Tale #31 -- Growing Up

"How long are you going to keep that up?" Bandit asked. "This is getting boring."

Oreo kept right on clawing at the paperback book on the floor. "You know I enjoy shredding paper," she said.

"I don't think David McDougall was finished reading that," Bandit said.

"That's his fault for leaving it on the floor," Oreo said. "Anything on the floor is mine."

"I think you're angry," Bandit said. "What's wrong?"

Oreo stopped shredding the book. "Now that you mention it -- I'm still thinking about Ben's story."

"Really?" Bandit asked. "Was there something wrong with it?"

Oreo jumped up on the couch and looked Bandit in the eye. "What's going to happen to the father when his daughter leaves home?"

"Why would she leave home?" Bandit asked. "She decided to stay."

"It's not that simple," Oreo said. "Children grow up and leave home."

"How do you know?" Bandit asked.

"It happened to David McDougall," Oreo said.

"Really?" Bandit asked.

"When he was living in Ottawa, David McDougall took me from my family and brought me home for his little girl," Oreo said. "I was sad at first, but after a while I got used to the little girl. She let me sleep on her lap."

"Where is she now?" Bandit asked.

"She grew up and went away," Oreo said.

"That's sad," Bandit said. He washed his face for a while. Finally he asked,
"Are you going to grow up and go away?"

"No," Oreo said.

"That's good," Bandit said.

Just then, Ben came into the house. He looked at the mess of shredded paper on the floor. "Oh-oh," he said. "I guess I should have picked that up."

"That's not your job," Oreo said. "David McDougall should learn to pick up after himself."

Ben put the shredded book into the garbage and sat down on the couch. "I have news for you," he told the cats.

They looked at him. "What is it?" Bandit asked.

"Mr. McDougall phoned to tell me that his daughter invited him to stay with her for Christmas," Ben said. "He won't be home until December the 28th."

"Is that the little girl who grew up?" Bandit said.

"I think so," Oreo said.

"Don't worry, guys," Ben said. "Mom told me I can bring you to our place for Christmas. You'll have a great time."

Tale #32 -- Christmas at Ben's

"It's rather noisy here," Oreo said, "but the turkey and gravy were really good."

"I prefer the Finnish smoked salmon," Bandit said. "I'd like to stay here all the time. There are people to play with and different kinds of food to eat."

"Young whippersnappers like you don't understand the importance of peace and quiet," Oreo said.

"Peace and quiet are okay," Bandit said, "but we've been getting too much of it."

"What did you think of the Christmas story?" Oreo asked.

"There were no cats in it," Bandit said.

"Hmmm," Oreo said. "That's true. Maybe I should try putting a cat in it."

"Go for it," Bandit said. "I'm all ears."


OREO'S CHRISTMAS STORY

When Mary had to go to Bethlehem with her husband Joseph, it was her first time away from home. She was scared.

"Here," her mother said. "Take your kitten with you. That will help."

The kitten's name was Chayka. She had short black fur, white socks, very large ears, and a loud purr.

Mary and Joseph walked and walked. Sometimes they took turns riding the donkey. Sometimes Chayka walked, but most of the time Mary carried her. Chayka cuddled on Mary's chest and purred.

When they finally got to Bethlehem, it was almost dark. They were very tired. Mary and Chayka waited under a tree with the luggage while Joseph rode all over town looking for a place to stay.

Mary dozed off. Chayka got tired of waiting and went to talk to some animals in a stable.

"Why don't you stay with us?" they asked.

When Joseph returned, the stars were shining brightly. He was very upset because all the inns were full.

"What will we do?" he said.

"It's all right," Mary said. "We can camp right here under this tree."

"But what if your baby is born tonight?" Joseph asked. "Who will look after you?"

Just then, Mary noticed that Chayka was missing. "Oh dear! Where did she go?" she asked. She starting calling her name. "Chayka! Chayka! Where are you?"

"Here I am!" Chayka mewed in the dark. "Come over here!"

Chayka led Mary and Joseph to the stable. They tied up the donkey and made themselves a bed of straw. When the lady of the house came out to look after the animals, she saw Mary and Joseph. Her name was Miriam, and she had a very kind heart. She brought Mary and Joseph some warm soup and blankets and gave Chayka some goat's milk. Later, she helped Mary have her baby.

