“Is that a picture of your grandfather?” Jessie asked Mrs. Oliver. Jessie indicated a faded black-and-white photo of a magician. He was holding a rabbit in the air with one hand and a magic wand in the other. An upturned hat sat on a table. “Did he really pull a rabbit out of his hat?”

  “I can’t reveal his trick, but yes, that is my grandfather,” Mrs. Oliver replied. “It was a long time ago. When he got old and was too weak to stand up on the stage, he retired. He taught his tricks to my parents and uncles, and they taught me. My mother was my father’s assistant.”

  The Alden children fell silent as they looked at the many photos. “The whole history of your family is here,” said Henry.

  “Indeed it is,” said Mrs. Oliver. “Magic has been in my family for generations.”

  Violet pointed to a photo of a young girl with pigtails like hers. The child was petting a white kitten. She wore a black top hat that was a little too big for her and sat lopsided on her head. She appeared to be about six years old, Benny’s age. “Mrs. Oliver, is that you when you were little?”

  Mrs. Oliver nodded. She seemed to smile at the memory. “With my favorite kitty. As I said it was a long time ago though. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” Mrs. Oliver began cleaning a shelf with a feather duster.

  Jessie noticed a stack of flyers on the counter. An announcement printed on blue paper described the upcoming magic show. She picked one up, read it to herself, and then said, “Henry, this says the magic show this weekend will be at the community center. I thought you said you would be performing here in the shop.” She held out the flyer to him.

  “I did say that,” Henry said. He took the flyer and read it. Then he looked over at the Amazing Arthur. “Isn’t that right? The magic show will be here? The flyer also says you’ll be performing a new and exciting trick.” Then he read aloud, “‘Come one, come all. The Amazing Arthur will surprise you by appearing out of thin air!’”

  “That sounds amazing,” said Violet.

  “Out of thin air!” Benny exclaimed. “I can’t wait to see that.”

  “Yes, it’ll be great,” the magician replied. “I’m certainly eager to show everyone.” But when he read the flyer Jessie held, he gasped. “Oh no! There’s been a mistake. A terrible mistake.”

  “No mistake,” said Mrs. Oliver.

  The Amazing Arthur took a deep breath. He swept his cape over his left shoulder and stood tall. “I don’t understand,” he said. “Why not have the magic show here, Mrs. Oliver? Why?”

  “It’s the way I want to do things,” she replied.

  “But the show has been performed here for years,” he insisted. He gestured to the small stage at the back of the shop. A bright red curtain usually hid this stage, but today it was open. A sparkly rope held it to the side.

  “I admit the magic shop isn’t large,” he continued. “But the town is used to coming here. It’s cozy and friendly. There’s plenty of room to set up chairs for the audience. All we have to do is move some displays.” The Amazing Arthur tried to keep his voice down, but his face turned red with distress.

  The Alden children listened. They did not want to interrupt.

  “I have my reasons,” the store owner said. “Besides, change is good. I’m going to have that little, old stage removed.”

  The Amazing Arthur removed his top hat. He held it over his heart. “Won’t you please reconsider? Your shop is enchanting,” he said. “It really sets the mood for kids who come to the show. They like to buy magnetic rings and trick toys with their allowances. As you know it’s good for business.”

  “Nope,” she said. She crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “Anyone who wants to buy magic tricks can come here after the show. It’s just a few blocks from the community center. That way it won’t be too crowded in here.”

  The Amazing Arthur frowned. His shoulders sagged. A look of hurt passed over the magician’s face. “Dear me,” he said. “I’m at a loss for words.” He pulled a large pocket watch from his vest.

  “Wait here, please,” he told Henry. “I need to prepare a few things on the stage for your lesson. I’ll be right back.” The Amazing Arthur’s steps were slower than moments earlier when he had appeared out of thin air.

  The phone began to ring. Mrs. Oliver set her feather duster on the counter and answered the phone. The children stepped aside to talk among themselves. They didn’t want to disturb her.

  “Why doesn’t Mrs. Oliver want the magic show here?” asked Benny.

  “I don’t know,” said Henry. “She seems frustrated with the Amazing Arthur. And she definitely doesn’t want all those people to be here.”

