tried to ignore Priscilla the podgy girl did everything she could to provoke both Tao and Amber. She would jeer and laugh whenever she saw Tao and shout, “There goes Skinny Little Toe, ha ha.”
When Tao and Amber were playing in the garden she would lean over the fence and make rude comments. “Ha ha, Amber Pamber can’t even tie her shoe laces, poor thing.”
Amber wanted to hit the podgy girl with her hockey stick but Tao said, “Just ignore her and she’ll soon go away.”
It was no use complaining to Mrs Burton, who thought Priscilla was an angel who could do no wrong, and Mr Burton was mostly away at work.
Not long afterwards they were playing catches with a tennis ball when podgy Priscilla looked over the fence and shouted, “I’m having a party, I’m having a party, and you’re not invited. Ha ha!”
When the two girls took no notice and carried on with their game the podgy girl went on, “I’m having twenty children at my party, but you won’t be coming. We’re having all sorts of good things to eat, but none for you. We’ll have a puppet show and clowns but you’ll not be allowed to watch. Ha, ha!” With that podgy Priscilla ran back into her house laughing.
“Don’t worry Amber,” said Tao. “We wouldn’t go to her silly party even if we were invited.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Priscilla’s big party
Next day a lorry arrived laden with equipment for a marquee tent and a team of workmen started knocking poles into the ground and unfolding canvas. The big brightly coloured tent was put up not far from their fence, so the girls had a good view of what was going on. Soon afterwards another lorry arrived with trestle tables and chairs. The podgy girl saw them and shouted, “We’ll have professional caterers with all sorts of goodies. But not for yooou!”
The guests started arriving that afternoon and soon the back parking space was crowded with expensive cars. The mothers all went inside while the children began games on the lawn. Loud party music was playing and flashing coloured lights had been strung around the tent.
A team of party caterers spread cloths over the tables and laid out knives and forks and crackers and ice cream, jellies, plates of sweets, pies, sausage rolls and many other eats. At the head of a smaller table was a large iced birthday cake with candles and other ornaments. A platform and lots of folding chairs had been placed at one end of the tent for the puppet show. Clowns and a magician were also to perform.
Meanwhile Tao found a spot where there was a gap in the fence. She had a good view of the party and settled down to watch. The children finished their games and all trooped into the tent and took their places round the trestle tables. They helped themselves to the ice cream, jelly, pudding and custard, tarts, pies, cakes, fizzy cold drinks and all the other delicious eats, all talking and joking, laughing and teasing one another.
Priscilla sat at the head of the table next to the birthday cake, eating twice as fast as anyone else. Mrs Burton stood behind her making sure that podgy Priscilla got the best eats. The first thing to go wrong was when the time came to light the candles.
All eleven of them had been stuck upright in the icing. But the strangest thing happened when Mrs Burton tried to hold a match to the first candle. It toppled over and refused to stay upright no matter how often she tried. Everyone laughed, but Mrs Burton got angrier and angrier. “Alphonse, come here immediately,” she shouted to the head caterer. “These candles are poorly made. How dare you put such rubbish on my daughter’s birthday cake.”
“But madam I can assure you they are of the highest quality,” said the flustered caterer.
“Let me light them for you madam.” Alphonse tried to set the candle upright so he could light it, but it immediately fell over again. “I cannot understand this, madam,” Alphonse said. “There seems to be some magnetic influence here. Perhaps you have some electronic device nearby.”
“Absolute nonsense,” stormed Mrs Burton. “It must be the poor quality of the candles. I demand that you do something immediately.”
Alphonse hurried away to get some new candles. Meanwhile the children were getting impatient.
One naughty boy called out loudly, “I want some cake. Where is our cake!” He began banging on the table with a spoon and chanting, “Where’s our cake! Where’s our cake!” The other children screamed with laughter and joined in the fun. “Where’s our cake! Where’s our cake!” everyone shouted, and they all banged on the table together.