"I am so glad we found this place," Mary told Miriam. "You will always be like a second mother to me."

"What are you going to call your son?" Miriam asked.

"Jesus," Mary said.

"That's an excellent name," Miriam said.

There were lots of visitors to the stable over the next few days, and Miriam looked after them all. They told her that the baby was the Messiah -- the new king who would save his people.

"Oh my!" Miriam said. "What an honour for me to have such important guests! I am so glad that Chayka led them here."

Tale # 33 -- Reunion

"The cats look great," David McDougall said to Ben. "Thank you for taking such good care of them." He gave Ben three twenty-dollar bills.

"Eleven days at five dollars a day is fifty-five dollars," Ben said. "I'll give you your change later."

"Keep the change," David McDougall said. "You earned it." He picked up a book that was lying on the coffee table. "Here -- I bought this for you in Ottawa," he said. "I didn't have time to wrap it."

"A book of folk tales!" Ben said. "Thanks a lot!"

"You're welcome," David McDougall said.

"I have a present for you too," Ben said. He held out a paperback copy of The Runaway Jury.

"I already have that book," David McDougall said. "I'm planning to finish it tonight."

"You used to have a copy of this book," Ben said. "It fell on the floor and Oreo shredded it."

David McDougall glared at Oreo. Oreo glared back.

"Please don't be mad at her," Ben said. "She was just following her instincts."

"I don't know about that," David McDougall said. "I think she's trying to tell me something."

"The cats get pretty lonely here by themselves," Ben said.

"I thought cats are never lonely," David McDougall said. "They act as if they own the world."

"Everybody gets lonely sooner or later," Ben said. He held out the book.

David McDougall smiled when he took it. "You are smarter than the average kid," he said to Ben, "and thoughtful as well."

David McDougall walked to the door with Ben and watched him put on his coat and boots.

"Good-bye," Ben said. "Happy New Year!"

"Good-bye," David McDougall said. "Thanks for the book."

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Ben asked.

"You can ask," David McDougall said. "But I won't promise to answer."

"What happened to Mrs. McDougall?" Ben asked.

Ben held his breath. Would Mr. McDougall be angry with him?

"She died a long time ago," David McDougall said in a normal tone of voice. "She had cancer."

"Oh! I'm sorry to hear that," Ben said softly. He went out and closed the door behind him.

David McDougall went back into the living room and sat down in his chair. He stared at the TV without turning it on. Oreo jumped onto his lap. She settled down and kept very still, even when some drops of water fell on her head.

After a few minutes, David McDougall started to pet Oreo. She rolled over on her back and purred.

Tale #34 -- Ben reads his book

"What in the world are you reading?" Carol asked her brother Ben. "It's not like you to miss Saturday morning cartoons."

"This is the book Mr. McDougall gave me," Ben said. "It has stories from many different countries."

"That sounds interesting," Carol said. "Can look at it?"

"Sure," Ben said. "I'm going to watch Spiderman in a few minutes."

"I'm going to toast some waffles," Carol said. "Would you like some too?"

"That would be great," Ben said. "Will you please put some peanut butter and marmalade on them?"

"Sure," Carol said.

While Ben was watching TV and eating his breakfast, Carol looked at his book. It had beautiful illustrations in it. She found a story from India and started reading it.


The Son of the Ogress

In the olden days, travel was very dangerous. Travellers had to watch out for tigers, poisonous snakes, and bandits called Thuggees. They might also be attacked by ogres and angry spirits.

One day, a Brahman priest was travelling alone. A Yakka lived in a cave by the side of the road. She had the body of a woman and the head of a horse, and lived on human flesh. She carried the Brahman off to her cave, but he was so handsome that she fell in love with him. She asked him to marry her and stay in her cave. He didn't want to be eaten, so he agreed.

The Yakka wanted to please her new husband, so she started eating fruits and grain instead of people, and drank wine instead of blood. She still robbed travellers, but she didn't kill them. However, her cave was damp and lonely. The Brahman wanted to escape, but the Yakka always rolled a huge boulder over the entrance of the cave when she went away.

