Rocky Zang in The Amazing Mr. Magic (Judy Moody and Friends)

  .

  .

  Megan McDonald

  illustrated by

  Erwin Madrid

  based on the characters

  created by Peter H. Reynolds

  .

  For my brother, Edward,

  and sister-in-law, Pitchie

  E. M.

  For the original Rocky Zang

  M. M.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places,

  and incidents are either products

  of the author’s imagination or, if real, are used fictitiously.

  Text copyright © 2014 by Megan McDonald

  Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Peter H. Reynolds

  Judy Moody font copyright © 2003 by Peter H. Reynolds

  Judy Moody®. Judy Moody is a registered trademark of Candlewick Press, Inc.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted,

  or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means,

  graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, and recording,

  without prior written permission from the publisher.

  First electronic edition 2014

  Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2012947727

  ISBN 978-0-7636-5716-1 (hardcover)

  ISBN 978-0-7636-7028-3 (paperback)

  ISBN 978-0-7636-6714-6 (electronic)

  This book was typeset in ITC Stone Informal.

  The illustrations were created digitally.

  Candlewick Press

  99 Dover Street

  Somerville, Massachusetts 02144

  visit us at www.candlewick.com

  CONTENTS

  CHA

  p

  TER

  1

  The Amazing Mind Reader 7

  CHA

  p

  TER

  2

  The Best Backyard Magic Show Ever 25

  CHA

  p

  TER

  3

  The Disappearing Dollar 49

  .

  7

  CHA

  p

  TER

  1

  The Amazing Mind Reader

  Abracadabra! Kalamazoo!

  Rocky had a magic wand. Rocky

  had a black top hat. Rocky had a

  long, dark cape. Meet the Amazing

  Mr. Magic!

  Rocky could make a hankie change

  colors. Rocky could make a flower

  appear out of thin air. Rocky could

  make his very own thumb fly across

  the room.

  .

  8

  The Amazing Mr. Magic was almost

  ready for the Best Backyard Magic

  Show Ever. The last thing he needed

  was one really good card trick. The

  Vanishing Ace? The Floating Joker?

  Aha! The Amazing Mind Reader!

  Just then, his across-the-street best

  friend, Judy Moody, rode her bike

  down the sidewalk. Alla kazam! He

  could practice the trick on her.

  “Hey, Judy. Pick a card,” said

  Rocky. “Any card. But don’t tell me

  what it is!”

  “Okay,” said Judy. “Now what?”

  “Now put the card back.”

  Judy put the card back.

  “Now I’m going to mix the cards all

  up. Then I’ll read your mind and pull

  your card from the deck. Prepare to be

  amazed.”

  .

  Rocky shuffled the cards.

  Rocky closed his eyes. Rocky said,

  “Hocus pocus, Jiminy bebop.”

  “Are those real magic words?” Judy

  asked.

  “Shh. The Amazing Mr. Magic

  needs quiet to read your mind.” Rocky

  pulled a card from the middle of the deck.

  “Was it the ace of spades?”

  “Nope. The queen of hearts,” said

  Judy.

  “Rats,” said Rocky. “Try again?”

  .

  “Okay.” Judy picked another card

  and put it back.

  Rocky shuffled the deck.

  Rocky closed his eyes.

  He said the magic words.

  Rocky pulled out a card.

  “The jack of diamonds?” asked

  Rocky.

  “Nope. The two of clubs.”

  “Double rats,” said Rocky.

  .

  He tried one more time. “The nine

  of hearts?” asked Rocky.

  “Close. The six of spades,” said Judy.

  15

  “I guess I stink at card tricks.”

  “I know a card trick that works

  every time,” said Judy.

  “Does it have magic words?”

  “Sure.”

  “And you’ll amaze me?”

  “Double sure.”

  “And you’ll read my mind?”

  “This trick has it all,” said Judy.

  “What’s it called?”

  “Let’s call it . . . Red Riding Hood

  and the Wolf. You be Red Riding

  Hood and I’ll be the wolf.”

  “Why can’t I be the wolf?” asked

  Rocky.

  “Fine. You be the wolf,” said Judy.

  “I’ll be Red Riding Hood. So, first Red

  Riding Hood goes like this. . . .”

  .

  Judy tossed all fifty-two cards up

  into the air. Fifty-two cards came

  raining down helter-skelter.

  17

  “Next, the wolf picks them up,”

  said Judy.

  “Are you cuckoo? I’m not picking

  up all those cards.”

  “Please?” Judy asked.

  “No way.”

  .

  18

  “Okay, but if you don’t pick them up,

  how will you do any more card tricks?”

  One by one by one, Rocky picked

  up all fifty-two cards. Judy cracked up.

  “That’s not a card trick,” said Rocky.

  “That’s a card prank. A real card trick

  has magic words.”

  “I said please,” said Judy. “Please is

  a magic word.”

  “A real card trick should astound

  and amaze you,” said Rocky.

  “It amazed me that you picked up

  all fifty-two cards,”
said Judy.

  “You didn’t even read my mind,”

  said Rocky.

  “Your mind was saying you did not

  want to pick up all those cards. Am I

  right?”

  Rocky stared at Judy.

  .

  “See? It worked. I got you to pick up

  all fifty-two cards. That’s the trick.”

  “Hmmm. . . . You know, every good

  magician needs an assistant,” Rocky

  said, smiling.

  Judy grinned.

  Rocky could not wait to play the

  new card trick on somebody. Anybody.

  Judy’s little brother, Stink, was karate-

  kicking in the Moodys’ front yard.

  “Hey, Stink,” Judy said. “Want Rocky

  to show you a card trick?”