  “Maybe she’s just in a bad mood,” said Jessie.

  “Or,” said Benny, holding his finger in the air as if he’d thought of a good idea, “what if she needs a snack? I get grouchy when I’m hungry. And I sure am hungry now.”

  His siblings laughed.

  “You’re always hungry,” Violet said.

  “You’re right about that!” said Benny.

  “It’s almost lunchtime, Benny,” Jessie reminded him. She patted her little brother on the shoulder. “We’ll go home while Henry has his lesson. Mrs. McGregor said that pie on the windowsill is for after dinner, but there’s plenty of stuff in the fridge to make sandwiches.”

  The Amazing Arthur came up to Henry. He said, “All right, young man. I’m ready for your lesson. Are you?”

  “Yes sir, I am,” Henry replied. He waved to his siblings as they left the shop.

  The Amazing Arthur led Henry to the stage. Tiny colored lights sparkled against the walls. A small table held a box of props. The Amazing Arthur had left the large red curtain open.

  “We’ll practice here, Henry,” he said. “It’s a good way for you to prepare for an audience. When kids and customers start coming in, try to concentrate. Don’t let them distract you.”

  “All right,” said Henry. “I just hope Mrs. Oliver keeps the show here. I like this small stage.”

  “So do I,” said the Amazing Arthur. “Now let’s begin.”

  Henry opened the box of props and pulled out a piece of rope. It was about three feet long. He dangled it in the air. “I almost perfected this last time,” he said to his instructor.

  “Indeed, you almost did,” said the Amazing Arthur. “Do you remember the three most important words for a student?”

  “Abra-ca-dabra,” Henry answered. Then he laughed. “Abracadabra. Just kidding.”

  “I know you are, Henry,” his teacher laughed. “Your sense of humor will help you be a wonderful magician. As you know laughter—”

  “—is the best medicine,” said Henry. “And to answer your question, sir, the three most important words for a student are practice, practice, practice. Okay, here we go.”

  Henry demonstrated his trick. He folded the rope in half and held up the closed loop. “I practice at home when my little brother and sisters can’t see me. I want them to be surprised this weekend.”

  “I’m sure they will be.” The Amazing Arthur took a pair of scissors out of the box. With a dramatic flair he held them high until the light shined on them. He handed the scissors to Henry.

  “Where is he?” A man’s loud voice shouted from the store’s entrance.

  “He can’t be bothered,” said Mrs. Oliver. “A class is in session.”

  “I don’t care,” yelled the man, who stormed up the aisle and onto the stage. The Amazing Arthur and Henry looked up in surprise.

  The man wore knee-high boots and a black vest. His white sleeves billowed like balloons. He stomped his foot. “Well, well, well,” he said. “It says here you’ll be appearing out of thin air.” He held up one of the flyers for the magic show. “I want you to tell me everything you’re doing.”

  “Hello Captain Cannon,” said the Amazing Arthur. “You shouldn’t be here. As you can see I’m in the middle of teaching a lesson. I don’t give away my secrets. I won’t ask for yours. You know better than to ask for mine. You’re a magician yourself, so you should understand the code.”

  “Is that so?” Captain Cannon stomped his foot again. He jumped off the stage and marched up the aisle. As he left the shop, he yelled over his shoulder, “You’ll be sorry! Mark my words—you will regret not telling me.”

  The Magician’s Code

  When Henry finished his lesson, he walked home along the shady streets. He found his siblings in the kitchen making sandwiches.

  “Lunch is ready!” Benny called. “Are you hungry, Henry?”

  “Famished,” Henry said. “I really worked up an appetite.” He went to the sink and filled four glasses with water. He set them on the kitchen table.

  Jessie put sliced apples by each sandwich as the children sat down to eat. “How was your class?” she asked Henry.

  “Great, as usual,” said Henry. “I’m learning a lot. The Amazing Arthur is so creative, but I still don’t know how he’ll appear out of thin air.”

  “Did he give you any clues?” asked Violet.

  Henry held up his hand. “First off, you won’t believe what happened during class. It was really weird.”

