THE WIZARD WITH THE MARVELLOUSLY MARVELLOUS SECRET NAME
Dedicated to Isabelita Ramos
Once upon a time there was a Kingdom. In the Kingdom there was a dark forest, and in the very
middle of this dark forest was a castle. In the castle lived a very old wizard. Many years ago he had
cast a spell over the entire Kingdom which meant that it never rained. There were no rivers in the
valleys, and no streams on the hills. The trees had all died and the birds never sang. It was a sad
Kingdom.
There was only one way of making the wizard break his spell, and that was to guess his name. You
might think that wouldn't be very difficult, but it was. All the people who lived in the Kingdom had
tried to guess his name. The wizard said that everyone could have 3 guesses a year. They could
start guessing on their tenth birthday.
Clever men worked in libraries, looking through all the books they could find to discover more
names - but they failed.
Good witches and wizards cast spell after spell to try to find the name, or to make it rain - but they
failed too.
All the shop-keepers and shepherds tried - but they failed.
All the butchers and bakers tried - but they failed.
All the doctors and dress-makers tried· but they failed.
All the teachers and tailors tried - but they failed.
And all the schoolchildren tried - but they failed too.
One day two little boys, who had their 10th birthday on the same day, walked together through the
forest to the wizard's castle for their first try. Their names were Edward and Amir.
Amir was trying to look brave, so that Edward wouldn't realise that he was frightened. What he
didn't know was that Edward was doing the same thing. Together they walked up the path to the
wizard's castle. By the door was a big notice which read:HOURS FOR GUESSING THE NAME
Early in the morning to Night-fall
(Lunch hour 1-2:00pm)
Amir said, "I'll let you knock", but Edward said, "It's alright, you do it". In the end they both
knocked on the door together. After a long time they heard footsteps. Very slowly the door opened.
There stood the wizard who asked:
"Aha! Aha! Two more for my game.
Have you come to try and guess my name?"
Amir and Edward were too terrified to speak. The wizard continued:
"Listen hard to the rules of the game.
Three tries to guess my marvellous name.
One try each day, to make it rain.
But first you must guess my secret name.
My marvellously marvellous secret name."
Edward felt in his pocket and found the little piece of paper on which he and Amir had written
down the name they had thought of. They whispered it very quietly together.
"Ebenezer?"
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The wizard laughed:
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, you’re wrong. Now only two goes remain
to guess my marvellous secret name."
And with another big laugh he banged the door shut.
The two boys walked back home very slowly. They stayed up all night trying to think of another
name. So they were very tired when they walked back to the castle the next morning. On the way
Edward said "I still think we ought to try 'Jack'." "No," argued Amir, "I'm sure someone tried that
last year. Rasputin is bound to be right."
The boys stood and argued about the names, and the sun went right around the sky. Past lunchtime
and teatime. The boys didn't notice the time until night began to fall. Quickly they ran to the castle.
Were they too late? They knocked on the door. After a very, very long time it opened. The wizard
stood there and said:"You've missed your chance to play the game.
It's much too late for guessing my name.
Come back tomorrow and try again
to guess my marvellous, secret name."
And he put a notice up on the door which read:
CLOSED
Edward said, "It's your entire fault”, arguing about the name.
"You started it," said Amir, "but it's too late now. Let's go home and try to think of a really good
name this time."
"I'm fed up with your ideas," Edward snapped. "I have much better ones."
They walked very slowly back down the path in silence. Just then they heard a scream of rage from
inside the castle and a huge C-R-A-S-H.
"What was that?" said Amir.
"How should I know," muttered Edward irritably.
Suddenly a window was flung open and the wizard appeared. Something black was thrown out,
then the wizard disappeared back inside. Whatever it was, it landed near them and Amir ran
towards it, Edward following him.
"What is it?" shouted Edward.
“It's a cat, a poor little cat," answered Amir.
"Oh!" said Edward, "It's probably dead. Anyway it belongs to that wizard."
"But we should help the poor thing", pleaded Amir.
"No. Leave it alone," Edward shouted. "If it isn't dead it can look after itself."
Amir looked at Edward and said: "But I think its hurt!"
"Oh do come on", said Edward as he kicked the cat. "I'm not going to stay for that silly old cat."
"Then I am", said Amir. "If you can't be bothered then go home. I think you are cruel."
"And you're foolish, wasting time over an animal when you could be thinking of a name. I am
going home."
