Horse Magic

by Bonnie Bryant

  “Well, I’m just glad we both finally realized what we didn’t like,” Lisa said at last. “It wasn’t each other. It was more like something in ourselves.”

  Dinah looked thoughtful, then nodded. “You know, I think you really are as smart as Stevie always said you were,” she said. And this time Lisa knew the compliment was sincere.

  She decided it was time for a change of subject. “So aside from all that, have you had fun in Willow Creek?” she asked.

  “Definitely,” Dinah said. “Going back to Fenton Hall was a blast, and of course being at Pine Hollow has been even better. I didn’t realize how much I missed Max and Mrs. Reg and the horses until I got here. And it’s great to finally meet some of the new horses I’ve heard so much about, like Belle and Starlight.” She paused for a second. “And then there’s Black Magic, of course.”

  Lisa grimaced. She had forgotten all about Stevie’s little prank. After a short struggle with her conscience, she took a deep breath. “Look, Dinah,” she began. “I feel like I’m about to be really disloyal to Stevie, but I think there’s something you should know—”

  Dinah raised a hand to stop her. “Don’t bother,” she said.

  “I’ve known for days that there’s no such horse at Pine Hollow.”

  “You have?” Lisa asked, astonished.

  “Of course,” Dinah said with a grin. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned back. “Stevie should know better than to try to trick me with something so obvious. I suspected something was up from the beginning. Special shoes, my foot!”

  “And when did you know for sure?”

  “When Phil confirmed my suspicions,” Dinah admitted. “That’s when I decided to do what I’ve been doing—stringing Stevie along and driving her crazy by bugging her about Black Magic every chance I get.”

  Lisa laughed. “You two really are two of a kind,” she exclaimed. “That sounds just like something Stevie would do if the tables were turned!” Just then she glanced outside their shelter and noticed that the rain seemed to be tapering off.

  Dinah followed her gaze. “Do you think we should try to head back now?” she said. “This may be the best chance we get before it starts to get dark.”

  “You’re right,” Lisa said. “Anyway, it looks as though it might actually stop. Should we try to follow the trail?”

  Dinah got up and walked across the clearing to where the horses had entered it. “That might be easier said than done,” she remarked. “The rain has pretty much washed it away.”

  “Oh, no!” Lisa said, her heart sinking. She joined Dinah and gazed into the woods. “I think we might still be able to do it if we go slowly,” she said, biting her lip.

  “Why bother?” Dinah said. “Let’s just let the horses find the way home. That’ll be faster.”

  “Sure it will,” Lisa said. “Unless they lead us to the edge of a ravine or straight through a bramble patch or something. We know the trail is pretty clear. I think we should stick to it.”

  Dinah shook her head. “You were moving too fast to notice, but I can tell you, the trail was hard to follow in spots even before it rained. Prancer didn’t stop to mark the way, and she crossed all kinds of clearings. It could take us hours to search out the right way.”

  Lisa shrugged. “All right, you win,” she said. “Let’s let Nero lead.” As she followed Dinah back to the overhang to fetch the horses, Lisa couldn’t help smiling. An hour ago she would have been outraged to have lost an argument with Dinah. But now she didn’t mind at all.

  Dinah was obviously thinking the same thing. “See? That didn’t hurt, did it?” she teased, giving Lisa a sidelong glance.

  Lisa smiled as she tightened Prancer’s girth. “Not a bit,” she said.

  As soon as Nero realized what was being asked of him, he set off confidently along a narrow trail just to the east of the one Prancer had made during her wild run. The girls settled back and rode in companionable silence for a while, letting Nero lead the way.

  Something was still bothering Lisa, though. Even though Carole had thought Lisa’s suspicions of Dinah and Phil were caused by Lisa’s dislike of Dinah, Lisa knew that wasn’t the whole story. She really had caught the pair acting suspiciously a couple of times, and she wanted to know why. What had they really been up to?

  The last thing Lisa wanted to do was make Dinah mad again. She would have to be tactful. “So, Dinah,” she began casually as they rode side by side across a grassy clearing. “I’m glad you found out about Black Magic, but I’m a little surprised at Phil. After all, he is Stevie’s boyfriend—I wonder why he decided to give away her secret?”

