Les Burdett's story of Marlon

Author: Les Burdett

Nationality: British

even Fifi, Roger had discovered a book of spells among the relics, from it he had learned real magic. One particular spell had caught his eye, it turned a human being into a frog, the effect only lasted an hour or so, when it wore off the person who had been a frog remembered nothing of the experience."

"Wow!"

"Roger decided to teach his nagging wife a lesson."

"For my next trick," Roger announced, "I would like the assistance of my errr, beautiful wife."

"Fifi put Blodwyn into the blue and gold cabinet, that one over there, and shut the door."

"Credis quod habes et habes, cloakem chokem makem a croakem," Roger cast the spell.

"What happened next gran?"

"Well of course when Roger opened the cabinet door, out jumped a frog. Blodwyn’s father, Simon the Sadist, not aware that the effect would soon wear off, went berserk. “Evil Wizard,” he shouted and ordered his men to kill Roger and Fifi, they drew their swords and started toward the stage. Roger grabbed Fifi and went into the orange cabinet, er, that one in the corner. We heard him say a spell, credis quod habes et habes, letsgo mustgo doublo quicko makem allgo. There was a bright flash, a puff of smoke, the walls of the cabinet fell open, and Roger and Fifi were gone, and that was the last anyone saw of them, thirty five years ago."

"What happened to them gran?"

"Nobody really knows, but I like to think that the magic took them somewhere beautiful, where they could love each other in peace

for the rest of their lives. The real surprise was Blodwyn, when she changed back from a frog, although she was still Blodwyn, her body had changed into a beautiful young woman's, she looked just like Fifi."

“Where is Blodwyn now gran?”

“She ran off with a handsome young knight and moved to the south coast. Now then Marlon, would you like your old gran to teach you to be a magician?"

"Oh yes please gran."

Ethel and Marlon spent the next ten years learning all that Roger had learned. Marlon employed a beautiful young French princess, Nyma Phomanie, as his assistant. After a while they became lovers and planned to marry.

As part of their betrothal celebrations Marlon and Nyma announced that they would put on a magic show.

"Gran, I know I'm asking a lot of you, but as the finale I would like to turn you into a frog. You'll be okay, you never know you might come back looking like Fifi. Ha, ha, ha, ho, ho, ho."

"Why not Marlon, the effect wears off after an hour or so, but you must keep your real magic powers until the end of the show, just do the tricks up to then."

The betrothal day came, Marlon laid before his guests a great feast of fried chicken and barbecued pigeon. After the feast the entertainment began, the usual stuff, a play about a caveman, line dancing, aerial displays, and so on, then it was time for magic.

Marlon and Nyma put on a wonderful show, the guests were

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