Devo Mannix the Sorcerer’S Apprentice: What Are Friends For?

By Roland Boike

The magical bedlam begins when Devo Mannix, a sorcerers apprentice, volunteers his services for a worthwhile school project.

Devo is the grandson and the apprentice to the world-renowned wizard and magician, Sargo Mannix.

Devos family and friends foresee that Devo has committed himself to a task he will be unable to perform by himself. Everyone pitches in attempting to help Devo with his undertaking. Unfortunately, their good intentions only add mayhem to what was originally a simple task.

Devos talking dog, Speeler, also lends a helping paw when he realizes that his master is in trouble. Speeler, having learned that he can also cast magic spells, hinders Devos good intentions by casting his own spell.

Devos father believes that magic spells sometimes do not produce the intended results. Tom Mannix asks his son not to use magic on a project he is working on with him. Finding out how to fulfill his promise to his father without the use of magic causes Devo to become the object of ridicule and numerous reprimands and tests Devos abilities as a sorcerers apprentice

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 6, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503549982

Roland Boike

Roland Vincent Boike was born October 28, 1930 at his family home in Madeira, Ohio. He is the son of Dr. Stephen Boike and Ludvica Rensi Boike and is one of seven children. During the Korean War, Roland served in 134th and the 147th Field Artillery as Chief of Section of a 105 Howitzers Battalion. Roland attended Western Kentucky State University, Ohio State Department of Agriculture, and the University Of Cincinnati Department Of Applied Arts. He was awarded a full scholarship to attend Lincoln College of Chiropractic where he graduated in 1962 with a Degree in Chiropractic. Roland practiced Chiropractic in Loveland, Ohio for thirty- five years and was a Staff Physician at Jewish Hospital in Kenwood, Ohio. He served as Team Physician for Loveland High School, Western Brown High School and Wilmington College Girls Soccer Team. Roland served as Mayor and Vice Mayor in Loveland, Ohio, a community of over 10,500 residents. Roland was a founder and Director of The Community National Bank, Loveland, Ohio and Chairman of the Loveland 1976 Centennial Celebration, which produced a live outdoor spectacular, The History of Loveland. Roland was a founder, past president and member of the Board of Trustees of The Loveland Chamber of Commerce. He designed the Valentine postage meter stamp and the Logo There Is Nothing In The World So Sweet As Love. He was recognized with an award from The National Safety Council for saving the lives of three children in a submerged automobile at Lake Isabella in May, 1964. Roland was honored by the City of Loveland, Ohio for dedicated service to the community with a commemorative marker In the Veterans Memorial Park. Roland is a Kentucky Colonel and has received numerous awards for civic achievements.

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Copyright © 2015 by Roland Boike.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-5035-5064-3

                eBook           978-1-5035-4998-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 03/05/2015

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Team Spirit

Chapter 2 Devo’s Incantation

Chapter 3 Julie Lends a Hand

Chapter 4 Speeler Lends a Hand

Chapter 5 Father Lends a Hand

Chapter 6 Mother Lends a Hand

Chapter 7 More Help with the Laundry

Chapter 8 Too Much Help

Chapter 9 Speeler and Julie Come Clean

Chapter 10 The Guilty Step Forward

Chapter 11 An Incantation Gone Wrong

Chapter 12 The Game

Chapter 13 What Went Wrong?

Chapter 14 Help from Grandfather

Chapter 15 Now Is the Time for All Good Men

Chapter 16 Motivation

Chapter 17 The Pep Rally

Chapter 18 A New Friend

Chapter 19 Keeping Your Cool

Chapter 20 More Trouble

Chapter 21 Legal Council

Chapter 22 Legal Troubles

Chapter 23 The Book Report

Chapter 24 Advice from Grandfather

Chapter 25 Practice Makes Perfect

Chapter 26 Another Prank

Chapter 27 A Slight-Of-Hand

Chapter 28 Deception and Misdirection

Chapter 29 Repercussions

Chapter 30 Winter

Chapter 31 Ice Skating

Chapter 32 Discovering the Truth

Chapter 33 My New Friend

Chapter 1

Team Spirit

The Kendell Middle School soccer team has been unbeaten so far this season and if their winning streak continues, they will surely capture the league championship.

Devo Mannix plays goalie on the team and his keen sense of awareness and his agility has kept all but a few goals from being scored.

Devo’s mother and grandfather have not missed a game the entire season; nor has his dog Speeler. Speeler did not truly understand the game; however he thought it was fun to watch everyone chasing the ball.

Devo had just come down to the kitchen table to join his mother, father and grandfather for breakfast.

Mom, Coach Robinson was looking for a volunteer to wash all of our team’s uniforms for Saturday’s game so we would all look very professional. I volunteered to do it because I know it will be done right and the team will look good when we get out on the field, Devo said.

Will you have practice after today’s game if you win today? Devo’s mother asked.

If we win today’s game at 10 a.m., we are to go back to our lockers, change our clothes and have lunch. I will bring all the uniforms with me when I come home for lunch. Coach Robinson wants us to meet on the practice field at one o’clock and we will practice until three, then I have Taekwondo class at 4 and Boy Scouts at seven o’clock, Devo said.

