There was once a magician who worked on a cruise ship. He wasn't the greatest magician in the world (and it wasn't the fanciest cruise ship), but it was a steady job and the passengers/guests seemed to enjoy his act.
All was well until one day the captain started bringing his parrot to the magic shows. Every time the magician was in the middle of a trick, the parrot would squawk and give away his secrets:
'The card is up his sleeve!'
'There's a trapdoor in the stage!'
'The rabbit's under his hat!'
The magician begged the captain to not bring his parrot to the show, but the captain insisited that the guests found it very amusing and that he would be there all the time. So the magician decided to invent a new trick that the parrot wouldn't be able to spoil. It would be a spectacular disappearing act, where he would vanish in a puff of smoke. The next time the ship was in port, the magician went ashore and bought a big box of fireworks for his trick, and that evening he set the fireworks on the stage in preparation for the big event. This'll show that stupid parrot!
Finally it was showtime. The parrot was up to his usual shenanigans, but the magician carried on and eventually it was time for the grand finale. With a theatrical flourish of his cape, the magician triggered the fireworks. Unfortunately, not being a pyrotechnics expert he had bought way too many fireworks. There was a huge explosion, and the magician was knocked unconscious and blown across the room. Then the stage caught fire, the room caught fire and soon the entire ship was ablaze and sank beneath the waves.
The magician regained consciousness. Miraculously, he had somehow ended up in a lifeboat. There was nobody else in the boat, but perched at the far end was his old nemesis, the parrot. The two stared at each other for what seemed an eternity.
Finally the parrot squawked: 'OK I give up. Where's the ship?'
All was well until one day the captain started bringing his parrot to the magic shows. Every time the magician was in the middle of a trick, the parrot would squawk and give away his secrets:
'The card is up his sleeve!'
'There's a trapdoor in the stage!'
'The rabbit's under his hat!'
The magician begged the captain to not bring his parrot to the show, but the captain insisited that the guests found it very amusing and that he would be there all the time. So the magician decided to invent a new trick that the parrot wouldn't be able to spoil. It would be a spectacular disappearing act, where he would vanish in a puff of smoke. The next time the ship was in port, the magician went ashore and bought a big box of fireworks for his trick, and that evening he set the fireworks on the stage in preparation for the big event. This'll show that stupid parrot!
Finally it was showtime. The parrot was up to his usual shenanigans, but the magician carried on and eventually it was time for the grand finale. With a theatrical flourish of his cape, the magician triggered the fireworks. Unfortunately, not being a pyrotechnics expert he had bought way too many fireworks. There was a huge explosion, and the magician was knocked unconscious and blown across the room. Then the stage caught fire, the room caught fire and soon the entire ship was ablaze and sank beneath the waves.
The magician regained consciousness. Miraculously, he had somehow ended up in a lifeboat. There was nobody else in the boat, but perched at the far end was his old nemesis, the parrot. The two stared at each other for what seemed an eternity.
Finally the parrot squawked: 'OK I give up. Where's the ship?'
