May Magic Read online

  “Excellent, you are fond of our flying friends,” Hypo said. He leaned toward her. “Now, Pamela, tell us how you feel about ducks.”

  “I don’t like them,” she said. “Ducks are noisy and messy and they would destroy my garden!”

  The audience laughed.

  Bradley laughed.

  Brian didn’t laugh.

  Hypo didn’t laugh, either. He scratched his chin. “Hypo will have to try something else,” he said. “Mrs. Pinto, will you please come with me?”

  He walked her over to the red booth. He swept the curtain aside. “Will you step inside, please?”

  The twins’ mother stepped into the booth. Hypo closed the curtain.

  He turned toward the audience. “I must have absolute silence!” he said.

  The auditorium went quiet.

  On the sofa, Bradley listened to his own heartbeat.

  Hypo closed his eyes and spoke:

  PAMELA PINTO LOVES

  THE BIRDS.

  PAMELA PINTO HEARS

  MY WORDS.

  WITH SUPER MAGICAL

  HYPO LUCK,

  MAKE PAMELA PINTO

  LOVE A DUCK.

  Then he yanked the gold curtain aside.

  Bradley’s mother was gone!

  In her place stood a big white duck.

  The audience went wild.

  Bradley thought he would keel over.

  The duck waddled out of the booth. Even from the sofa, Bradley could see that the duck had pink nail polish on its toenails.

  Hanging around the duck’s neck was his mom’s new bracelet.

  4

  Too Much Magic

  “You turned our mom into a duck!” Brian yelled.

  Bradley couldn’t open his mouth. He just stared at the duck. It stood in the middle of the stage and looked at the audience. Then it sat down and began preening its feathers. The bracelet around the duck’s neck glistened under the lights.

  “My goodness!” said Hypo. “I guess I used too much magic!”

  Hypo got down on one knee next to the duck. “Pamela, can you hear me?” he said into the duck’s ear.

  The duck said, “Quack!”

  The audience was totally quiet. You could have heard a feather drop.

  Hypo turned to the audience. “What should we do?” he asked.

  “Change her back!” Bradley and Brian yelled together.

  “CHANGE HER BACK!” the audience chanted. “CHANGE HER BACK, CHANGE HER BACK!”

  “Very well,” Hypo said. “But we must have silence. You’re scaring the duck … I mean you’re scaring Mrs. Pinto.”

  The audience settled down again.

  Hypo shooed the duck back into the booth and closed the curtain.

  Then he closed his eyes and spoke:

  PAMELA DOESN’T WANT

  TO QUACK.

  HYPO WILL NOW CHANGE

  HER BACK.

  WITH MY MAGIC AND

  HYPO LUCK,

  SHE’LL NO LONGER BE

  A DUCK!

  Hypo swept the curtain open and Mrs. Pinto stepped out.

  The audience broke into cheers and whistles.

  “Mom!” Bradley cried. He jumped up and hugged his mother.

  “How do you feel, Pamela?” Hypo asked.

  “Thirsty,” she said. “Do you suppose I could have a glass of water? I’m feeling extremely thirsty!”

  Hypo poured Mrs. Pinto a tall glass of water. She drank it down and held out the empty glass.

  “Thank you,” she said. “May I have another? I don’t know why I’m so thirsty. I just crave water!”

  Hypo gave Mrs. Pinto a second glass of water. She gulped it down and handed him the glass.

  “Pamela, may I ask how you feel about ducks now?” Hypo asked. “Do you still dislike them?”

  “What a silly question,” Mrs. Pinto said. “I adore ducks. I love the way they waddle and splash in the water!”

  Brian poked his brother. “See, Bradley? Mom adores ducks,” he whispered. “It worked!”

  Bradley couldn’t believe his eyes and ears.

  Hypo beamed at the audience. “Thank you, Pamela Pinto. Thank you, boys!” he said.

  The audience cheered as Bradley followed Brian and their mom off the stage. Bradley noticed a white feather stuck to the hem of her dress.

  Back in their seats, Bradley snuck a look at his mother. Did she really love ducks now? he wondered. Would she let Brian raise them? Shaking his head, Bradley sat back to watch the rest of the show.