  .

  23

  “Sure,” said Stink.

  “It’s called Billy Goat Gruff and the

  Troll,” said Rocky. “I’ll be Billy Goat

  Gruff. You be the troll.”

  .

  25

  CHA

  p

  TER

  2

  The Best Backyard Magic Show Ever

  Rocky had on his black top hat.

  Rocky had on his long, dark cape.

  Rocky got out his magic wand.

  Magic show time!

  Rocky looked around. The backyard

  was empty except for Judy Moody.

  “Where is everybody?” Rocky

  asked Judy.

  “Frank had swim practice,” said

  Judy. “And Amy and Jessica Finch are

  washing pets at the humane society.”

  .

  26

  “Who ever heard of a magic show

  without people to watch it?” Rocky

  asked. “Run and get Stink.”

  Judy ran across the street. Rocky

  waited.

  In no time, Judy plopped Stink onto

  the picnic bench in Rocky’s backyard.

  “I’m the only one here?” Stink asked.

  “Weird.”

  .

  “The Best Backyard Magic Show Ever

  will now begin,” Rocky said in a loud

  voice.

  “I’m not picking up cards again,”

  said Stink. “JSYK. Just So You Know.”

  “No card tricks. I promise,” said

  Rocky. “I’m the Amazing Mr. Magic,

  and this is my assistant.”

  “Stella the Spectacular,” said Judy.

  .

  “My first trick is called the Thrill-a-

  fying Top Hat.” Rocky pointed to the

  empty table covered with an old sheet.

  Rocky took off his hat. Rocky set his

  hat on the table. He waved his magic

  wand over the hat.

  “I will close my eyes and Judy

  —

  I

  mean, Stella the Spectacular

  —

  will

  pour water into my hat. Then, when

  she puts the hat back on me

  —

  ta-da!

  —

  I will not get wet.”

  Rocky closed his eyes. He waited

  for Stella the Spectacular to pour the

  glass of water

  —

  not in his hat but

  behind his hat. Way super tricky!

  He heard Stella the Spectacular

  begin to pour the water.

  “Hey!” yelled Stink. “She’s not

  pouring the water in the hat.”

  .

  K

  e

  r

  -

  s

  p

  l

  a

  s

  h

  !

  “Am so,” said Judy.

  “Are not,” said Stink.

  “Am too,” said Judy.

  Rocky did not hear water being

  poured. He opened his eyes. He stared

  straight ahead at Stink.

  “And now, without further ado,”

  he said, “Stella the Spectacular will

  place the hat on my head. And I, the

  Amazing Mr. Magic, will not get wet.

  Not one single drop of water.”

  Stink cracked up. Judy shrugged. In

  one swoop, she put the hat on Rocky’s

  head.

  Water rushed and gushed out of

  the hat. Water drenched Rocky’s hair.

  Water dripped down Rocky’s face.

  Stink fell on the ground laughing.

  .

  34

  Rocky glared at his assistant.

  “Why didn’t you pour the water

  where I told you to pour the water?”

  Rocky asked between clenched teeth.

  “Eagle-Eyed Stink was watching

  me like a hawk! I had to pour it into

  the hat.”

  Rocky wiped his face on his cape.

  “The show must go on,” said

  Rocky. “For my next trick, the

  Amazing Mr. Magic will change

  this jar of peanut butter into a

  jar of jelly. I call it the Supersonic

  Switcheroo.”

  Rocky put the peanut-butter jar on

  the table. He placed a shoe box over

  the jar. He placed a red silk cloth

  over the shoe box.

  Judy lifted the old sheet and hid

  under the table.

  .

  “Abracadabra.” Rocky tapped the

  red silk cloth with his magic wand.

  “Alla-ka-peanut-butter. Jelli-ka-zam!”

  Rocky heard rustle-bustle noises

  under the table.

  “Judy’s under the table!” yelled

  Stink.

  37

  Rocky heard crinkle-wrinkle noises.

  He smiled weakly at Stink.

  At last, Judy gave him the secret

  signal of three knocks from under the

  table. Mr. Magic yanked off the cloth

  and lifted up the shoe box.

  .

  V

  o

  i

  l

  à

  !

  Rocky gaped at the not-jelly jar.

  Stink laughed and pointed. “That’s

  not jelly. It’s ketchup!”

  Rocky poked his head under the

  table. “You were supposed to swap the

  jar of peanut butter with the jar of jelly.”

  “I know!” said Judy.

  “And YOU were

  supposed to bring

  a jar of jelly, NOT

  a bottle of ketchup,

  Mr. Magic.”
/>
  Rocky smacked

  his hand to his

  forehead and

  groaned.

  .

  40

  “This is the worst magic show ever!”

  said Stink. “The Supersonic

  Flub-a-roo!”

  “Quiet in the peanut gallery,” said

  Judy.

  “I’m going home,” said Stink. “Unless

  you can pull a rabbit out of

  that hat or something.”

  “Or something,” said Judy.

  “You can’t leave yet,” said Rocky.

  “Those were just practice tricks. I will

  now perform the Houdini-est of all

  magic tricks. Mr. Magic will, before your

  very eyes, pull a rabbit out of this empty

  hat.”

  Stink sat back down. “For real?”

  “For real,” said Rocky. “See? The hat

  is empty.” Rocky held the hat out in

  front of him.

  .

  42

  Judy ducked back under the table.

  Rocky heard something go squish.

  Mr. Magic said the magic words.

  “Izzy-wizzy fuzzy-wuzzy. Abiyoyo.

  Alla kazam kazoo.” Kazoo was the