Magic Tricks Everywhere
A Frog and a Crane were sharing a bench in the park. The two didn’t know each other but on this day, of all days, they found themselves next to each other.
The Frog turned to the Crane and asked,
“Do you want to see a magic trick?”
The Crane looked at the Frog. This was not a question the Crane ever hoped to hear in her life. A magic trick? From a frog? A frog you had just met? My word, how silly it all is.
Can you imagine? The Crane thought to herself, “Me, a fully grown and endlessly elegant Crane watching the sausage-fingered attempt at a magic trick from a frog? Laughable! Why would I? This Frog is an absolute loon.”
How could it be good? The frog is not even in a proper magician costume? No wand, no hat, not even a deck of cards that I can see. Oh, how am I supposed to say no to this magic-less frog without hurting his feelings?
Oh but look at this poor eager frog. He so earnestly wants to show me this magic trick. He must have worked so hard on it... How absolutely dreadful for me to make fun of this frog like I have.
Oh my, I’m sure he’s worked so hard on his sweet little magic trick and for the last several minutes I have been mocking him in my own head. Crane, you are better than this. You should be better than this. Nay, you have to be better than this. You must say yes. You must. There is no other option. It is the right thing to do, the loving thing to do.
Finally, the Crane looked at the Frog. The Frog’s eyes yearned to share a magic moment with the Crane. The Crane looked back at the Frog and sincerely, without a trace of irony or malice responded to his question:
“Yes young frog, I would be delighted to see your magic trick.”
The Crane felt good. It is sometimes fun to be mean but always better to be nice.
The Frog replied —
“Great! Not my magic trick though, I don’t know magic. I wish I did! Do you know any places we could go to find someone who can do magic? That would be fun!”
Shocked, the Crane agreed that it would be fun but that she didn’t know anyone who could do magic. She said goodbye to the Frog, left the bench, and went home to lie down for a while.
