Anna had twelve boxes of old things she couldn’t persuade her brother to throw away.
She asked a magician whether he could make them disappear at her daughter’s party. He said the boxes would have to be empty.
Anna explained why that was the problem. The magician offered to help lift them….
Anna and her brother, Leo, had cleared their dad’s shed. Leo called it a careful rescue. Anna called it moving the shed into her spare room.
There were twelve boxes. One contained plugs. Another contained things that might fit those plugs. The third contained manuals for things neither of them owned.
We should check everything, said Leo.
Anna opened a box of empty tins.
I’ve checked. They’re tins.
Dad kept them for a reason.
Yes. He didn’t want them in his house either.
Every Sunday Leo came to sort the boxes. He opened one, found something he remembered and told Anna a story. Then he put it back and went home.
After a month, the boxes had labels. They had not become fewer boxes.
Anna needed the spare room for her daughter’s birthday party. She phoned a local magician, Dan, about an afternoon show.
Dan described his tricks. He could make scarves change colour and a wooden box disappear under a cloth.
Anna stopped him.
How big a box?
Dan gave the size.
That’s encouraging, she said. Could you do twelve?
He asked what was inside.
Plugs. Tins. Useful bits of string, apparently.
Dan explained that his trick required an empty box.
Anna looked into the spare room. Leo was holding up a short piece of cable.
We might find the other half, he called.
Anna asked Dan whether the audience would notice if he started with full boxes.
The equipment wouldn’t work, Dan said. You’d need to empty them first.
I’ve tried.
Dan thought she meant the boxes were heavy. He offered to arrive early and help lift them.
Leo called out that they should test every plug before making any decisions.
Anna lowered her voice.
I don’t need help lifting the boxes. I need you to persuade my brother to let the contents go.
Dan said he was a magician, not a family adviser.
Anna looked at the twelve neatly labelled boxes.
Then start with my brother.
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