Wednesday, March 14, 2007

The Magic Machine

“And then what?” Jon asks.

“Well, then they went home for tea and had their favourite food.”

“Ice-cream” Jon states, nodding his head against the pillow. “And then what?”

“I think it’s time you went to sleep. I’ll tell you another story tomorrow.”

“Can you tell me another one now Dad? Can you tell me the one about the magic machine?”

“Hmmm, will you go straight to sleep and not make any noise?”

“I promise!”

“Weeellll”, Dad thinks for a moment, “okay, but you’ll have to remind me how it starts.”

Jon starts very slowly, “Once upon a time there was a boy called…”

“Joe?”, Dad offers.

“No! Jon!”

“Ah yes, that’s right. Once upon a time there was a boy called Jon and he had an amazing machine that made toothbrushes”

“Not toothbrushes – magic!”

“Did you clean your teeth?”

“Yes – keep going with the stor-eee.”

“Let me see your teeth.”

Jon squeezes his eyes closed and opens his mouth wide.

“Wow that’s a big mouth! Okay, so Jon had an amazing machine that made magic.

The magic machine was a square box covered in the most wonderful colours all spiralling and swirling together. Sometimes it looked as if the colours were moving and making new patterns.

On the side of the box was a small switch.

Can you remember what happens when you push the switch?”

Jon shoots his hand towards the ceiling and exclaims, “Nothing!”

“Nothing!?”

“You have to say the magic words!”

“What magic words?”

“Magic Machine,
Magic machine,
Open your top,
Show me the screen!” Jon recites in a solemn voice.

“Ah yes, those are the magic words alright.

So Jan”, Dad resumes.

“Jon!”

“Sorry, so Jon said the Magic words.

Slowly the box began to open. As the box opened a small mirror came out. At first when Jon looked at the mirror all he could see were his very clean teeth.

Then slowly the picture changed and he could see all the fun things he had done that day.

What had he done that day?” Dad asks.

“Well dad, he had done some drawing and talked to Mum and helped with the vacuuming.”

“Really?”

“Yes, and he went for a walk and saw a tree and it was loosing its leaves for winter and it only had one leaf left on it!”

“Man, that was quite a day! Anyway”, Dad continues, “Jon saw all these things and they made him smile. Then he used the magic box closing words. How do they go again?”

“Magic machine,
Magic machine,
Thanks for the pictures
Please hide the screen!”

“That’s it. Well Jon, must be time for sleep. Sleep tight little mite.”

“First give me a hug big bug. Dad?”

“Yes Jon?”

“Is there really such a thing as magic?”

But Dad just smiles and turns off the light.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Charming story. The two stories swirl together so that the window and the mirror become one.
I think I recognise some of the lines. But the best ones are in the verses. They toss the action into a free state and pull the reader into the child's world.
Thanks. A lovely reminiscent new picture.