"Are you sure this is a good idea, Crunch?" Stik Ladee asked nervously?  "What if it doesn't work?"

"Not to worry my friend.  Everything is under control.  I've seen Egg-Burto do this at least a thousand times."

Stik Ladee wasn't exactly sure how she had gotten herself into this predicament, being waved back and forth through the air in Crunch's strong grip.  She did know, however, that this would not turn out well.  "Crunch, I wish I could help, but I'm getting dizzy.  Why don't you wave your fly swatter instead?"  Stik Ladee breathed a sigh of relief when Crunch gently placed her at the foot of Miss Princess's tree house.

Crunch was beyond excited...his toothy grin even wider than usual.  He had Miss Princess's much-too-tiny cape stretched around his circular frame.  "I have my magic wand and my cape.  All that's missing is a magic hat.  No matter.  The show must go on."  He bowed to his devoted audience and said, "Prepare to be amazed.  In the blink of an eye, I will make myself disappear."  With a flourish of his wand and the magic words, "Eenie-Meenie-Chili-Beanie," Crunch vanished.

Well, he didn't actually vanish.  It would be more accurate to say that he jumped high into the treetops, out of sight.  Crouching on a sturdy branch overlooking the Laborastory forest, Crunch realized something: his audience would undoubtedly expect him to reappear.  "What goes up must come down," he muttered to himself.  "Look out belooooowwwww!" he shouted as he jumped from his perch, fly swatter wand flapping in the breeze.

We'll skip (or jump?) over the details of Crunch's not-so-smooth landing.  Suffice it to say that Miss Princess's tree house is currently closed for repair, and our dear Crunch's magic trick didn't turn out as well as he had hoped.

Never one to give up, Crunch decided to get some professional help from the one and only Egg-Burto the Magnificent.  After devouring a delicious shoofly pie (the swatter came in handy after all), Crunch headed over to the magical Morphadoodle's  theater.

"Crunch, come on in and have a seat," Egg-Burto called from the stage.  "I'm almost finished practicing for tomorrow's show.  Hey, I like the cape...a bit small, but it flows nicely.  You look like you're ready for some magic."

"Actually, I was hoping that you could help me with a trick I have not yet perfected.  I have been trying to make myself disappear without success.  Do you think I could borrow your wand and magician's hat and give it another try?"

Egg-Burto hesitated for a moment but looked at Crunch's sad expression and could not say no to this kind and generous fellow.  Armed with Egg-Burto's wand, an authentic magician's hat balanced on his head, and wearing his wide, toothy grin, Crunch gave  the wand a gently whoosh and said, "Eenie-Meenie-Chili-Beanie."  Crunch opened his eyes and looked around, disappointed to see he was still standing on the stage.

"Egg-Burto," he said sadly, "I don't think it worked."  There was a long silence.

"Egg-Burto?" Crunch nervously called out.  "Egg-Burto, where are you?"

"I'm over here, Crunch.  No need to panic or fly off the handle.  I think you've made me invisible.  Put my wand and hat down on the table, and I will work my magic."  Crunch sheepishly did as the kind magician asked.  As promised, he soon found himself looking into the eyes of the loveable egghead.

"Oh, you're back!"  Crunch embraced his friend and began to jump up and down with happiness.  "Careful Crunch!" Egg-Burto warned, "Take it easy or you'll scramble my insides!"

Crunch took a deep breath and gently placed his fragile friend on the ground.  "I'll never be able to be a magician.  Even with all my magical accessories, I can't manage to get this trick right."

 "Don't be sad, Crunch.  How would you like to be my not-so-lovely assistant at tomorrow's show?  I could use a little help."

"Yippee!"  Crunch shouted.  Unable to contain his excitement, he jumped high into the air.  The building shook as all 4,000,000,000 pounds of him landed dangerously close to Egg-Burto.

The next day, the Morphadoodles gathered at Egg-Burto's theater to see Crunch's debut as the "not-so-lovely" assistant.  Everything went as planned.  Crunch wheeled in the props, he allowed himself to be magically cut in half, and he vanished and then reappeared with a wave of Egg-Burto's wand.  He was doing so well that Egg-Burto thought he was ready to fly solo and invited him to do the final trick: pull Nibblet the rabbit out of his hat.

The stage was dark and the spotlight was shining on Crunch who was appropriately dressed for the occasion.  Wearing Miss Princess's cape, Egg-Burto's magic hat, and waving his fly swatter wand, Crunch proudly announced, "Prepare to be amazed as I pull Nibblet out of this empty hat."  He removed the hat from his head and showed the audience that it was, indeed, empty.  He cleared his throat and with a flourish of his wand began to chant the magic words, "Eenie-Meenie-Chili-Beanie."

Miss Princess held her breath in anticipation.  Stik Ladee braced herself for a Crunchquake.  Egg-Burto backed into a corner.  Crunch reached his claw into the hat, and what did he pull out?

No, it was not the sweet, furry Nibblet.  No.  Crunch reached his claw in and pulled out not one fly but a whole fistful of buzzing flies.  Fly swatter in hand, Crunch began excitedly chasing and swatting flies because all of this work had given him an appetite for a juicy shoofly pie!