After a while, the Yakka had a beautiful baby boy who looked just like his father. The boy was curious about the outside world. When he became strong enough, he pushed the boulder away from the mouth of the cave. He and his father wandered through the forest, looking for other people. The Yakka followed them. She persuaded them to come home and promised that she would let them enjoy the outdoors whenever they wanted.

The young man learned many of his mother's secrets. He discovered that her power ended at the nearby river. If they managed to cross it, the Yakka would not be able to follow them. The young man wanted to meet other people and learn about the great world, so he planned to run away with his father. While the Yakka was out robbing travellers, the two men ran away. When she discovered that they were missing, she ran after them. By the time they got to the river, the father was exhausted.

"Leave me here and go on without me," he said to his son. But his son was strong and brave, and carried him across the river.

The Yakka cried and cried. "Please don't leave me! I can't live without you!"

"We want to live with other humans," the son called back.

"If you must go," the Yakka said, "I have something to help you." She threw a necklace with a stone pendant across the river. "Put this around your neck. It will help you see footsteps made by men even after twelve years."

The young man thanked his mother and said good-bye. The two men walked to the palace. The young man got a job guarding the king's treasure, and lived happily at court.

After a few months, the king decided to test the boy's ability. He and his vizier sneaked into the treasury, took some bags of gold and jewels, walked around the garden three times, and threw the treasure into a big tank of water.

In the morning, the king called the son of the ogress. "Some of my treasure is missing!" he said. "Let's see what kind of tracker you are."

The young man walked around the garden three times. Then he pointed at the water tank. "The treasure is in there."

Everyone clapped and cheered when the treasure was found just where the young man said it was. But the king was not satisfied.

"Anyone could guess that," he said. "But do you know who the thief is? That's the real test."

"I know," the young man said, "but I don't want to tell." He had recognized the footprints of the king and vizier.

"If you don't tell right now," the king said, "you're fired."
"All right," the young man said. "The footprints lead to you." He pointed to the king and his vizier.

Everyone was shocked that the king would be so sneaky. The story was told all over the country. Soon the people deposed and exiled the king and his vizier. They offered the throne to the son of the ogress. When the Yakka heard that her son had become king, she was very proud.

Tale #35 -- Ben's Letter

Dear Dancing Bear,

I know that there is no mailbox at your cave, but I miss you a lot. I really want to talk to you, and this is the next best thing. I'm going to give you this letter when you come out of hibernation.

I looked after Bandit and Oreo for eleven days while Mr. McDougall was on a computer course. I think Oreo is trying to teach me how to speak cat language, but I'm not a good student. She looks very disgusted me when I don't understand what she wants. I know the cats really miss you. There is nobody around who can translate for them.

At first, I didn't understand why you were staying at Mr. McDougall's place. I thought he was too crabby for anybody to put up with. But he's okay now that I know him better. Dad works at the same place Mr. McD. does. He says Mr. McD. is a little weird because he's a computer geek, but he does his work well and never misses a deadline.

Mr. McD. gave me a story book. One of the stories is about a white bear, Nanook, who was born to a human mother. He helped a hunter named Uluksak when he was marooned on an ice floe. The bear caught fish for him and kept him warm with his fur. When the wind blew the ice floe back to the shore, Nanook twisted some hairs from his feet into a special lace and gave it to Uluksak to show his tribe. At first Uluksak's family did not believe his story, but after they examined the lace, they decided no human being could have woven it. After a while, everybody in the North believed in Nanook the white bear, cousin to mankind.

Dancing Bear, I hope you never leave Hearst. But if you do, please give me something to remember you by. That way I will always be able to prove that you are real.

Your friend,
Ben

Tale #36 -- Ben's Blog

"How long are you going to be using that computer?" Carol asked her brother. "I need it for my homework assignment."

"Just another five minutes," Ben said.

Carol looked over his shoulder. "That doesn't look like a video game."

"It's not," Ben said. "It's a blog."

"A what?" Carol said. "I've never heard of such a thing."
"A blog," Ben said. "Blog is short for web log. It's a special kind of web site where people can write something every day."