  Dinah blushed and glanced at Lisa. “Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tell you.…”

  AS LISA AND Dinah rode across the field behind Pine Hollow a few minutes later, they saw Max waving to them.

  “I was about to send out a search party,” he said when they reached the stable yard. “Everyone else came back when it started to rain.” He cast a glance over the girls’ hair and costumes, which were still soaked. “I guess you two didn’t quite make it.”

  “Not quite,” Lisa said ruefully, dismounting. “Who won the treasure hunt?”

  “I don’t know. But I think Stevie is about to make the grand announcement inside,” Max replied. He reached for Prancer’s and Nero’s reins. “I’ll take the horses in while you go get yourselves cleaned up.”

  “Thanks, Max,” Lisa and Dinah said in one voice. They went inside and found the kids gathered in the locker area. Stevie and Phil were at the front of the room near the costume box sifting through a pile of slightly soggy treasure.

  “Oh, there you two are!” Carole exclaimed as soon as she saw Lisa and Dinah enter. “We were getting worried. Phil said you were having some trouble with Prancer on the trail.”

  “That’s an understatement,” Lisa said. “But don’t worry. Everything turned out fine.” She glanced at Dinah and smiled. Dinah smiled back.

  Carole noticed the exchange, and her eyes widened. But she decided not to say anything. She was sure Lisa would tell her the whole story later. Right now it was time to listen to Stevie’s big announcement.

  “I’ve added up the booty that each team brought back,” Stevie said, raising her hands for quiet. “And we have a winner. The winning team in the Great Pine Hollow Treasure Hunt is—the Ghouls!”

  Phil, Joe, and the other team members cheered loudly.

  “Come on up and get your prize, Ghouls,” Stevie called. “First pick of costumes!”

  Within minutes the three kids were wearing their costumes. One little girl was a ballerina, another was a ghost, and Joe, of course, was a pirate.

  Then Stevie called up the rest of the groups one by one to choose. Before long, a vampire, a doctor, a mummy, three witches, a space alien, and two very short Marines were added to the crowd.

  Carole, Lisa, and Dinah joined Stevie as she peered into the now almost empty box. “I don’t think Joe had to worry about getting a pirate costume,” Stevie commented. “There must still be enough for at least half a dozen pirates in here, thanks to my brothers’ originality.”

  Dinah looked into the box and saw that it still contained several other items, too—including a cowboy hat. She looked at Lisa with a grin.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Lisa asked.

  “I am if you’re thinking we could salvage these wet costumes we have on,” Dinah replied.

  The others watched as Lisa and Dinah dug out new costumes for themselves. Soon they wore new and improved cowgirl and Paul Revere costumes.

  Joe spotted them and came running over. “Hey!” he cried, brandishing his cardboard sword. “Where have you been?”

  “Oh, just out and about,” Dinah said. “But we got back just in time to see you win. Your pirate costume looks great.”

  “Thanks.” Joe looked at Lisa solemnly. “I’m sorry I scared your horse before.”

  “Apology accepted,” Lisa said with a smile. “Don’t worry
, Dinah came and rescued us.”

  When Joe ran off to rejoin his friends, Carole leaned closer to Lisa. “You and Dinah must have had a very interesting ride,” she commented quietly.

  Lisa nodded. She glanced around and saw that Stevie was busy talking to Phil and Dinah. “As a matter of fact, I have something to tell you about that.…”

  “So, Stevie,” Dinah was saying at that same moment. “Do you think Max will bring Black Magic back here before I leave tomorrow? I really do want to see her before I go.”

  “I’m sure he will,” Stevie said.

  “Good,” Dinah said. “Maybe we should come back first thing in the morning. My plane leaves pretty early, you know.”

  Before Stevie could respond, Mrs. Reg stuck her head in. “Everybody back outside,” she called. “The rain has stopped; it’s a beautiful, warm evening; and best of all, it’s time to eat!”

  The kids, younger and older, let out a cheer. The day had been fun and full of activity, and now everyone was hungry. They hurried outside to find Max and Red working the grill. Several large plastic tablecloths served as picnic blankets on the wet ground nearby, and sodas were chilling in a cooler under a tree.

