Highly Commended Story - The Magician’s Curse

“The Magician’s Curse” by A. Bhakth, Maharishi Vidya Mandir School, India, is the Highly Commended story in the sub-junior category of the second biannual Short Story Contest 2020.

Bhakth is from Chennai, India. He is studying in second grade. He has been fond of books since a very young age. He enjoys reading books and often spins his own tales from his imagination too. He is academically strong and enjoys playing the drums and loves art too.

The Magician’s Curse

There were two brothers named Dave and David. One evening they were confronted by a shark during a boat ride. The brothers were frightened at the sight of the shark. But the shark told them not to be scared of him. He told them that he was a magician and turned into a shark due to a curse.

The shark then went on to tell his story. I lived in the city on the other side of this river. I was an eminent magician. People were fond of me. They thronged in crowds to see my shows. One day I used my magic to create something unique, a smoke monster. Suddenly I lost control of my powers and I couldn’t destroy it. While the audiences ran out the door, I was sucked up by this monster, took the form of a shark and lost all my super powers. On behaving well I will gain back my life. After sharing his story, the shark pleaded to save him from the poachers who visited the river everyday.

The boys were sad on hearing the shark’s story and offered their assistance. They tied him to their paddles and carried him back home. On reaching home, their mom trembled in fear and asked them to put the shark back where they got it from.

The son’s comforted their mother and later narrated the story they had just heard from the shark. Their mom accepted to let the shark stay. The brothers built a pond big enough to fit the shark and made him feel safe. The shark’s good behavior soon helped him gain his lost powers and transform back into a magician. Thanking the family that saved his life, the magician gave them a sack of gold. The family continued with their good deeds and lived happily ever after.