"What would you know about making a web site?" Carol said.

"It's easy," Ben said. "Mr. McDougall showed me how. I'm going to write some stories and put them in my blog. Then everybody can read them."

"You're going to publish your stories on-line?" Carol said. "I didn't know kids could do that."

"You can have a blog, too," Ben said. "I'll show you how, if you want."

"I'll think about it," Carol said. She didn't like the idea of learning something new from her baby brother. Older sisters are supposed to know everything.

Tale #37 -- Ben's First Blog Entry

Buzz the Space Cat

Buzz was a small, shiny black cat who lived in a suburb of Montreal. He was very clever and understood human speech well. He could also understand what dogs and birds were saying.

Five people lived in the house with Buzz: Mr. and Mrs. Champignon and their three teen-aged children: Elsie, Doreen, and Derek. Derek was excellent at math. He wanted to be an astronaut, so his parents sent him to space camp one summer. Buzz hid in Derek's gym bag and went to space camp too. Because he was a clever cat, he learned just as much as Derek.

The next summer, the family went on vacation together. They stopped to watch the launch of a space mission to Alpha Centauri, the closest star to our sun. This was the very first hyperdrive flight in human history. The trip would be only three days long because this space ship could travel faster than light.

Buzz decided he wanted to see Alpha Centauri. He sneaked onto the space ship and hid under the mission commander's chair. When the space ship was out of reach of earth's gravity, everybody was weightless. Buzz started to float around the cabin. He looked so funny that the astronauts forgot to be angry with him.

When they arrived at Alpha Centauri, they landed on a Class M planet which was a lot like earth. The people there looked like giant birds. To his surprise, Buzz discovered that he could speak and understand their language! He told the bird people all about earth, and explained that the astronauts were friendly explorers. The bird people welcomed the astronauts and had a big banquet for them.

When the astronauts were ready to go home, the bird people were sad.

"Stay with us, Buzz!" they said. "We want to learn more about space travel. It would be so nice to explore the galaxy!"

"Sorry," Buzz said. "Derek would miss me. That fluffy white Persian cat next door would miss me too. She always watches me from her upstairs window."

When the mission returned to Earth, Buzz was given a special medal for helping the astronauts communicate with the aliens. Then Buzz went home to rest until his next adventure. The fluffy white Persian cat next door was very impresssed when she saw Buzz' picture in the paper.

Tale #38 -- Raven the Trickster

These stories are from the Winter 2002 issue of Spellbound.

The Tlingit people, who first told these stories, live on the southeastern coast of Alaska. This is a land of glacier peaks, humid spruce forests, and many green islands. The traditional way of life of the Tlingit people is one of fishing, hunting, and gathering. They spend the summer in camps and the winter in large houses in their villages. Several families live together in one house.

The Tlingit people weave colourful cloth for their clothing. They record their history by carving tall totem poles out of trees. They carve masks out of wood and use them in dances and ceremonies.

They see real-life ravens every day -- large, talkative black birds who are always hungry. They are clever thieves who like bright objects.

In the mythology of the Tlingit, the first Raven was larger than life. He was clever and had special powers. He created the world, taught the Tlingit how to hunt and fish, and saw that they had everything they needed to live well. However, he also liked to play tricks on them.


HOW RAVEN MADE THE WORLD

When Raven was born, he was white all over, except for his watchful black eyes. One day, while he was playing on the wind currents, he got the idea of making a world. He found some dirt and rocks and put them together. They would not stick. He tried mixing some water with the dirt and began to shape the world. Sometimes the mountains fell off. Sometimes the oceans ran in the wrong places. Sometimes he got into a temper and kicked the whole thing to pieces. But he kept trying until he made it stick together. It was lumpy and bumpy and not at all what he had in mind, but he was tired of working on it, so he left it the way it was.

He stole the moon, stars, and a box of daylight from a man who lived at the Nass River. When the people saw light for the first time, they were frightened and started rushing around looking for shelter. Some jumped into the water and became sea creatures. Others ran into woods and became forest animals. Raven laughed, ate the food they left behind, and took a nap in the sunshine.

