After being distracted by another shop assistant who is idly changing the shape and size of his nose, apparently for his own amusement, the narrator catches up with Gip and the first assistant, who is about to perform a final trick.

Gip’s father decides to buy the box of toy soldiers, at which point the assistant waves the box in the air and gives it to him wrapped in brown paper with Gip’s full name and address written on the paper.

Gip’s father repeatedly asks the price of these wonders, but the assistant always ignores the question. Gip is shown many other wonders, including a Magic Toy Sword that renders the bearer invincible in battle against anyone under the age of eighteen, magic trains that run without steam or clockwork, and boxes of toy soldiers that come to life when a magic word is said. The assistant deftly disposes of it, commenting “None of ours! Probably brought it with you”. The assistant then takes Gip and his father into the showroom, when the narrator discovers a wriggling little red demon clinging to his coat sleeve. The assistant stresses that this is a “Genuine Magic shop … absolutely no deception”, and that only the “Right Sort of Boy” is allowed to enter. On being asked for the price of the trick, the assistant replies “We make no charge for glass balls. Gip goes to take the ball from the assistant’s hand, only to be told that it is already in his pocket. After a moment’s reflection the assistant draws a glass ball from his head, asking if that is the type of thing they are looking for. The narrator says that he wants to buy some simple tricks for his son. The boy’s fascination with the tricks on display leads the father and son to enter the shop, where they are met by a strange-looking assistant with one ear larger than the other. While walking down Regent Street in London with his father, Gip is drawn to the window of a magic shop. The story is narrated by the father of a young boy named Gip, and tells of their visit to a shop selling disturbingly realistic magical illusions. (1903) and The Country of the Blind and Other Stories Collection of 33 short stories by H. in 1903 it was subsequently reprinted in Twelve Stories and a Dream Collection of 13 short stories by H. Wells (1866–1946), first published in The Strand Magazine Monthly publication founded by George Newnes, published 1891–1950, credited with introducing the short story to a British audience.

“The Magic Shop” is a short story by the English author H.

The magic shop short story