This is going to be a busy day for us also Devo; we have your game at ten o’clock and Grandfather has a luncheon and tournament chess game at the Lodge starting at 11:30, Devo’s mother said.

I plan to take some time off this afternoon so that I can watch the soccer game. Your mother and I will be playing cards at the Meyer’s home this evening so we will not be home until 11:30, Devo’s father said.

Well I surely will not miss your soccer game Devo, Grandfather said. I plan to stay to the end even if I miss part of the luncheon; I may be at the chess tournament until seven or eight this evening.

Devo, I would like to suggest that when you bring the uniforms home you put them in the washing machine, add a half cup of chlorine bleach to remove some of the grass stains and let them soak until after dinner this evening. That way the grass and mud stains should come out, Devo’s mother said.

Thanks for the advice, Mother. I will do that just as soon as I get home, Devo said as he headed out the door to find his dog Speeler.

Good morning Speeler, what’s new in the doggie world this morning? Devo asked laughing.

Would you believe I caught Squirrel this morning? Speeler barked proudly.

So what did you do with Squirrel after you caught him? Devo asked.

I held him down with my paws and I made him say Uncle. We were both so tired by then that we got a drink and sat down in the shade and rested, Speeler barked.

So what are you doing today? Speeler asked.

I have a real busy day today Speeler, so I won’t be able to play with you. I have a soccer game at ten o’clock, I will have all the team’s’ uniforms to wash, eat lunch and be on the practice field by one o’clock. We will probably practice until about three o’clock, then I will go to Taekwondo class, then I will finish up the laundry that I left soaking all day to remove the stains, Devo said.

If I can be of any help let me know, Speeler barked.

Devo fed Speeler, gave him a fresh dish of water and was just returning to the house when he met Julie Meyer coming across the backyard.

Good morning, Devo. Are you ready for the big soccer game today? Julie asked.

I guess I am as ready as I’ll ever be Julie. I hope you are not planning to play something with me today; I have a very busy day.

So what do you have to do today? Julie asked.

I have a soccer game at ten o’clock, I will put all the team soccer uniforms in the washer and let them soak in soap and bleach, eat lunch and be on the practice field by one o’clock. We will practice soccer until about three o’clock, I have Taekwondo at four and I will be taking my first aid test for Boy Scouts at seven o’clock. Then, I will finish up the laundry I left soaking all day, Devo said.

If there’s anything I can do let me know. Julie said.

I need to go Julie; talk to you later, Devo said as he walked back to the house.

Chapter 2

Devo’s Incantation

How soon will you be ready to leave, Devo? Devo’s mother asked.

I need to do something before I leave Mom so I will be ready in about ten minutes.

Devo hurried to the toy box in his bedroom and removed a triangle and circle that he had cut from a sheet of paper from his grandfather’s printer.

Devo then went to the dining room, removed three battery-operated candles from the buffet and took them to Grandfather’s den.

Devo had cast spells using his grandfather’s Book of Magic and Incantations so he knew what he would need to start his incantation.

Devo looked through the book of incantations under Rain.

Running his finger down the page of possible incantations for rain, he finally came upon the subject Preventing Rain.

Grandfather’s Book of Magic and Incantations gave Devo the following detailed instructions for preventing rain:

The Conjurer must assemble the following:

Three candles, triangular shaped white cloth and a white circle of cloth that will fit within the triangle.

Place the triangular shaped white cloth on the desk.

Place a lighted candle on each point of the triangle.

Inscribe the words Preventing Rain on the round circle seven times.

The Conjurer shall place raindrops from a recent rain on the circle. Place an epitome representing a lack of rain in the center of the circle covering the raindrops.

Devo placed the triangle on his grandfather’s desk, put a candle on each point and plugged the candles into an electrical outlet.

The instructions said to write the purpose for which the incantation is to be performed on the circle seven times.

Devo inscribed the words, Control the rain seven times on the circle.

Following the directions, Devo placed the circle in the center of the triangle.

It had not rained recently in Brown County so Devo did not have any raindrops or water from a recent rain. He went to the basement and retrieved the Mason jar filled with water that he had used for an incantation to put fish in Lowbrook’s Pond.

Devo placed the Mason jar filled with water in the center of the circle.

Devo now needed something to show a drought, lack of water or an epitome of something showing drought or lack of water.

Devo went to the family room, took a National Geographic magazine and looked for a picture that depicted a lack of water or rain.

On page 97, Devo found a picture of the Gobi Desert. He removed the page and placed it on top of the Mason jar filled with water.

Devo was now ready to cast the spell.

Devo read on:

There are five things that the Conjurer must do to cast the spell to affect rain.

1. The material gathered should be at eye level of the Conjurer. The directions indicated that the Conjurer should look directly at the gathering while performing the incantation.

2. The Conjurer shall state his intention for the incantation. The Conjurer shall place the round circle with the words, Control the rain written on it seven times in the center of the triangle.

Devo knowing that he did not want to play on a muddy wet field said, No rain before my Saturday soccer game.

The Conjurer shall then place the raindrops from a recent rain or an epitome representing a recent rain in a container in the center of the circle. The Conjurer shall then place an item depicting the lack of rain or an epitome depicting the lack