3 Better Magic

Two days later, we have our first practice. Mrs. Ross hasn’t got the whole script written out yet, but she gives everybody the first two pages. We all move the desks away to make a space to act in.

Mrs. Ross shows Charlie and Aldeen where to stand. They start things off. Charlie is the King. He sends Aldeen the Princess, outside to play in the castle garden and she loses her golden ball down the well. Charlie is not very kingly, but he will be better with a beard, probably.

Aldeen is not exactly princessy, either, except she is wearing a dress. She never wears dresses. Before we started she was all twitchy and loud. Now she gets red-faced and she looks at the floor. No one can hear her when she reads.

“Louder please, Aldeen,” says Mrs. Ross.

She reads again. “Yes … Father … I … Will … Oh … No … I … Have … Dropped … My … Golden … Ball.”

Oh, yuck. She sounds like the robot in my Skateboards On Mars game.

Luckily this is where I, the Frog, come in. I go up to Aldeen.

Mrs. Ross says, “Now think, Morgan. Would a frog walk?”

Duh. I hop. Everybody yells. Duh again. I have bunny-rabbit hopped. I squat down with my hands between my knees. I hop over to Aldeen. It hurts. All that hopping does something else too. I had a long drink at the fountain at recess. Just as I get to Aldeen, I can’t help it; I rip out a monster burp.

Except for Aldeen, everybody laughs, even Mrs. Ross. Aldeen jumps back as if she’s a frog. Everybody laughs again. My face gets hot and I can’t remember what I’m supposed to say. But, hey, if they laughed.… I swallow some air fast and squeeze out a mini-burp. I try to say “Ribbit” at the same time. Except for Aldeen, everybody laughs again. I think I like this.

“Very good, Morgan.” Mrs. Ross is still laughing. “Now say, ‘Pardon, fair princess, I can get your ball for you.’”

I say it, then say “Ribbit” and sit down on the floor. My legs are killing me. There is more laughing. Aldeen looks at her pages. She is holding them so tight that they are all crumpled and she can’t read them. She looks back at me, even redder in the face. Godzilla has turned into a scaredy-cat. It’s magic! I think I love this.