Next, Raven visited Petrel, who had an everlasting spring of fresh water in his house. While Petrel was busy outside, Raven drank as much water as he could hold and tried to escape through the smoke hole. The weight of the water slowed him down, giving the smoke hole spirits time to grab his feet. While Raven was struggling to escape, the soot from the fire blackened his feathers. He finally got away and spit out the water to make the big rivers. The drops of water from his beak made the little salmon streams. No matter what he did to clean himself, his feathers stayed black.


HOW THE PEOPLE SANG IN THE FISH

One cold day, Raven wished for fire to keep himself warm. The fire appeared floating on the sea, far from shore. Raven persuaded Chicken Hawk to fetch it by telling him he would be famous. Chicken Hawk took some of the fire and brought it safely back, even though it burned most of his beak. Raven told him his beak would always be short, but it would be strong.

Now that the people had fire, Raven wanted to have a special feast in honour of his mother. He carved a cane and put a lot of magic in it. The people saw something out at sea with birds sitting on it, but nobody knew what it was. Raven told them that his magic would bring them good things for their feast. He made everybody sit down on the beach and reached out with his cane. It stretched all the way to the mysterious thing in the water. Raven began to pull it towards the beach. He told the people to sing to make it come. Whenever they stopped for breath, it would go back out to sea. The fourth time they tried, they managed to keep singing until Raven pulled the big thing in. Just as it touched the shore, a wave burst it open and all kinds of fish tumbled out. They went into every river and stream. The people filled their canoes with the fish and prepared a fine feast.


HOW RAVEN LOST HIS BEAK

Raven taught the people how use canoes, how to collect shellfish, and how to fish. When they fished for halibut, they used fat for bait. Raven loved fat more than anything. He swam in the water under the canoes, nibbling the bait off the hooks. One fisherman jerked his line so quickly that he caught Raven's beak. Raven kicked and tried to get away. The fisherman pulled so hard that Raven's beak came off. The fisherman took the beak to his village and hung it on the wall in the chief's house.

Raven made himself a nose out of spruce gum. Then he put on a big hat and pulled it down to hide his face. He went to the chief's house and asked to see the beak. He said, "That's really something. I sure would like to hold it." When they gave it to him, he said, "My, it's too dark to see in here. Could you open the smoke hole cover?" As soon as they opened the hole, Raven stuck his beak back on his face and flew up through the smoke hole so fast nobody knew what happened.


RAVEN IN THE WHALE

Raven was very curious. He was watching a whale one day and wondered what it was like inside. When the whale came up to the surface, Raven flew into its mouth and slid down its throat. The whale's stomach was like a big room. Raven sat down, built himself a fire, and ate some of the fish the whale had swallowed. Then he found a soft space to sleep. When he woke up, he ate more fish, then started carving the fat out of the whale's stomach.

That poor whale ate and ate, but it was hungry all the time. Raven started looking at the whale's heart. At first, he left it alone, but greed overcame him. He cut out the heart. The whale leaped up and died. After he ate the heart, Raven realized that he was trapped in the middle of the ocean. He wished very hard for the whale to drift to a sandy beach, and it did.

Some boys who were playing on the beach came up to the whale and heard a voice inside telling them to cut a hole in the top. They ran to the village in terror. All the people came to the beach. Two bold young men cut a hole in the whale, and Raven flew out. Then the people cut up the whale and took the meat back to the village. Some of them were worried because the whale had no heart.

Raven cleaned himself up and visited that village just as the people were getting ready to eat. They did not recognize him. When they told him about the voice coming from the whale, he looked very shocked. "Don't you know that a voice from a dead whale is a warning? If you don't leave right away, you will all die." The people were very scared when he told them that. They gathered up their children and their possessions, and ran away. Raven stayed behind and lived there until all the food was gone.

Tale #39 -- A Folk Tale from China

Aniz the Shepherd

Once upon a time a wealthy land owner hired a shepherd boy whose name was Aniz. This boy was very well liked. People enjoyed listening to him play his bamboo flute. The land owner was jealous of the boy's talent and popularity. One day, he broke Aniz' flute into little pieces and sent him away without any food or money. "You little wretch!" the master yelled. "I don't pay you to sit around playing the flute!"

