It was opening night at the new theater and the Amazing
Claude was topping the bill. People came from miles
around to see the famed hypnotist do his stuff.
As Claude took to the stage, he announced, “Unlike
most stage hypnotists who invite two or three people
up onto the stage to be put into a trance, I intend to
hypnotize each and every member of the audience.”
The excitement was almost electric as Claude
withdrew a beautiful antique pocket watch from his
coat. “I want you each to keep your eye on this
antique watch. It’s a very special watch. It’s been
in my family for six generations.”
He began to swing the watch gently back and forth
while quietly chanting, “Watch the watch, watch the
watch, watch the watch…”
The crowd became mesmerized as the watch swayed
back and forth, light gleaming off its polished
surface. Hundreds of pairs of eyes followed the
swaying watch, until suddenly it slipped from the
hypnotist’s fingers and fell to the floor, breaking
into a hundred pieces.
“shyte!” said the hypnotist.
It took three weeks to clean up the theater.