Mrs Burton shouted for everyone to be quiet, but she couldn’t be heard above the uproar, which only stopped when Alphonse arrived with a fresh set of candles. He replaced them all and furiously threw the old ones on the ground. With a trembling hand he tried to light a new one, but the same thing happened. The candle toppled over and no matter what they did would not stay upright.
This must be some sort of trick,” Alphonse said, “Perhaps it is the magician you have hired who has planted trick candles.” The bewildered magician was called but strongly denied he had done any such thing. The children were all getting restless again so Mrs Burton decided to cut the cake without lighting candles. But she was furious with the caterer for putting second grade candles on the cake.
She reached for a knife to cut the first slice. “Close your eyes and make a wish dear,” she told Priscilla. She looked down but the knife was not where she expected it to be. “Alphonse!” she shouted. “Come here at once. My man, first it was the candles, and now you have not supplied me with a knife to cut the cake. Get one immediately!”
CHAPTER FIVE
The party goes wrong
Alphonse rushed away and came back puffing and panting. He put the knife down next to the cake and shuffled away muttering angrily only to hear Mrs Burton scream, “Alphoooonse, you dim-witted buffoon! Where is the kniiiife?”
“But madam I gave you the knife a moment ago,” a bewildered Alphonse replied. “You did no such thing,” spluttered Mrs Burton.
She was so angry her glasses came off and dangled from one ear. She poked Alphonse in the chest with a quivering forefinger. “I have had enough, my man, do you hear! Enoooough! If a knife isn’t here within five seconds I shall personally punch you on the nose. “
The knife was brought by a shaken-up Alphonse and this time he handed it directly to Mrs Burton who was still quivering with anger. She snatched it and started to cut the cake, but the knife had flown onto the ground. “Sorry madam, it has slipped from your hand,” said Alphonse and he bent to pick up the knife. He reached for it but as he was about to grasp it the knife slithered under the table.
Alphonse crawled after it on all fours, but it kept sliding out of his reach. “Alphooooonse, what are you doing, you madman,” shrieked Mrs Burton.
Only Alphonse’s broad bottom was sticking out from under the table. Almost demented with fury Mrs Burton kicked it with her pointed shoe. Alphonse roared with pain and bumped his head against the underside of the table, which crashed onto its side. The birthday cake, jelly, ice cream, pudding, custard flew onto the ground in all directions.
Then pandemonium broke loose. Children ran screaming all over with their mothers rushing around trying to restore order. But it was no use. Th
ere was general panic and someone yelled, “Fire, fire!” which caused more confusion. Tables were overturned, plates and dishes smashed, table cloths trampled underfoot. There was a stampede as everyone tried to get out at the same time and children tripped over the ropes holding the tent upright. Down came the marquee on top of Priscilla and Mrs Burton who were still inside.
“Help, help, get us out of here,” came muffled cries from under the canvas. To make matters worse it started to rain in torrents, and sodden children and mothers ran about squelching through puddles with their hair plastered down and soaked clothes sticking to their bodies.
Tao crept back into her house before anyone saw her, and innocently asked her mother what all the noise was about next door.
CHAPTER SIX
Lucy gets Tao into trouble
All was quiet at the Burtons’ home after the caterers had cleaned up the garden and carted away all the damage. Priscilla stopped worrying the girls; she was too upset and Mrs Burton had to spend several days in bed taking pills to calm her nerves.
The holidays ended and the two girls went back to school each day. But there was more trouble for Tao. In her class was a large girl called Lucy Tarbottom, who often annoyed Tao. Lucy had ginger hair, freckles, a snub nose and piggy eyes. She was always bossing other girls around, and trying to get them into trouble.
She had a loud voice that could often be heard in the playground shouting at girls smaller than herself. Lucy was not a clever girl and hated hard learning work, yet she always got quite good marks in tests, and somehow always handed in her homework. Tao was puzzled how nasty Lucy managed to do this and she found out the ginger girl did it by using a simple method. She cheated.