Papa Bird, the Old Magician

This is a short story about a real magician and a fake magician.

      One night a country bumpkin told his friends an incredible story about an old wizard named Papa Bird. He resided alone in the mountainous area of Westmoreland. The people of the district said that he was an obeah man, but he regarded himself as a scientist. Papa Bird was no ordinary wizard; his magic was real. Moreover, he had strong supernatural powers.

      All the witches and wizards in the district feared him because they were charlatans. Papa bird’s house was on top of a hill, and every day he would sit on the verandah and look down in the valley. When people wanted to visit him, they had to stop at the slope below his house and call out to him. If he did not welcome them, they would have to leave quickly or else he would scare them away with his magic.

      An Indian who lived in the same district that Papa Bird lived claimed that he was a psychic and palm reader. He went by the name of Reada Man. No one knew his real name. He bragged that he was the best fortune teller in the district, and he said that he was not afraid of Papa Bird. Many people in the district believed that he had magical powers, but he was a trickster.

      The knowledge came to Papa bird in a vision that police were planning to arrest Reada Man for practising obeah and conning the people. Papa bird went to the square, and he saw Reada Man playing dominoes with a group of men in front of a barbershop. “Reada Man, I came here to warn you,” he said. “Warn me about what?” Reada Man asked. “Leave the district now because the police will come here tonight to arrest you,” he replied. “I’m a psychic, so if the police were coming to arrest me, I’d know,” Reada Man said confidently.

      “This is your last warning, leave the district before sundown,” Papa Bird said. “Where did you get this foolishness from?” Reada Man asked. “I saw it in a vision this morning,” Papa bird replied. “Frankly, I don’t believe in visions,” Reada Man said. “Furthermore, my powers are stronger than yours,” he added. “You’re not a real psychic, you’re a fake,” Papa Bird said. “I challenge you to a contest; let’s find out who has the greatest power.” Reada Man said. He immediately began to conjure up spirits, but nothing happened.

      Papa Bird smiled and said, “Now it’s my turn.” He clapped his hands three times, and everyone was stunned. The whole place was full of real mongooses, and they were running up and down the road and on the sidewalk. Reada Man and his friends were fearful of the creatures. Papa Bird clapped his hands three times again, and all the mongooses disappeared. “Now I know that you’re the greatest magician,” Reada Man said. “I’ll take your advice and leave right away,” he added. Papa Bird walked away slowly. Reada man immediately went home and packed his clothes, and he left the district before evening came.

      It happened just as Papa Bird had predicted. The police arrived in the district shortly before nightfall, and they went to the square to get information about Reada man. A few men and women were on the scene when they got there. “Good evening, we’re looking for an Indian known as Reada Man,” a police officer said. “We know that he’s an obeah man, so we’re here to arrest him,” he added. “Do you know the whereabouts of this man?” the police officer asked. “Reada Man left the district earlier this afternoon, so you won’t find him here,” a woman replied.

      “Another obeah man called Papa Bird lives in this area, and we intend to arrest him too,” the policeman said. “Does anybody know where he lives?” he asked. “He lives on that hill, but I wouldn’t advise you to go there,” the woman replied. “What do you mean?” the policeman asked. “When you go there, you’ll find out,” the woman replied. Although the policemen were worried about what the woman said, they went in search of Papa Bird.

      The direction that the woman gave the policemen led them to a bushy place and a river. They crossed the river and walked through the bush until they saw a house on top of a hill. “Look! That must be Papa Bird’s house,” a policeman shouted. When they reached the slope, they stopped, and one of them called out to the old man who was sitting on the verandah. “Hello, Sir, are you Papa Bird?” he asked. “Yes,” the old man replied fearlessly. “We have a warrant for your arrest,” the policeman said. “On what charge?” Papa Bird asked. “Working obeah, witchcraft and black magic,” the policeman replied.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m a scientist,” Papa Bird said. “You’re not welcomed here; go back where you came from,” he added.

      The policemen were not pleased with his response, so they advanced towards the house to arrest him. Papa Bird stood up and clapped his hands three times, and something unbelievable happened. The policemen began to fan away a swarm of killer bees with their hands and yell for help. “Killer bees! Killer bees!” they shouted. Papa bird sat down on his chair and watched. The bees overwhelmed the policemen, and they ran back through the bush with their guns and batons. When they got to the river, the swarm of killer bees vanished, and they stopped there to rest.

      They were astonished because they had never seen anything like that before. “Papa Bird is the most dangerous obeah man; we can’t go back there,” one of them said. Another policeman agreed with him. “Let’s go!” he said. The policemen left the district, and they never returned to bother Papa Bird again. One week after the event, Reada Man went back to his home, but nobody in the district regarded him as a psychic from that day on.

 

The End

Author's Note

Here is another short story.