  “Boy, Mom’s been in the bathroom a long time,” Brian said the next morning.

  “I know,” Bradley said. He was sitting on his bed, waiting to brush his teeth. “Did you knock on the door?”

  Brian threw himself on his bed. “Yup. She’s taking a bath—a long bath. I can hear her splashing around in there.”

  “Weird,” Bradley said. “When we splash in the tub, she yells at us.”

  “Yeah, no fair,” Brian said. “Plus, she always took showers before. Anyway, when she comes out, I’m going to ask her.”

  “Ask her what?” Bradley asked.

  “If I can get some ducks to raise,” Brian said. He grinned at his brother. He had an evil twinkle in his eye. “Now that she loves ducks so much, she’s bound to let me. Thanks to Hypo!”

  “Do you really think she got hypnotized last night?” Bradley asked. “Hypo looks like a big phony to me.”

  “Duh, he turned Mom into a duck!” Brian said. “Then he turned her back. What’s phony about that?”

  Bradley sat on his bed and thought about what had happened at the high school last night. “Did you notice anything strange about Mom when we got home?” he asked.

  “Like what?” Brian asked.

  “Well, she didn’t yell when we ate ice cream before bed,” Bradley said. “She NEVER lets us eat before bedtime.”

  Brian stared at his twin brother. “You’re right!” he said. “And she didn’t even remind us to brush our teeth.”

  Bradley looked at the clock. It was almost ten-thirty. “And she didn’t tell us to make our beds this morning. It’s almost like she doesn’t care what we do.”

  “Cool!” Brian said. He picked up a comic book. Bradley tiptoed into the hallway and stood outside the bathroom door. He could hear splashing and his mom singing. He put his ear against the door.

  Bradley tore back into his room. “Brian, you have to hear this. Come on!”

  The boys huddled next to the bathroom door with their ears against the wood. They heard their mother singing:

  SIX LITTLE DUCKS

  THAT I ONCE KNEW—

  SHORT ONES, FAT ONES,

  SKINNY ONES, TOO.

  BUT THE ONE LITTLE DUCK

  WITH THE FEATHER ON HIS BACK,

  HE RULED THE OTHERS

  WITH HIS QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!

  5

  Once a Duck, Always a Duck

  “Brian, she’s quacking and singing duck songs! Mom’s still a duck!” Bradley gasped.

  They raced back to their room. “Hypo must’ve messed up again!” Bradley said. “She looks like Mom, but she’s a duck!” He threw himself on his bed.

  Brian laughed. “Good thing I didn’t ask Hypo to make her love rhinos!” he said.

  Just then Josh walked into the twins’ room. “You guys aren’t ready yet?” he said.

  “Ready for what?” Brian asked.

  “Dude, it’s Mother’s Day,” Josh said. “Dad’s taking us all out for lunch. You guys have to take showers and wear clean clothes.”

  “We would except we can’t get in the bathroom,” Brian said. “Mom’s been in there for hours!”

  “Yeah, she’s playing in the tub like a kid,” Bradley added. Or like a duck, he said to himself.

  “Have you noticed anything different about Mom?” Brian asked Josh.

  Josh thought for a minute. “Not really,” he said. “But …”

  “But what?” Bradley asked.

  “Last nig
ht after we got home from the high school, I came down for a snack,” Josh said. “Mom was in the kitchen.”

  “What was she doing?” Brian asked.

  “Well, she had all these vegetables on the table,” Josh said. He had started to whisper. “There was corn, peas, lettuce, a whole bunch of stuff. And she was eating it all, but she wasn’t using a knife and fork.”

  The twins just stared at Josh.

  “Guys, she was eating with her fingers!” Josh said. “And for the peas, she didn’t even use her fingers!”

  “You mean she just …,” Bradley said.

  “Yup. She just bent over and ate them off the table, like Pal does with his treats.”

  Or like a duck eats, Bradley thought. He glanced at Brian. By the look on Brian’s face, Bradley knew his twin was thinking the same thing. Their mom was a duck!

  The three brothers jumped when their mother suddenly appeared in the bedroom. She was wearing a fluffy white bathrobe. “The bathroom’s all yours, boys,” she said. Then she hurried down the hall.

