Stanley And The Magic Lamp Part 3

The Last Wish Flying back into the bedroom, the three adventurers found Mr. and Mrs. Lambchop waiting anxiously. The Liophant, who had just finished an enormous bowl of spaghetti mixed with chocolate cookies and milk, was asleep.

"Thank goodness!" Mrs. Lambchop ran to hug her sons.

"Where have you been?" Mr. Lambchop was stern. "Is that you, Prince Haraz, behind that dragon face?"

The genie took off his mask. "Were you worried? Sorry. We went for a little flight."

"Wait till you hear!" said Arthur. "You can't tell from looking, but I'm the strongest man in the world, and-"

"Take off those robes and gloves," said Mrs. Lambchop. "It is not wise to get overheated."

She went on, as they put their things away. "Such an evening! The phone never stopped. I was asked to go on four TV shows, and to advertise a new soap-they wanted to photograph me in the bathtub, so of course I said no!-and then, to find the window open and the three of you an evening! The phone never stopped. I was asked to go on four TV shows, and to advertise a new soap-they wanted to photograph me in the bathtub, so of course I said no!-and then, to find the window open and the three of you gone gone! Such a fright!"

"We thought we'd be right back," said Stanley, apologizing. "We didn't know so many exciting things would happen."

Everybody sat down, and Stanley told about wis.h.i.+ng Arthur strong, and the flying, and chasing the airplane, and the robbers on the s.h.i.+p. Mr. and Mrs. Lambchop both gave deep sighs when Stanley was done.

"It seems, Prince Haraz," Mr. Lambchop said, "that there are often unexpected consequences when wishes come true."

"Oh, yes," said the genie. "That's what got me into a lamp."

"It's not just the Askit Basket problem," Mr. Lambchop said. "Mrs. Lambchop has been famous less than a day, and already she is exhausted and has lost all her privacy. And though Tom McRude deserved what he got, his tennis comes from natural ability. I am not proud of having shamed him by using magic."

"And Arthur's great strength will make other boys afraid of him," Mrs. Lambchop said. "And flying, mixing with criminals ... Dear me! We must consider all this. I will make hot chocolate. It is helpful when there is serious thinking to be done."

Everyone enjoyed the delicious hot chocolate she brought from the kitchen, with a marshmallow for each cup. The Lambchops sat quietly, sipping and thinking. Prince Haraz, having said twice that he was sorry to have caused problems, began to pace up and down. The Liophant was still asleep.

At last Mr. Lambchop put down his cup and cleared his throat. "Your attention, please," he said, and they all looked at him.

"Here is my opinion," he said. "Genies and their magic, Prince Haraz, are fine for faraway lands and long-ago times, but the Lambchops have always been quite natural people, and this is the United States of America, and the time is today. We are grateful for the excitement you have offered, but now I must ask: Is it possible for Stanley to un unwish all the wishes he has made?"

"It is, actually," said the genie.

"How clever of you, George!" cried Mrs. Lambchop.

Arthur sighed. "I don't know.... I really like the flying. But being so strong, I guess n.o.body would would play with me." play with me."

"I care most about the Liophant," Stanley said. "Couldn't we just keep him?"

"He is very lovable," said Mrs. Lambchop. "But he never stops eating! We cannot afford afford to keep him." to keep him."

"Sad, but true," Mr. Lambchop said. "Now please tell us, Prince Haraz, what must be done."

"It's called Reverse Wis.h.i.+ng." The genie took the little green lamp from the desk and turned it over. "The instructions should be right here on the bottom. Let's see...."

He studied the words carved into the bottom of the lamp. "Seems simple enough. Each wish has to be separately reversed. I just say 'Mandrono!' and-" His voice rose. "Oh, collibots! Double florts! See that little circle there? This is a training training lamp! There may not be enough wishes left!" lamp! There may not be enough wishes left!"

"A training lamp?" exclaimed Mr. Lambchop. "What is that?"

"They're for beginners like me, so we don't overdo for one person," Prince Haraz said unhappily. "The little 'fifteen' in the circle, that's all the wishes I'm allowed for Stanley."

The Lambchops all spoke at once. "What? ... You never told us! ... Only fifteen? ... Oh, dear!"

"Please, I'm embarra.s.sed enough," said the genie, very red in the face. "A training training lamp! As if I were a baby!" lamp! As if I were a baby!"

"We are all beginners, at one time or another," said Mr. Lambchop. "What matters is, are fifteen wishes enough?"

The genie counted on his fingers to be sure he got it right. "Askit Basket, Liophant-lucky he doesn't count double!-that's two, and fame for Mrs. Lambchop and the fancy tennis, that's four. Making Arthur strong is five, flying for him and and Stanley is two more ..." He smiled. "Seven, and seven for reversing is fourteen! One wish left over for some sort of good-bye treat!" Stanley is two more ..." He smiled. "Seven, and seven for reversing is fourteen! One wish left over for some sort of good-bye treat!"

"Thank goodness!" Mrs. Lambchop hesitated. "It is very late. Could you begin the reversing now now, do you think?"

Prince Haraz nodded. "I'll do the whole family in a bunch. Let's see ... Strength, famous, tennis, two flying. Ready, Arthur? No more Mighty Man after this, I'm afraid."

"Will I feel weak?" Arthur asked. "Will I flop over?"

The genie shook his head. "Mandrono!" he said. "Mandrono, Mandrono, Mandrono, Mandrono!"