Aniz left his master's house and wandered through the streets. He didn't know what to do.

An old man took pity on him. "Hello! What's the trouble, young fellow?" the old man asked. "Who are your parents? Why are you out here all alone, crying?"

"Grandpa! I am a shepherd. My name is Aniz. My master beat me, drove me out and trampled my lovely flute to pieces..."

"Don't cry, Aniz," said the old man kindly. "Come and stay with me!" He took Aniz to his home. He used a length of bamboo to make the boy a new flute which was much better than his old one. He taught him how to play it. After his lessons with the old man, Aniz could play more beautifully than ever. Even the various animals in the forest came and sat round him, listening to him quietly and never wanting to leave. Aniz and the animals became close friends.

The land owner who had driven Aniz away had a dream one night. He called his three sons and told them about it. "Last night I dreamt of a beautiful rabbit, white as snow, with a black spot on the top of its head. I want that rabbit. Go and catch it for me."

"Father, we have never even heard of such a rabbit!" his sons replied. "How can we find it?"

The land owner started scolding his sons. "You hopeless creatures! Go and look for it. Whoever finds it will inherit everything I have when I die."

The eldest son stepped forward and said, "Brothers, let me go! I fear no danger, if only I can make father happy!"

He set off on his way looking around him carefully. After a while an old man came towards him and asked, "Young man, where are you going?" The eldest son told him why he had come.

"Go to the forest then," said the old man, "and look for the rabbit! Aniz is tending my cattle there. Tell him what you want and he'll help you."

The eldest son went into the forest, found Aniz and asked him for his help. "Of course!" Aniz smiled. "I can help you to find the strange rabbit. Come and get it this evening. But you must bring a thousand strings of cash to pay for it."

The eldest son thought, "Compared with the property I am going to inherit, a thousand strings of cash are nothing!" In the evening he returned to the forest with the money and found Aniz sitting on a tree stump, playing his flute. All the little animals were squatting round him entranced, pricking up their ears to listen to the music. The eldest son saw the white rabbit among them. It really did have had a tiny black spot on the top of its head.

Aniz put down his flute, stretched out his hand, took hold of the rabbit by its long ears and handed it to the eldest son. "Here you are. Hold it tightly!"

The eldest son paid the money and set off home with the little white rabbit. Aniz started playing the flute again. As soon as the rabbit heard the music, it jumped out of the man's hand and ran away. The eldest son searched for it for a long time but could not find any trace of it. In the end he gave up and went to see Aniz again.

"The white rabbit has run away. What can I do?" he asked.

Aniz answered, "There is nothing I can do about it. Didn't I warn you to hold it tightly? It's no use blaming me."

The eldest son went home empty-handed and told his story to his family.

The second son said, "Father, don't worry. I'll go and catch it tomorrow." Nextday, the second son went to try his luck and met the same fate as his elder brother -- time wasted and another thousand strings of cash down the drain. On the third day, the youngest son went, but he fared no better.

It made the landlord very angry to watch his three sons lose three thousand strings of cash like this, without so much as a piece of fluff to show for it.

"You fools!" he cried. "You worthless pack of fools! Tomorrow I shall go and catch it myself!"

So the following day the land owner went into the forest. When Aniz spotted him,he took out his flute and began playing. All the beasts of the forest -- rabbits, bears, snakes, wolves, foxes and many different sorts of birds -- came and surrounded the land owner. They looked very dangerous. The man fell to his knees in despair and begged Aniz, "My lord, save me! Save me!"

"Hello, master!" Aniz said. "Do you remember me? You treated me cruelly, and now I will have my revenge. These animals are my friends. As soon as I give them a signal with my flute, they will eat you alive!"

"No, no, my lord Aniz!" the man cried. "Please don't treat me as once I treated you!" He lay at Aniz' feet and sobbed, "I promise to give you anything you want. Don't let them hurt me ... I'm so scared...."

"Very well," Aniz said, "I will spare your wretched life this once. But you must never bully poor folk again! If you don't turn over a new leaf, I won't be so easy on you next time. When you get home, you must give half of all your property to the poor villagers. Is that clear?"

