People plays lot of tricks on the young man in this story. Some are good tricks, some aren't. The young man makes a friend, Laurie. Laurie'sshop sells tricks: box of matches (you can't ligth them!); big yellow flowers (they send rivers of water into your eye!); pens and pencils (they don't write!); and a little black bag (it con change a fish into a flower!). Laurie is sorry for the young man. So he teaches him hoe to play a few tricks.