My Father, My Friend

Dave Cook lives with a crazy-man. Ted, his father, likes nothing more than to drive young Dave to distraction. It's part of his plan to teach him to think for himself. To accomplish that, Ted is apt to introduce himself as his nonexistent twin brother, the third member of a pair of twins, or as a creature from a far-off galaxy. He has a penchant for such things as bringing live chickens on a camping trip, making bananas appear to be pre-sliced, and convincing young Dave that the voice coming through the heating vent is that of a creature who lives within the floor.

In the story, Dave will teach you to palm a coin, magically pull a string through your neck, bake a foolproof cake, and even, how to properly tell a ghost story.