  “Mmm, there’s nothing like a grilled burger when you’re really hungry,” Stevie declared a few minutes later as she joined her friends on a blanket near the outdoor ring. Draping her Betsy Ross flag over the fence, she picked up her hamburger with both hands. She took a big bite and chewed happily. The burger was hot and juicy and cooked medium-rare, just the way she liked it.

  “That’s for sure,” Phil said. He tipped his soda can to his mouth, draining the last few drops. Then he wiped his mouth and stood up. “Boy, am I thirsty. I’m going to get another. Want to come, Stevie?”

  Stevie blushed and stood up. She was sure Phil was just trying to come up with an excuse to get her to take a walk with him. They had been so busy all day that they hadn’t had much time alone. Deciding her appetite could wait a few more minutes, she set down her burger and stood up.

  “This has been a really fun day,” Phil commented as the pair strolled slowly among blankets full of happy kids toward the cooler. “I think these kids will remember it for a long time.”

  “I hope so,” Stevie said. “I hope they can come back again sometime, too.”

  “That would be great,” Phil said. “I’m going to tell Mr. Baker about this; maybe Cross County could sponsor something like this, too.” That was the name of Phil’s Pony Club. Mr. Baker was his riding instructor.

  Stevie smiled. It was wonderful having a boyfriend as nice, smart, and fun as Phil. And it was even more wonderful to know that he cared about the same kinds of things that she did—things like making sure these kids had fun today and wanting to help them in any other way he could.

  Lisa, Carole, and Dinah were still eating when Stevie and Phil returned. The three of them were sitting in a row at the edge of the blanket, watching and laughing as one of the Marines tried to get the vampire and two of the witches to line up and salute. He wasn’t having much luck.

  Stevie sat down behind Carole and grabbed her plate. The walk with Phil had been nice, but she had to admit she was glad to return to her meal. Phil sat down beside her and picked up his own hamburger. He took a bite.

  “That hits the spot,” he commented through a mouthful of food.

  Stevie nodded and eagerly bit into her own bun. But a second later she wrinkled her nose, then quickly grabbed a napkin and spat out what she had just bitten. “Oh, yuck!” she cried as soon as she could speak.

  Carole, Lisa, and Dinah turned around. “What is it, Stevie?” Lisa asked, looking concerned.

  Stevie waved her hand at her plate with a look of disgust. “My hamburger!” she exclaimed.

  “Did a bug get in it?” Carole asked sympathetically. “I hate when that happens. It’s the only bad thing about picnics.”

  “No, a bug did not get in it,” Stevie replied, peeling back the bun.

  Dinah peered at the burger. “It looks a little funny,” she commented.

  “Well, it tastes even funnier,” Stevie said. “Although Belle might disagree. It tastes just like what she usually has for dinner. Somebody replaced my delicious hamburger with a bunful of grain!”

  Carole gasped. “What?” she exclaimed. “But you were only gone for a minute! And the three of us were here the whole time!”

  “Well, we were here, but we weren’t really watching Stevie’s plate,” Lisa reminded her. “Our backs were to it. Anyone or anything could have switched the burger without our noticing.”

  “Almost anyone,” Stevie muttered. This proved it beyond a shadow of doubt: This time it couldn’t possibly have been Phil, no matter what. But if not Phil, who? It was all completely mystifying—unless, of course, the stable really had a poltergeist.…

  AS THE SKY grew darker and stars appeared between the patches of cloud that still hung in the sky, the group moved indoors once again. It was time for Phil’s magic show.

  “Come one, come all!” Dinah called out as the kids filed into the indoor ring. It had been magically transformed into a magician’s theater. Phil and Dinah had cut silvery moons, stars, and other shapes out of aluminum foil and hung them on the walls. Flickering candles in glass jars cast mysterious shadows everywhere. The edges of the makeshift stage were marked by two tall stacks of hay bales covered with black fabric, and in the center of the stage area was a table covered with a shiny blue cloth and containing a variety of objects, including a tall, black top hat. “Come and be amazed, come and be confounded, by the one and only, magical, mystical, Magnificent Marsteno!”