Arthur felt a p.r.i.c.kling on the back of his neck. When the p.r.i.c.kling stopped, he gave the big desk a shove, but couldn't budge it.

"I'm just regular me again," he said. "Oh, well."

"And I am just Harriet Lambchop again," said Mrs. Lambchop, smiling. "An unimportant person."

"To all of us, my dear, you are the most important person we know," said Mr. Lambchop. "Arthur, you are as strong as you were yesterday. Think of it that way."

The genie sipped the last of his hot chocolate. "Where was I? Oh, yes ..." He glanced at the Askit Basket. "Mandrono!" The basket vanished. "Just the Liophant now," he said.

Everyone looked at the Liophant, who was sitting up now in the corner, scratching behind his lion ears with his elephant trunk. Stanley patted him, and the Liophant licked his hand.

"How sweet!" Mrs. Lambchop said. "George, perhaps...?"

"What makes Liophants truly happy," said the genie, "is open s.p.a.ces, and the company of other Liophants."

"Then send him where it's like that," Stanley said bravely, patting again. The Liophant vanished halfway through the pat.

For a moment no one spoke.

"Good for you, Stanley," Mr. Lambchop said softly. "And now you must think of a last wish to make."

While Stanley thought, Mrs. Lambchop collected the hot chocolate cups. "Where will you go now, Prince Haraz?" she said.

"Back into that stuffy little lamp," said the genie. "And then it's wait, wait, wait! Hundreds and hundreds of years, probably. It's my punishment for playing too many tricks. My friends warned me, but I wouldn't listen."

He sighed. "Mosef, Ali, Ben Sifa, little Fawz. Such wonderful fellows! I think of them when I'm alone in the lamp, the fun fun they must be having. The games, the freedom...." His voice trembled, and the Lambchops felt very sorry for him. they must be having. The games, the freedom...." His voice trembled, and the Lambchops felt very sorry for him.

Suddenly, Arthur had an idea. He whispered it to Stanley.

"Why the whispering?" the genie said crossly. "Let's have that last wish, Stanley, and I'll smoke back into my lamp."

The brothers were smiling at each other. "Good idea, right?" said Arthur.

"Oh, yes!" Stanley turned to the genie. "Here is my last wish, Prince Haraz. I wish for you not not to stay in the lamp, but to go back where you came from, to be with your genie friends and have good times with them, forever from now on!" to stay in the lamp, but to go back where you came from, to be with your genie friends and have good times with them, forever from now on!"

Prince Haraz gasped. His mouth fell open.

Mr. Lambchop worried that he might faint. "Are you all right?" he asked. "Is Stanley not allowed to set you free?"

"Yes, yes ... it's allowed." The genie spoke softly. "But n.o.body ever used a wish for the sake of a genie. Not until now."

"How selfish people can be!" said Mrs. Lambchop.

Prince Haraz rubbed his eyes. "What a fine family this is," he said, beginning to smile. "I thank you all. The name of Lambchop will be honored always, wherever genies meet."

His smile enormous now, he shook hands with each of the Lambchops. The last shake was with Stanley, and the genie was already a bit smoky about the edges. By the time he let go of Stanley's hand, he was all smoke, a dark cloud that swirled briefly over the little lamp on the desk, then poured in through the spout until not a puff remained.

Full of wonder, the Lambchops gathered about the lamp, and after a moment Arthur put his lips to the spout.

"Good-bye, Prince Haraz!" he called. "Have a nice trip!"

From within the lamp, a faraway voice called back, "Bless you all...." And then there was only silence in the room.

Mr. Lambchop was the first to speak. "I'm proud of you, Stanley," he said. "Your last wish was generous and kind."

"It was my idea, actually," Arthur said, and Mrs. Lambchop kissed the top of his head. "Off to bed now, boys," she said. "Tomorrow is another day."

Stanley and Arthur got into bed, and she turned out the light.

"The lamp was supposed to be a surprise birthday present," Stanley said sleepily. "Now it won't be a surprise at all."

"I will love it anyhow," said Mrs. Lambchop. "And Prince Haraz was a tremendous surprise. Good night, my dears."

She kissed them both, and so did Mr. Lambchop, and they went out.

The brothers lay quietly in the darkness for a while, and then Stanley sighed. "I miss the Liophant a bit," he said. "But I don't mind about the rest."

"Me neither." Arthur yawned. "Florts, Stanley, and good night."

"Good night," Stanley said. "Collibots."

"Mandrono," murmured Arthur, and soon they were both asleep.

The End

ENJOY A SNEAK PEEK AT:.

Where Is Stanley?

"Breakfast is ready, George. We must wake the boys," Mrs. Lambchop said to her husband.

Just then, Arthur Lambchop called from the bedroom he shared with his brother.

"Hey! Come here! Hey!"

Mr. and Mrs. Lambchop smiled, recalling another morning that had begun like this. An enormous bulletin board, they discovered, had fallen on Stanley during the night, leaving him unhurt but no more than half an inch thick. And so he had remained until Arthur blew him round again, weeks later, with a bicycle pump.

"Hey!" The call came again. "Are you coming? Hey!"

Mrs. Lambchop held firm views about good manners and correct speech. "Hay is for horses, not people, Arthur," she said as they entered the bedroom. "As well you know."

"Excuse me," said Arthur. "The thing is, I can hear hear Stanley, but I can't Stanley, but I can't find find him!" him!"

Mr. and Mrs. Lambchop looked about the room. A shape was visible beneath the covers of Stanley's bed, and the pillow was squashed down, as if a head rested upon it. But there was no head.

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