"Yes! Yes!" The man rose to his feet and ran home. He didn't want to give his things away, but he was too afraid of Aniz and the animals to break his word. He followed Aniz' instructions and distributed half of his estate to the poor. That upset the land owner's sons, but it made Aniz more popular than ever with the villagers.

Tale 40 -- A Trip to Ancient Britain

"What are you reading?" Ben asked his sister Carol.

"I'm reading about King Arthur, and Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table," Carol answered.

"You're reading a story book?" Ben asked. "I thought you said story books are a waste of time."

"This isn't really a story book," Carol said. "Story books are for children. This is history."

"Those stories are full of magic," Ben said. "History books don't have magic in them."

"Well, some of it is history," Carol said. "Arthur was a real person. Maybe they had magic back in those days."


YOUNG MERLIN (British legend)

Merlin was the son of a mortal woman and a spirit of the air. A priest baptized him as soon as he was born, and he lost some of his father's nature. However, he still retained some magical powers, including the ability to shape-shift.

The Saxon King Voltigern ruled Britain in those days. He had rebelled against his liege lord, the British King Moines. The dead king's brothers, Uther and Pendragon, fled before he could kill them. Voltigern was worried that they would return with an army, and began building a fortified tower to keep himself safe. Every time the walls reached a certain height, they would collapse for no apparent reason.

After the walls had fallen the third time, Voltigern consulted his astrologers. They told him that the walls would not stand unless the foundation was bathed in the blood of a child born without a mortal father.
Voltigern sent his messengers all over the kingdom. They discovered Merlin and brought him to the king. As soon as Merlin saw the unfinished tower, he told the king that the foundation would never be stable, because it was built over the lair of two dragons who shook the earth with their battles.

Voltigern ordered his men to dig beneath the foundation. They discovered two dragons, one red, and one white. The dragons emerged from the earth and began a fight to the death. Everyone was terrified except Merlin, who watched the combat until, finally, the white dragon killed the red one. The white dragon slipped back into the earth through a cleft in the rock.

"The time of the red Saxon dragon is at an end," Merlin told Voltigern. "The white British dragon will rise again to rule the land."

After that, Voltigern was afraid to harm Merlin. When Uther and Pendragon arrived with their armies, Merlin joined them. Voltigern was defeated and Pendragon became king.

The struggle between the Britons and Saxons was far from over. Soon another war broke out. Pendragon was killed, and his brother Uther became king. Uther took the title "Uther Pendragon" to honour his brother, and asked Merlin to build a mighty monument for the fallen king. Merlin magically transported enormous stones from Ireland, and built Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain.

Merlin became a valued advisor to Uther and his son Arthur, the most famous British king of all.

Tale #41 -- A Fairy Tale from Wales

The Lost Islands

The Faerie Folk usually keep to themselves, but some of them used to visit the country markets at the port of Milford Haven. They never spoke, but simply placed money beside any article they wanted. If the merchant thought the price was fair, he would pick the money up, and the goods would disappear.

Griffith the corn merchant had second sight, so he could see the Little People come and go. He wondered where they took all the supplies they bought.

One day, Griffith was walking in St. David's churchyard. He glanced out to sea, and saw some islands he had never seen before. From the stories his mother had told him, he knew these must be the Green Isles of the Ocean, lost long ago.

He walked towards the seashore. At once, the islands disappeared. He walked back to the churchyard. From there, he could see them again, as plain as day. He realized then that he was standing on holy ground.

He cut a piece of turf from the churchyard and carried it to seashore. He put the turf in his boat and stood on it. He steered towards the islands and landed on the largest one. The Faerie Folk laughed at his cleverness and showed him all the sights of their secret homeland. They sent him home with his arms full of gifts, and traded with him for many years to come. However, they made Griffith give them the sacred turf. No matter how often he stood in the churchyard staring at the sea, he never saw the Green Isles again.

Tale #42 -- Second Sight

One Thursday afternoon at a quarter to four, the doorbell at 906 Alexandra rang.

