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25 the magician and the peasants A MAGICIAN FELL OUT with his assistant, a man who had long since learned the secrets of his master. The assistant, wanting revenge, waited until the magician performed next at a fair. In the middle of the act, he stepped forward and explained how the trick was done, stating that the magician had [ 48 ] none of the powers he claimed, that he was a man like themselves with a few tricks in his bag, tricks which anyone of them could learn too, if he put his mind to it. When he had finished, he pointed to the magician and said, "This man has tricked you and defrauded you of your money. If you give him a flogging, you'll be giving him what he's earned a dozen times over." But the people did not vent their anger on the magi. cian who had deluded them so pleasantly and had given them so much to talk about during the long winter months; they turned instead on the assistant who had shown them up as fools, and in a moment he was running for his life, pursued by a mob of angry, shouting peasants. [ 49 ] ...

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