  Jessie, Violet, and Benny gave their older brother their full attention.

  “What happened?” Violet asked.

  Henry answered, “Another magician barged right into my lesson. Mrs. Oliver told him to stop, but he didn’t. He came up on the stage and made a big scene.”

  “Yikes,” said Jessie.

  “It was odd,” Henry said. “I was surprised but not in a good way.”

  “Who was it, and what did he want?” Violet asked.

  Henry paused to take a drink of water before answering, “His name is Captain Cannon. He was really mad, and he yelled at the Amazing Arthur.”

  “Why was he mad?” asked Benny.

  “I’m not exactly sure,” Henry replied. “But I guess Captain Cannon thinks he should know about the special trick the Amazing Arthur will perform this weekend.”

  Violet remembered hearing about the magician’s code. She said, “Magicians don’t like to share their secrets, right? Because then other magicians could use them?”

  “Exactly,” said Henry. “A special trick wouldn’t be special anymore. Anyway, as Captain Cannon was leaving the shop, he said the Amazing Arthur would regret not revealing his secret.”

  “Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good, Henry,” said Jessie. “I hope he doesn’t make trouble at the magic show.”

  “Same here,” Henry said. “That worries me a bit.”

  “Were you scared?” asked Benny.

  Henry thought a moment. “Not scared. I just thought it was strange that this grown man was yelling. He looked a bit like a pirate. His outfit, I mean.” Henry described the man’s tall boots and billowy sleeves.

  “A lot of magicians wear a costume,” he continued. “It’s like they pretend for the stage. The Amazing Arthur told me that’s why he likes to flap his cape and do a twirl. It distracts the audience so they won’t see what his hands are doing.”

  Violet said, “Henry, will you show us a trick? Please?”

  “Yes!” cried Benny.

  “Okay, okay.” Henry laughed. He stood up and looked around the kitchen. “I need a helper.”

  “I’ll do it!” Benny raised his hand as if in school.

  The siblings pushed their chairs away from the table to give Henry space to move around.

  “This is really cool, Henry,” said Jessie. “Your first performance, right here in the kitchen. I wish Grandfather were here.”

  Violet began clapping. “We’re ready, Henry. Go for it.”

  Henry cleared his throat. He put his hands in his pockets. When he removed his hands, he showed them a red metal bottle cap. It was folded in half like a taco. He waved it in the air a few times, then pointed to the sink. There was a dish drainer with cups and bowls drying from breakfast. An empty glass ketchup bottle with its label removed was also drying.

  “Benny, see that upside-down bottle?” he asked.

  Benny nodded.

  “Good,” said Henry. “Now please bring it to me.”

  Benny took solemn steps over to the sink. He carefully took the bottle from the drainer and took it to his brother.

  “Now I’m going to demonstrate how to get this—” Henry showed his siblings the red bottle cap in his palm—“into the bottom of this glass bottle.” He held up the bottle with his left hand.

  “See how the bottom is solid glass?” He tapped it with the metal cap. It made a clinking sound. “The cap can’t get inside, right?”

  Benny shook his head no. Jessie and Violet also shook their heads. They sat forward in their chairs. They were paying close attention.

  “Okay, we’re ready,” said Jessie.

  Henry held the bottle at eye level and shook it with his left hand. “Nothing in it, right?”

  “Right,” said Violet.

  Henry waved the cap in a circle. He tapped the bottom of the bottle with the bottle cap and said, “Ta-da!” Now when he shook the bottle, it rattled. In a dramatic voice he said, “Ladies and gentleman, you can see the cap is now inside the bottle!”

  Jessie, Violet, and Benny stared in amazement. They didn’t know that Henry actually had two bottle caps. The one in his left hand had clung to a magnetic ring on his finger, which he hid in his palm. They also didn’t notice that when he tapped the glass bottle with the cap in his right hand, he had slid the cap from his ring into the top of the bottle. While distracting them with the rattling, he had quickly hidden the second bottle cap in his pocket.

  “How’d you do that?” Benny asked.

  “Wow!” said Jessie.

  “Henry, you really can do magic tricks,” Violet said. “I’m impressed.”

