The Magic Number Nine

by Daniel Errico



Magic Number Nine Cover. Numbers Nine, Three, and Six on a fishing boat.


Number Nine lived in the Land of Numbers.

He was a fisherman.

He was the only number that didn’t believe in magic.

All the other numbers told him that magic was real, but Number Nine didn’t believe them.

“There’s no such thing as magic,” he said. 

Numbers Four, Nine, Three, and Six on shore of lake.

“Watch this!” said Number Four, and he pulled a rabbit from her his hat.

“Watch this!” said Number Six, and she made a coin disappear.

“Watch this!” said Number Three, and he made a flower squirt Number Nine in the face.

Number Nine just yawned. 

Number Three with squirting flower and rabbit in hat.

One day number Nine was on his boat trying to catch fish when a great wave crashed down.

When he came back to shore, his boat was badly damaged.

There was a hole in the bottom.

There was a rip in his sail.

And all of his fish had been washed away.

Number Nine in boat with wave crashing.

All the other numbers saw how upset he was.

“What’s wrong?” they asked.

“My ship is broken, and I lost all of my fish,” he said sadly, “I wish I were magic so that I could fix it.”

And he went off to go to sleep.

Numbers Three, Nine, Six, and Four with broken boat.

The other numbers thought about it and decided to help Number Nine that night.

Number Six built a wooden motor for the boat.

Number Four plugged up the hole in the boat.

Number Three spent all night in the water catching fish with bait he had made out of seaweed.

Number Three in water with snorkel and fish on shore.

The next day Number Nine woke up to check on his boat.

“Your boat is fixed!” said Number Six, “It’s magic!”

“But, there’s no such thing as magic,” said Number Nine.

They all climbed onto the boat, except for Number Four. He was hiding in the water, with a pile of fish.

“Watch this!” they said as they set the boat in the water.  It did not sink.

“Watch this!” they said as the motor made the boat move.

“Watch this!” they said as Number Four started throwing fish into the boat from the water.

Numbers Nine, Three, and Six on boat with fish jumping inside.

“How can this be? We are not sinking even though there is a hole, we are sailing even though my sail is torn, and fish are flying from the water onto my boat!” said Number Nine.

“It must be Magic!”

And it was the best kind of magic.

That night they all had a great feast, and Number Nine never doubted magic again.

 

Numbers Four, Nine, Six, and Three celebrating on shore with meal.