"You are just in time; the fun is about to start," Arnold told them with an expectant smile. "Old grumpy Grumphspawn is just conducting the final preparations for his entrance."
"Shhh!" admonished Rodger with a frown. "He might hear you and turn you into a frog gobbler."
Just then, a silence fell all around them like a blanket of soft feathers. The bonfire seemed to die down a little as if it, too, were holding its breath, waiting. Arnold swallowed at the thought that he might have gone too far with his comment. Had the Great Wizard heard him?
On top of the tent, the flag snapped boldly out, displaying a golden phoenix rising from the glowing ashes of a fire in front of a dawning, red and orange sun. Light spilled across the gathering for an instant, causing everyone to blink, and when their eyes opened again, in that blinking instant, there before them stood the Great Wizard Grumphspawn.
"Fortunate fellows and fun-loving friends," he roared in dramatic style, "welcome to my humble little entertainment! Tonight, I will provide for you a few small whizzes and bangs, fizzes and pallid shades, and not forgetting ... the dizzying spectacles that will transform the mundane to the magical!!!"
With a swirl of his long purple cloak, the wizard turned away from them and walked down the slope towards the edge of the still-calm lake.
Sam noticed that Grumphspawn was no ordinary wizard. Although he had stood apart from them, he was noticeably taller and wider than the humans. His face was craggy, like the mountains round about them, and his eyes had gleamed with an inner strength that was stronger than granite.
The fire had resumed its steady, crackling roar next to them and was providing a very comforting warmth to those that had gathered there tonight to see the legendary display. No one had resumed talking, and all attention was focused on the shape of the wizard as he turned around to face them once again.
"I have a series of assorted sensations for you to enjoy this evening. Seven, to be precise." He paused for dramatic effect. "We will start off with the Goblin Racer, move on to the Highlander's Delight; the Jolly Jester; the King's Coronation Ball; the Long Light Liberation; the Parrots, Pirates, and Pancakes Piratical Pyrotechnics; and finally, the Troll's Totally Titanic Terribly Triumphant Toothy Tongue Tingler!" Grumphspawn seemed very pleased with himself as he announced the list and the smile on his face when he gave the name of the last display was like the parting of a cliff face.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment