After Cinderella has discovered the real identity of the great wizard Ali Buda to be merely an ordinary man speaking into a microphone, her friends rushed into the room.
"Who are you and what did you do to the real wizard?" demanded the simple-minded scarecrow.
"No, he is the real wizard, but he's a fraud," elucidated Cinderella.
The wolf started snarling at the man in the red suit, which made him so frightened that he curled up in his luxurious velvet armchair and promised to tell them everything if only the wolf would stop snarling at him.
"You might not know me, indeed, very few people do. I am.....or was a comedy magician named John White," said the man with whiskers.
"No wonder I thought you looked familiar," exclaimed Cinderella in amazement. "I loved your shows as a child and I used to watch your live broadcasted shows every Saturday night with my mama."
"If you were a famous comedy magician on TV, then what are you doing here?" enquired the scarecrow.
"After I performed a trick incorrectly on stage whilst on live broadcast, causing my secret tricks to be revealed, I couldn't stand the humiliation, so I decided to hide myself in this forest," answered the former magician.
"Then, how did you become the great wizard Ali Buda?" queried Mr. Knight.
"After I arrived in the forest, I discovered that I was friendless and had nowhere to go when I discovered a little wooden cottage with a thatched roof, wherein lived a benevolent old lady," explained the wizard.
"That must've been my grandmother!" exclaimed Cinderella.
"I know that old lady, she was really nice," added the wolf.
"After seeing me wandering around in the forest with nowhere to go, she took me in for some days," continued Mr. White. "At that time, I was so depressed that I thought about ending my miserable life, but the kind-hearted old lady encouraged me and gave me hope. She told me that there was an abandoned castle deep inside the forest and that I could stay there if I wanted to."
"So, you moved in to this very castle and led a life isolation?" queried the scarecrow.
"Not at first," responded the wizard. "At first, I began performing some of my old tricks to the residents nearby. Those people were so isolated from this world that they didn't know me and couldn't have known my fatal failure. The residents were so amazed by my tricks that they started calling me a wizard. Extremely flattered by the name, I had an idea. I went along with that name and started to make a living by listening to the people's troubles and helping them solve these troubles by my 'magic'. Surprisingly, I was able to solve most of their problems easily, which was how I became so famous around here. As long as no one sees my true identity, no one will be able to recognise me! Or so I thought until that meddling girl barged in and discovered my secret." The magician said as he pointed at Cinderella.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to meddle," shrugged Cinderella apologetically. "I was only attracted by the smell of food."
"Wait, so the gigantic floating head in the throne room outside is just one of your tricks?" questioned Mr. Knight.
"Yes, that's right!" The wizard sighed. "That was just a large balloon that I inflated with helium, which was what caused it to float. And the voice was just another one o' my old tricks of adding a filter to the microphone so my voice would sound different."
"How about the two trolls guarding the gate to this castle?" asked the scarecrow. "Surely, that cannot be fake, too?"
"Nope, they're real," replied the wizard. "They once worked for a witch, but they lost their job after the witch moved to a castle in order to guard a sleeping princess. The only way I could solve their problem was by offering them a post as guards at my castle's gate."
"Wait, how about our wishes?" questioned Mr. Knight. "If you aren't a real wizard, then how are you going to grant us our wishes?"
"Well, I'm afraid I cannot help you much at all," responded the wizard. "Your wishes are too abstract - courage, wisdom and friendship! Those aren't things I can simply give you."
"Right, any more questions?" demanded the wizard after a pause of disappointment from the group. "If not, I shall get back to my food, which is starting to turn cold."
"Wait, just one last question," said Cinderella. "Do you know where the old lady that you met who was living in the little cottage moved to? She no longer lives in that wooden cottage."
"Yes, indeed I do," replied the former magician. "She told me her new address after she decided to move and told me to visit her in case I have any depressing thoughts again."
"OMG, could you give me her new address?" pleaded Cinderella eagerly.
"Of course, anything to stop your questions so I can get back to my lunch," answered the wizard jokingly. "Who knows? She might be able to help you with achieving your wishes too," said the wizard, looking at the scarecrow, Mr. Knight and the wolf.
~To be Continued~
No comments:
Post a Comment