  “Be ready in a half hour,” Josh said to the twins, then went to his own room.

  “What are we gonna do?” Bradley asked.

  “About what?” Brian asked.

  “Our mother, you dope!” Bradley said. “She’s eating like a duck. She’s quacking and singing duck songs and splashing in the tub. Next thing you know, she’ll be flying around the house! You and your brilliant idea to have her hypnotized!”

  “Chill out,” Brian said. “So what if she eats with her fingers. She’s still our mom.”

  “SHE’S A DUCK!” Bradley yelled. “And what’s Dad going to say when he finds out he’s married to a bird?”

  “Dibs on the shower!” Brian yelled. He grabbed his towel and ran for the bathroom.

  Bradley didn’t care if his brother got the shower first. He was getting a headache. He should never have let Brian talk their mom into going up on the stage with Hypo.

  Bradley followed Brian down the hallway. Suddenly he heard a scream from the bathroom. Brian stuck his head out the door. “Bradley, come here, quick!”

  Bradley walked into the bathroom. His bare feet crunched on something. He looked down. He was walking on corn kernels, the kind you use to make popcorn. The stuff was all over the floor.

  Brian grabbed Bradley and pulled him over to the tub. He yanked the shower curtain back.

  Bradley gasped. Piled on the bottom of the tub were at least ten yellow rubber duckies.

  6

  Mud Puddles for Mom

  “Where did they come from?” Brian asked.

  “We used to play with them in the tub when we were little,” Bradley said. “I think Mom kept them up in the attic.”

  Brian stared at his brother. “You think she really is a …”

  “Yes, I do,” Bradley said. “And it’s your fault!”

  “What did I do?” Brian asked.

  “Oh, nothing, only getting Mom hypnotized,” Bradley said.

  “But then she got un-hypnotized!” Brian argued. “Can I help it if Hypo messed up?”

  Josh poked his head into the bathroom. “Showers, you guys,” he said. “I want this bathroom in ten minutes. And leave it clean!”

  A half hour later the family was in the car heading for town. Their dad was taking them to a restaurant called Lily’s Pad. It was on the Indian River at the end of Oak Street.

  The three boys were sitting in the backseat. Their mom turned around. “You boys look nice,” she said. “Thanks for getting ready so quackly.”

  Brian burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” his mother asked.

  “You said quackly, Mom, instead of quickly,” Brian said.

  “Did I?” their mom said. “How strange.”

  Mr. Pinto glanced up at the sky. “I don’t like the look of those clouds,” he said. “I’ll bet it rains before we get home.”

  “Oh, too bad,” his wife said. “I wanted to sit out on the duck.”

  “You want to sit on the deck, hon,” her husband said. “Not on the duck.”

  “Oh, yes, silly me,” Mrs. Pinto said.

  “Here we are,” Mr. Pinto said a few minutes later. He parked at the end of Oak Street. The restaurant was straight ahead, near the riverbank. A wooden deck faced the water. There were tables and chairs on the deck, but no people.

  “How lovely!” their mother said. “There are ducks on the river! I love watching them swim!”

  Brian grinned. “Me too, Mom!” he said. “I think ducks are just wonderful!”

  “Oh, brother,” Bradley muttered.

  The Pinto family stepped inside the restaurant. A sign just inside the door read: HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! Bradley noticed that there were a lot of families already eating.

  A man wearing a white shirt and a tie approached them. “May I seat you for lunch?” he asked.

  “Yes, please,” Bradley’s mom said. “By the windows, please.”

  The man bowed. “Right this way, folks!” He took them to a booth with a view of the river. He placed five menus on the table. “Happy Mother’s Day. Your server today will be Mandy.”

  “Oh, look,” Bradley’s mother said. “Aren’t the ducks cute? Let’s save some fries so we can feed them after lunch.”

  “What will you have, boys?” their father asked.

  “A rare cheeseburger,” Josh said. “With fries and pickles.”

  “Me too!” said Brian. “Only I want mine well done. Rare burgers are gross, with all that blood left on your plate.”

  “Well, talking about blood is even grosser,” Josh said.

  “Cool it, boys,” their father said.

