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Rating: 
Summary: reality of belief
Review: Donald Duck and the magic stick is a wonderful story about one who doubts coming to the reality of belief. The story is engagingly told and entertainingly illustrated...it is great reading for all ages.As the story opens, Uncle Donald must send his three nephews (Huey, Dewey, and Louie) that he has lovingly raised off to be apprenticed in a trade. The nephews leave and are taught by a furniture maker, a farmer and a woodcutter respectively. The boys complete their apprenticeships, mastering their trades. As each of the boys leaves to return home, they are given a gift my their teachers. The furniture maker gives Huey a magic table. The table can produce any kind of food one wishes. All one has to say is "Table Set!" The farmer gives Dewey a magic donkey. The donkey produces money out of its ear. All one has to say is "Donkey, Donkey, wiggle your ear" and the coins start falling out. As Huey and Dewey journey home they each stop for the night at an old inn. The Innkeeper is the bad guy of the story. He steals the magic gifts given to the boys and replaces them with normal objects that look the same as the magic ones. The boys each return home expecting all the while that they still are in possession of the magic items. They both try to show Uncle Donald (who does not believe in magic) their gifts, but their gifts do not work and Uncle Donald mocks them for believing in magic. Huey and Dewey figure out that the Innkeeper is to blame. They send a warning to Louie; who is finishing up his apprenticeship with the wood cutter. The wood cutter gives Louie a magic stick for the journey home. Louie uses the magic stick to retrieve the items lost by his brothers. He then puts on a wonderful show for his still doubting Uncle. Donald is amazed-and comes to believe in magic. They then live happily ever after. Donald Duck and the magic stick is a classic children's tale. Like all great children's stories, it speaks to the hearts of adults as well as children. All of us, with the possible exception of the most childlike among us, are at least a little like Donald in this story. Each of us has some amount of hardhearted unbelief poisoning our souls. I know I do. Donald could not believe in magic. Many of us also bear the scars of our age and cannot wholly believe in the reality of the God and His love for us. We would do well to model our belief on the simple faith of Huey, Dewey, and Louie and heed the words of the Savior (from Luke 18:17): "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all." I recommend this book very highly.
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