And off Edward went. When he got home he told his friends that Amir had been very foolish. Then
he ate a big tea while he thought of a new name, and went to bed.
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Amir stayed with the little black cat all night. He sat with his back against a tree, and put the cat on
his knees to keep it warm. He covered it with his hands and stroked its fur. He stayed awake all
night trying to think of a name for the wizard that had not been guessed before, but he couldn't.
In the morning he put the cat carefully on the ground and stood up. He was very cold and hungry
and sad too, because he hadn't thought of a name. Then, because there was no one there to see him,
he began to cry, just a little. It would be a whole year before he could try again, and Edward was
bound to guess right that very morning. Then he felt something against his ankles. He looked down.
It was the cat who said to him:” Don’t cry."
Amir was so surprised at hearing a cat talk that he quickly sat down and forgot about crying.
"I'm sorry if I startled you," the cat said. Why are you so upset?"
Amir explained: "Today is my last chance to guess the wizard's name. My friend and I missed our
go yesterday because we were arguing, and I haven't been able to think of anything for today. My
friend is sure to guess right."
The cat said: "Don't worry, he won't."
"How could you know, you're ....” Amir was going to say "You're only a cat" but he thought that
might offend him, so he didn't.
But the cat said: "I am the wizard's cat. At least I was until yesterday. I was chasing a mouse in the
wizard's workshop and knocked down lots of magic potions in glass bottles. They all mixed
together and he was very cross.
"So he threw you out of the window?" said Amir.
"Yes", the cat replied. "But you looked after me. Your friend was cruel. You helped me, so I will
help you."
Amir said, "How can you?"
And the cat replied, "I know the wizard's name!"
"But no one knows the wizard's name", said Amir.
The cat replied proudly: “I'm not just anyone. I am the wizard's cat!"
"How did you find out his name?" said Amir.
The cat replied: "At night I catch mice in the wizard's bedroom, and one night he had a
dream and he suddenly shouted out:"My spell is unbroken it never will rain.
For no one will manage to guess my name.
It's •••••••••••••••••"
And the cat whispered into Amir's ear.
Amir said, "I'll go and try now."
"No," -said the cat, - wait for your friend to try first. He'll be wrong. Then you will be
right. Hide now. Here he comes."
Edward came strolling along the forest path, humming a little tune.
"I have guessed the name,
I have guessed the name.
I know the way to instant fame."
He walked up the path to the castle and knocked very loudly on the door. Amir and the cat watched.
The wizard opened the door:
"Ah! Hello. You're back again. Without your friend? It's all the same.
So what's my name? What's my name? My marvellously marvellous secret name?"
Edward said very clearly, "Jack".
"You're wrong", said the wizard.
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You've failed. You've failed again,
to guess my marvellous, secret name.
You're not alone - it's just the same.
No one can manage to guess my name.
The old, the young, the fit, the lame,
all of them wanted to know my name.
All the King's army and navy came
to see if they could guess my name.
All the shop-keepers, shepherds and shoemakers came
to guess my name.
All the butchers, bakers and bottle-makers came
to guess my name.
My marvellous, marvellous secret name.
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha."
Edward walked very, very, very slowly down the path. Amir and the cat waited for him to go out of
sight. The cat said:” Now’s your chance."
Amir walked up the path. The cat waited in the bushes. Amir knocked on the door.
The wizard flung open the door:
"Ah! Here's the other. Please don't try to explain
why you weren't with your friend,
just guess my name."
Amir stood up very straight, took a deep breath and said:
”This is the end of your little game, because SHAITAN is your name."
Immediately the clouds darkened and the sky exploded in silver forks of lightning. The thunder
boomed menacingly. The wizard shouted:
"Alas! Alas! I've lost the game.
Someone has managed to guess my name.
In the past my claim to fame
was in having a perfectly secret name.
Now life will seem so frightfully tame
For everyone can call me by name.
It's you, cat, that I must blame,
for telling this wretched boy my name
Wherever I go, they'll all exclaim:
Oh wizard - we know it, we know your name..."
But before he finished, a fork of lightning pierced him through the heart and the wizard was no
more.
Amir and the cat walked back through the forest. Edward came out from under a big tree and
apologised to the cat for hurting him. The cat forgave him and all three walked happily together in
the rain. Gradually the trees came back to life, and the flowers grew and opened. The streams began
to run and made rivers which flowed down into the sea.
Salvador Ortiz-Carboneres
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