To Leonard Bilstister the real worl

To Leonard Bilstister the real world was not very agreeable or interesting. He preferred you live in an ‘unseen world’ of his imagination. Children are often very good at this, but they are happy in their own dream worlds and do not try to make other people believe them. Leonard Bilsiter talked about ‘the unseen world’ to anyone who would listen to him.
Nothing very strange happened to Leonard, until one year he travelled by train across Eastern Europe. He had a long conversation with a Russian passenger, who talked about magic and ‘hidden powers’ in a most interesting way. Leonard listened excitedly. He came home with many stories about the strange, dark mysteries which he called Siberian Magic.
HIS aunt, Cecilia Hoops, was deeply interested in Leonard’s Siberian Magic. When she told her friends about it (‘My dears, he took a garden vegetable and changed it into a bird in front of my eyes!’), her friends realized that she also had a wonderful imagination.
Leonard, together with his hidden powers, was invited to Mary Hampton’s house-party. Several other people were also staying in the house, and they all had to listen to Leonard talking about the mysteries of the unseen world.
‘Do please change me into a wolf, Mr Bilsiter,’ said Mrs Hampton during lunch on the day of his arrival.
‘My dear Mary,’ said her husband. ‘What a strange idea!’
‘A she-wolf, of course,’ continued Mrs Hampton. ‘I don’t want to change into a man as well as an animal!’
‘We should not joke about the unseen world,’ said Leonard.
‘Oh, I’m not joking, I promise you. But don’t change me into a wolf tonight. I want to play cards, and there are only eight of us in the house today. I’ve invited some more people to come here tomorrow. Wait until tomorrow night.’
Leonard was not amused. ‘Mrs Hampton, you really must not laugh at these mysteries. They can be stronger and more dangerous than we realize.’
Clovis Sangrail listened silently to this conversation, and after lunch he spoke to Lord Pabham in the smoking-room.
‘Tell me, Lord Pabham,’ began Clovis. ‘Have you got a she-wolf in your zoo at Pabham Park? A quiet, friendly she-wolf?’
‘There’s Louisa,’ said Lord Pabham thoughtfully. ‘She’s very quiet an gentle. Why do you ask?’
‘I’d like to borrow her tomorrow evening,’ said Clovis lightly. ‘May I, please?’
‘Tomorrow night?’ repeat Lord Pabham in surprise.
‘Yes. Wolves usually sleep during the day, don’t they? So a night-time journey won’t hurt her. Could you ask one of your men to bring Louisa here when it is dark? Then he can take her quietly into the conservatory at the same time as Mrs Hampton leaves the dining-room.’
Lord Pabham looked at Clovis in surprise. Then he smiled. ‘I understand!’ he said. ‘You‘re going to try a little Siberian Magic. And has Mrs Hampton agreed to help you?’
‘Mary has promised—if you she-wolf is quiet and gentle.’
‘Louisa won’t give you any trouble,’ said Lord Pabham.
The next day several more guests arrived. Leonard Billsiter enjoyed telling them all about Siberian Magic and hidden powers. He talked all through dinner. When the coffee arrived at the end of the meal, Leonard’s aunt spoke.
‘Dear Leonard,’ she said, ‘please show us your powers. Change something into another shape,’ She turned to the other guests. ‘He can do it if he wants to,’ she told them.
‘Oh, please show us,’ said Mavis Pellington excitedly.
‘Well…’ began Leonard, ‘If somebody will give me a small coin…’
‘Oh , surely you aren’t going to do stupid things with disappearing coins?’ said Clovis. ‘We want to see something really surprising.’
‘That’s right,’ said Mary Hampton. ‘Why don’t you change me into a wolf? You promised!’ She got up from the table and walked into the conservatory with a bowl of fruit for her macaws.
‘I have already warned you,’ said Leonard seriously. ‘It is dangerous to joke about these things.’
‘I don’t believe you can do it!’ laughed Mary from the conservatory. As she spoke, she disappeared behind a large green plant.
‘Mrs Hampton---’ began Leonard seriously. Then an icy wind seemed to fill the dining-room, and at the same time Mrs Hampton back at once! We don’t want a dangerous wild animal in here!’
‘I—I don’t know how to bring her back,’ said Leonard in a small, frightened voice.
‘Rubbish!’ shouted Mr Hampton. ‘You changed my dear wife into a wolf. Now you must bring her back again!’
‘Please believe me,’ said Leonard. ‘I don’t change your wife into a wolf.
‘Then where is she, and how did that animal get into the conservatory?’ asked Mr Hampton angrily.
‘Of course, we must believe you when you say that you didn’t change Mrs Hampton into a wolf,’ said Clovis politely. ‘But you must agree that it all looks very strange.’
‘How can you stand there arguing,’ cried Mavis Pellington, ‘with a wild animal in the house?’
‘Lord Pabham,’ began Mr Hampton, ‘you know a lot about wild animals…’
‘I buy all my animal,’ said Lord Pabham. ‘I have never found one in a conservatory before. But this is a wolf, I am sure of that. I think it’s probably a North America she-wolf----’
‘Oh, who cares where it came from!’ screamed Mavis , as the wolf came a few steps further into the room. ‘Can’t you offer it some food, and take it away safely somewhere before it bites somebody?’
‘If this animal is really Mrs Hampton,’ said Clovis, ‘she’s just had an excellent dinner. She won’t be interested in food.’
‘Oh, Leonard,’ cried his aunt, ‘can’t you use your wonderful powers to change this terrible animal into something small and gentle, like a rabbit?’
‘I don’t think Mr Hampton would like that,’ said Clovis.
‘You’re right!’ shouted Mr Hampton. ‘ I forbid it!’
‘All my wolves love sugar,’ said Lord Pabham. ‘If you like, I’ll offer this one a piece.’ He took a piece of sugar from the table and pushed it along the floor toward Louisa. She ate it quickly and then, clearly hoping for more sugar, she followed Lord Pabham out of the room.
The guests left the table thankfully and hurried into the conservatory. It was empty. Mrs Hampton had disappeared.
‘The door to the garden is locked on the inside!’ said Clovis.(He had quickly turned the key while he was pretending to try the lock.)
Everyone turned towards Leonard Bilsiter.
‘If you have not changed my wife into a wolf,’ said Mr Hampton, ‘will you please explain where she has gone? Clearly she could not go out through a locked door — so where is she?’
‘I tell you, I had nothing to do with it!’ repeated Leonard again and again. But nobody believed him.
‘I’m leaving,’ said Mavis Pellington. ‘I refuse to stay another hour in this house.’
Just then Mary Hampton entered the room.
‘What happened?’ she asked crossly. ‘Someone has been playing a stupid game with me. I found myself in the kitchen, eating sugar from Lord Pabham’s hand. I hate stupid games, and my doctor has forbidden me to eat sugar.’
‘Well, my dear …’ began Mr Hampton. Mrs Hampton listened excitedly as he explained.
‘So you really did change me into a wolf, Mr Bilsiter?’ cried Mrs Hampton.
‘No, no,’ said Leonard. ‘It’s all a mistake.’
‘Actually, I did it,’ said Clovis. ‘You see, I spent two years in Russia, and I know a little about Siberian Magic. Of course, I don’t like to talk about it. But when other people talk a lot of rubbish about hidden powers, I like to show what Siberian Magic can really do… May I please have a drink? I feel a little tired now.’
Leonard Bilsiter looked at Clovis with hate in his eyes. At that moment he wished strongly that he could change Clovis into some small helpless animal, and then step on him very hard.