  Bradley chose his favorite, macaroni and cheese.

  A young woman wearing an apron walked up to their table. “Hi, I’m Mandy,” she said. “Have you had a chance to look at your menus?”

  “Yes, thank you,” Mrs. Pinto said. “Boys, why don’t you order?”

  Bradley, Brian, and Josh placed their orders.

  “Can we have Cokes, Mom?” Josh asked.

  “No, three milks,” their mother told Mandy. “And I’ll have the vegetable plate and a large glass of water. In fact, bring us a pitcher of water. A large one!”

  Brian kicked Bradley under the table. When Bradley looked at him, Brian grinned. Bradley ignored him.

  His father ordered clam chowder and a fish dinner.

  “May we go out on the deck to feed the ducks?” Brian asked when Mandy brought their food.

  “After we eat,” their father said. He glanced out the window. “Here comes the rain!”

  They all ate. Thunder and lightning boomed and flashed.

  “We’re gonna get soaked when we leave,” Josh said.

  “So what’s a little water?” their mother said. “I love getting wet in the rain. It’ll be fun!”

  Bradley stared at his mother. He couldn’t believe his ears. Was this the same mother who never let Bradley or Brian play outside in the rain?

  After lunch, the Pinto family went out onto the deck with their leftover fries. The rain had let up, and the ducks were hungry.

  Bradley watched his mother feed the ducks. She was talking softly to them, too. Bradley couldn’t make out the words, but they didn’t sound like English. They sounded like … duck noises!

  When the fries were gone, the family hurried toward the car. Bradley noticed a big puddle on the driveway. When they were little, he and Brian would’ve jumped right in and splashed each other.

  “Window seat!” Josh yelled, and ran toward the car.

  Brian ran after him. “Other window seat!” he called over his shoulder.

  Bradley turned around to wait for his mother. His mouth fell open. She was standing in the middle of the puddle, splashing muddy water in all directions.

  7

  Bradley Fights Back

  In the car, Bradley sat between Josh and Brian. His parents were up front, chatting away. No one else noticed that Mom’s shoes were soaking wet.r />
  Brian didn’t seem to care that their mother was acting very strangely.

  Josh and Dad were talking about getting night crawlers and going fishing.

  Am I the only one who cares that Mom is acting like a duck? Bradley asked himself. So what if Hypo made her look human again—she’s still a duck!

  The sun was out again when they got home. Bradley went right to the phone and called Nate. “Can you come over?” he asked his friend. “It’s real important! And get Lucy!”

  When Bradley got to his room, Brian was on his bed, playing with an action figure. Pal was on the floor, sleeping on a pile of Brian’s dirty clothes.

  “I called Nate,” Bradley said. “He and Lucy are coming over. We have to talk.”

  “About what?” Brian asked.

  “About what?” Bradley repeated, not believing his ears. “Didn’t you see Mom splashing in a puddle at the restaurant? And did you hear her talking to those ducks?”

  “I think it’s cool,” Brian said, looking through his pile of comics. “And I’ll bet you anything she lets me get ducks now. I might even let you help me take care of them. With all the money I make, I’ll pay you a dollar an hour!”

  Bradley just shook his head. He got out of his good clothes and hung them in his closet. He put on his jeans and a sweatshirt.

  Just then the doorbell rang.

  “Got it!” Josh yelled. Bradley could hear Josh’s big feet running to open the door. “Hi, Nate. Hi, Lucy. The twins are upstairs.”

  A minute later Nate and Lucy walked into the room.

  “What’s going on?” Nate asked. “You sounded weird on the phone, Bradley.”

  “That’s because he is weird,” Brian said. He flopped on his bed and picked up a comic book.

  “What’s wrong with your mom?” Lucy asked. “She usually asks how we are, then reminds us to wipe our feet. She didn’t say anything today.”

  “Yeah,” Nate said. “She’s just standing at the sink with her hands in the dishwater.”

  “See?” Bradley said to his brother. “They noticed, and they don’t even live here!”

  “Noticed what?” Nate asked.

  “Ever since we got home from the high school last night, Mom’s been acting strange,” Bradley said. He shot his brother a look. “And Brian doesn’t even care.”