I was walking to school one day when I came upon a skinny old man with a nice curly beard. I wished I had a beard like that. It was as long as my little sister's Christmas wish list. That is very long. The man was walking slowly and playing a lovely tune on his harmonica. It was strange to see him there, his back hunched and his nose stretched all the way across the sidewalk. He reminded me of Pinocchio.
"Hello," I said loudly. The man quickly turned to face me, almost knocking me over with his long nose. His face was wrinkly, and his eyes were the most unusual. They were sad but round as marbles, pure blue and shining brightly. Those eyes almost scared me out of my pants.
"Hey boy," the man whispered, "What are you doing here?" I wanted to run away, but I didn't. "I, I'm going to school," I answered.
"School?" he asked, "Why are you going to school when you could be doing other things?"
"I have to go. What else could I do anyway? Sit around doing nothing like you?" I said. I wished I hadn't, it was kind of rude. Stupid too.
"Well, MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE THIS POOR OLD MAN SOME FOOD! I'M STARVING!" he shouted. I jumped. I was scared, so I dug out a mashed up banana from my bag. I handed it to the man. He finished it in two seconds. This guy is really hungry, I said to myself. I felt sorry for the man and offered him my ham sandwich and my cookie.
"Thanks boy," he mumbled.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"The name's Merkenshmilly."
"What?"
"Mer-kun-shmill-ee."
"Oh". What a strange name, I thought. "What was that song you were playing?" I asked. I was curious. Wouldn't you be curious if a man like that was sitting on the sidewalk?
"I made it up. It's called HELP ME," he told me.
"It's beautiful," I said.
"Little boy, this harmonica doesn't just sound pretty. It has special powers that only special people like me can use. It's a magic harmonica," he whispered so that no one else could hear. The man's mad, I told myself. I wouldn't believe it.
"You're joking, right? There's no such thing as magic!" I said and pretended to laugh. But right after that he stared at me with those big round eyes of his and didn't blink, as if he was in a trance. "Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it," he said quietly and turned away from me. I was surprised and thought about what the old man had just said to me. There was silence for a while and then I asked, "What powers does your harmonica have?"
"I don't really know," Merkenshmilly answered, "but I hope they will help me find my home, where I belong. I know how to use the power but I need someone to work with me to make it happen. But of course, no one ever believes me."

"I could help you," I said. I wanted to help Merkenshmilly, but most of all; I wanted to see something magical happen.
Merkenshmilly's eyes lit up. "Really?" he yelled and then he went mad. He did cartwheels and flips and made some peculiar noises. I didn't know he had so much energy. He calmed down after a while and spoke. "I've been practicing the song for a while. I'll teach you how to move with the music. Stand on your right leg. Have your other leg straight and bend over so you can balance." He produced a very large cowboy hat (or what looked like a cowboy hat) and placed it on my head. "Now stretch out your arms and on the first beat of my song move your arms like this," and he went on and on about it. After a while I got the hang of it.

"Now keep your position and do the same movements while chanting,

MOOGEE MOOGEE BUM

MOOGEE BUM BUM

ISHILEENY BOGSET YOO

GILTERFUNCHITUMERANTO

RUNETARSO BILTOO POO!"

My back was aching so I rested for a time and took a deep breath. I had gotten myself in to a very strange situation, and now I was hesitant, Even so, I did what Merkenshmilly told me to while he played the song. I felt silly, and now I don't know why I did it.

Soon after we finished there was a flash of blue light that blinded me and slammed me to the ground. I tried to get up and I saw a large, heavy rhinoceros charging straight at me. I screamed my head off but I was too frightened to run. Suddenly the rhinoceros stopped in front of Merkenshmilly. It grunted a few times and Merkenshmilly grunted back. I could not believe what I was seeing. I rubbed my eyes and opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out. I guessed they were communicating in some way, probably rhinoceros language.

"YES!" Merkenshmilly yelled and took the hat I was wearing and put it on his own head. He hugged me and jumped on the rhinoceros's back. "Thank you boy. You have been of so much help to me. I will remember you forever." He rode away and before he disappeared, he threw me his shiny, blue harmonica.

Most people do not believe my story, even though I show them my blue harmonica, which I carry with me everywhere I go. So do you know what I say? "Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."

Sallie's note about the story: in this story I have tried to write like Roald Dahl, who is the best writer in the whole wide world. I am not the greatest writer but this is the story I came up with. In my story, I have used a something from a book by Roald Dahl. It is this: "Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." I thought it was interesting. So, just to let you know, I did not think of it. That is all.