  “But how’d you do it?” Benny asked again.

  Henry patted his brother on the back. “You’re a good sport, Benny, but remember the magician’s code. I can’t tell you.”

  “Do another one,” said Violet.

  Henry looked at the clock above the sink. “There are some things I need to do first,” he said. “But…hmm…actually I could use your help preparing for my show, Violet. Your help too, Jessie and Benny. Would that be okay?”

  “Of course,” said Violet.

  “Count me in.” Jessie gave a thumbs-up.

  “Me too!” said Benny.

  “Okay, good,” said Henry. “Meet me in the boxcar in ten minutes.”

  ***

  The boxcar sat in Grandfather’s backyard among a grove of trees. In winter the trees sheltered the boxcar from blizzards, and in summer they provided shade, as they did today. The boxcar was in the shape of a rectangle, with two short sides and two long sides. Its iron wheels were partly dug into the ground to keep it from rolling away. A little white porch had three steps, and a pot of red flowers sat on each step.

  Jessie stepped up to the wide metal door. With an oomph she slid it open. A worktable in the center of the boxcar held baskets of paint brushes, pens, and other art supplies. A hammer, nails, scissors, and hand tools were tucked into cubbies along one wall.

  As planned Henry met his siblings in their clubhouse ten minutes later. They greeted him with smiles.

  “Reporting for duty,” Benny said. He gave a little salute.

  “I like how you are always ready to help,” Henry said.

  “So how can we help?” Jessie asked.

  “Okay, first I need a magic wand,” Henry began. “It can be almost anything. A chopstick, a skinny pole, something like that. I’m not exactly sure how I’ll use it, but I know it’ll come in handy as I learn more tricks.”

  Benny dashed out into the yard. He called over his shoulder, “Back in a minute!”

  “Next I need a magician’s box to hold my props,” Henry said. “The Amazing Arthur has a really cool one made from wood. It’s like a small treasure chest, but I don’t need one that fancy.”

  It was Violet’s turn to spring into action. She rummaged through a cupboard until she found a shoebox full of pencils and crayons. She dumped them into a basket. “Will this work, Henry?” she asked, holding up the shoebox.

  “Perfect!” he answered.

  Now Henry looked at Jessie. “I need a table for practicing my act. I won’t need it at the show because the Amazing Arthur has one I can use.”

  Jessie snapped her fingers. “How about these?” Two plastic tubs stacked against a wall were the height of a small table. The tubs held picnic gear from their last trip to the lake.

  “Good thinking!” said Henry. He helped Jessie empty the tubs. They arranged masks and snorkels, beach towels, and campfire equipment onto a shelf.

  The Alden children spent the afternoon with their projects.

  Benny finished first. “Ta-da!” he exclaimed. He presented his brother with a foot-long twig he had found under a tree. He had painted the tip white. A colorful swirl of ribbons adorned the stick.

  “This is the best magic wand I could ever have,” Henry said. “Thank you, Benny!”

  Violet presented her project next. “Your magician’s box,” she said proudly. She had drawn stars and little sparkly fairies along each side of the shoebox. Rose petals and daisies from Grandfather’s garden were glued onto the lid. In her beautiful penmanship she had written “Henry the Magician.”

  “I love it, Violet. It’s the perfect size,” Henry said. “Not too big. Not too little. Thank you. And now,” he said, “here’s what Jessie and I have been working on.”

  The stacked tubs came up to Henry’s waist. “Oh, one more thing,” Jessie said. She hurried outside and ran to the house. She returned with a checkered tablecloth from the kitchen, which she then draped over the top. It touched the floor so the tubs were hidden from view.

  “Ta-da!” said Jessie. “Henry’s magician’s table. It’ll be out here for when you want to practice.”

  The children admired their work. Afternoon sunlight poured into the old boxcar. The breeze kept them cool.

  ***

  After dinner the children took Watch to the park. The pool was bustling with families enjoying an evening swim. The tennis courts were also busy. While the Aldens played fetch with Watch, they noticed an old truck pull up to the community center. It parked in the loading zone. The driver got out and began carrying boxes into the building. He kept looking over his shoulder as if he were worried about being seen.