A magician was employed by a Shipping Line to entertain the passengers during cruises. The captain owned a parrot which always insisted on being part of the acts put on by the magician. He would perch on the edge of the stage and screech,“He does it with a mirror”or“He’s got it up his sleeve.”The magician was furious,but since the bird was a favorite with the captain and he was anxious to retain his position for future cruises,he maintained an angry silence. One evening as the magician worked,the parrot continued to harass the unfortunate man. Sadly the ship ran into a mine which had become detached from the sea floor after a storm. The explosion tore the bow off the ship which sank within a few minutes. Amid the wreckage and the lifeboats,the magician sat on one end of a table from the first class dining room. At the other end sat the parrot,dirty and disheveled,his feathers caked with fuel oil. For some time they eyed each other malevolently saying nothing. Finally the parrot shook himself and advanced across the table. He fixed the magician with a beady eye.“Okay,I give up,”he squawked.“What did you do with the ship?”
一個(gè)魔術(shù)師應(yīng)聘于一艘游輪,為旅途中的游客提供娛樂。船長有一只鸚鵡,一定要魔術(shù)師在表演節(jié)目的時(shí)候帶著它。它站在舞臺(tái)邊上,一會(huì)兒尖聲叫著:“他用了一面鏡子?!币粫?huì)兒又叫道:“他把它藏到袖子里了?!蹦g(shù)師很惱火,但考慮到這鳥是船長的寶貝,而自己還想在這條船以后的航班上繼續(xù)演出,所以盡管很生氣,也沒有發(fā)作。一天晚上,魔術(shù)師正在表演,那只鸚鵡繼續(xù)騷擾這位可憐人。這時(shí),不幸的事發(fā)生了。因?yàn)轱L(fēng)大,海底的一顆水雷離開了原來的位置,和這艘游輪相撞。爆炸將船首炸斷,游輪不到幾分鐘就沉沒了。魔術(shù)師坐在頭等艙餐廳桌子的一端,另一頭坐著那只鸚鵡,周圍到處都是輪船的殘骸和救生艇。鸚鵡渾身亂蓬蓬、臟兮兮的,羽毛上粘滿了燃油。它和魔術(shù)師互相惡狠狠地看著對(duì)方,好一會(huì)兒都不說話。最后,鸚鵡抖抖身子,跳到桌子那頭,瞪著一只眼睛,瞅著魔術(shù)師?!昂昧?,我不搗亂了,”它叫道,“告訴我你用了什么戲法把船變成這樣的?”