  Phil stepped forward with a flourish and gave a low bow. His long red-lined black cape billowed behind him as he strode toward the table to begin his first trick—pulling a bridle out of his hat.

  When he finished that, Dinah stepped forward to take the bridle from him while the kids cheered loudly. Dinah stepped back to the edge of the stage.

  “Pretty cool trick, huh?” Dinah said to Carole, Stevie, and Lisa, who were watching from behind the hay bales.

  “I’ll say,” Carole agreed. “There’s no way that bridle could have fit inside that hat even if he hadn’t shown us it was empty. How did he do it?”

  Dinah grinned. “Are you kidding? That’s his best trick. He’d kill me if I told you,” she said. “Besides, it’s kind of complicated. But watch this—there’s an easier one coming up. After it’s done I’ll tell you how he did it.”

  The others watched as Phil picked up a banana from the table.

  “Boy, that first trick sure made me hungry!” he announced to his audience. “I think I’ll have a banana. But I like my banana sliced into bite-size pieces.”

  He reached down to the table and pretended to pick something up.

  “What are you doing?” called out Joe, who was sitting in the front row watching Phil’s every move carefully. “There’s nothing there!”

  “Ah, but there is,” Phil said, holding up his hand. “This is my invisible knife.”

  “There’s no such thing!” yelled a girl near the back of the group.

  “Yes, there certainly is,” Phil said. “And the most important thing to know about an invisible knife is that it can cut through this banana without cutting through the skin.” He gestured to Joe. “Why don’t you come up here and help mer

  Joe jumped to his feet and hurried forward. “I still don’t see any knife,” he said, staring at Phil’s empty hand.

  Phil held up the banana. “Now watch carefully,” he instructed Joe. “I’m going to cut it in four pieces. That’s how I like to eat it.”

  With Joe watching his every move, Phil slowly pretended to slice the banana into four equal sections with his invisible knife.

  “Okay, it’s ready now,” he said. “I’ve cut it up inside the skin.” He handed the banana to Joe. “Why don’t you peel it for me?”

  Joe took the banana. After carefully examining the skin to make sure it was still intact, he p
eeled the banana. He gasped. “Hey! It is cut up already!” he exclaimed, holding it up to show the other kids. Then he turned back to Phil. “How did you do that?”

  Phil shrugged and reached for one of the banana sections. “I told you,” he said popping it into his mouth. “Invisible knife.”

  While the kids applauded, Stevie turned to Dinah. “Okay, let’s hear it,” she said. “How did he do that?”

  “Like I said, that’s actually a pretty easy one,” Dinah said with a grin. “All we had to do was prepare the banana beforehand by sticking a needle through the skin in three different spots and wiggling it back and forth so that it sliced through the banana. There’s no way the audience would notice the tiny needle holes in the skin. So when the banana is peeled it seems like magic.”

  The others laughed. “What a great trick!” Stevie exclaimed. “I think I’ll try it at school on Monday. Now, I’ll just have to figure out where to hide the needle.…”

  Dinah grinned. “I’m sorry I’ll miss it.” She glanced back at the stage, where Phil was in the midst of a trick using a handkerchief and a coin. “In a minute I get to do my first solo trick,” she said.

  “What is it?” Lisa asked.

  “I’m going to make a riding crop seem to stick to my hand,” Dinah replied. She held up her left hand with her fingers spread and the palm facing away from the other girls. Then she wrapped her right hand around her left wrist so that the fingers and thumb met over the back of her left hand. “See, I only let the audience see the back of my left hand,” she explained. “Meanwhile, they’ll think my right hand is just holding my wrist, but really my index finger will be stretched out to my palm, holding the crop against it. But the audience won’t see that finger because it’s behind my wrist. And if I play it right they’ll never notice that only three of the fingers and the thumb on my right hand are showing.” She pulled a riding crop out of her pocket and demonstrated. It did look just as though the crop were attached to her hand with nothing holding it there. “I’ll shake my hand as if I’m trying to get rid of the crop—but of course I’ll be holding on to it with my right-hand index finger the whole time. See, the hardest part of each trick is the acting. You have to make the audience believe that the impossible things they’re seeing are really happening.”