"I hope that's not another one of those salespeople," Oreo said. "David McDougall always gets annoyed when they show up."

Bandit looked out the window. "It's Ben!"

David McDougall went to the door. "Hello, Ben," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"I saw your truck in the driveway," Ben said. "I wondered if you would like a visit."

"I have flex hours, so I took the afternoon off," David McDougall said. "I'm watching TV. You can join me if you want."

David McDougall was watching a program called Frontiers of Construction. It told all about how the Tokyo airport was built. Ben tried to pay attention, but his mind soon started to wander. He wanted to talk. He waited impatiently for a commercial break.

"Mr. McDougall . . .?" Ben asked.

"Yes?" David McDougall answered.

"What is Second Sight?"

"That's an interesting question! Why do you want to know?" David McDougall answered.

"It's mentioned in the book you gave me."

"Well," said David McDougall, "it's a special ability to see things that other people can't, like fairies and ghosts and sometimes the future."

"Is Second Sight real?" Ben asked.

"That depends," David McDougall said. "Some people think it's just imagination."

"What do you think?" Ben asked.

The commercial break was over, and David McDougall started watching his program again. Ben waited for the next commercial break. Oreo came and jumped on his lap. "Brush me! Brush me!" she said. Ben picked up the cat brush and started to work.

"That's wonderful," Oreo purred. "Keep it up!"

When the next commercial break came, Ben asked again, "Do you think Second Sight is real?"

"I'm just a computer geek," David McDougall said. "I know about information and statistics. I don't pay much attention to the paranormal."

"Well," said Ben, "Sometimes I think that I can understand what the cats are saying. And sometimes I see my grandmother, even though she died three years ago."

"You see your grandmother?" David McDougall said. "You mean you dream about her."

"Yes, I do," Ben said. "But sometimes it feels like I'm awake, and she's really there."

David McDougall looked at Ben and nodded. "I know what you mean."

Tale #43 -- A Story for Carol

"Have you looked at my blog lately?" Ben asked his sister Carol. "I wrote a story for you."

"Really?" Carol asked, trying not to look too interested. "What kind of story?"

"It's about time travel back to the time of King Arthur. You are the heroine of the story."

"Please get off the computer right now," Carol said. "I have some reading to do."


Carol's Excellent Adventure

Once upon a time, a girl named Carol lived in a town in Northern Ontario. She was just a normal kid, except for one thing. She had a special friend called Professor Zur.

Professor Zur was a scientist who liked inventing things. He didn't have a lot of visitors because he wouldn't let them in the house when he was busy working. But he had one weakness -- chocolate chip cookies. Carol's mother made excellent chocolate chip cookies, and she taught Carol how to make them. Whenever Carol went to Professor Zur's place, she brought some cookies along. He didn't mind stopping his work for some of those delicious cookies.

One day, while Professor Zur was munching Carol's cookies, he asked, "Would you like to see my latest invention?"

"What does it do?" Carol asked.

"It lets you travel through the space-time continuum."

"Please explain that in simpler terms," Carol said.

"It means you can go anywhen and anywhere -- if you're lucky. I haven't tested it yet."

"I'll help you test it," Carol said. "How long will it take? I have to be home for supper."

"That's the beauty of it," Professor Zur said. "No matter how much time you spend in your travels, you will not lose any time here."

"Wonderful!" Carol said. "Let's do it. I want to visit King Arthur and the knights of the round table."

Professor Zur put her in his time-travel chamber and programmed the control panel. The chamber started to hum and Carol felt dizzy. She saw a lot of different colours. Then she found herself in ancient Britain, right outside King Arthur's castle Camelot.

Carol managed to get a job in the castle kitchen. It was hard work, but she got to see the knights. Everyone enjoyed her excellent chocolate chip cookies.

One day, the head cook said, "King Arthur wants something special for his birthday. Bake some of those chocolate chip cookies."

The king enjoyed the cookies so much that he told his servants that he wanted to meet Carol. Two of the queen's maids came to the kitchen to fetch her. They gave her a bath, washed her hair, and dressed her in a beautiful gown. While they were getting her ready, they told her about the proper way to behave in the royal court.

When the maids led Carol into the throne room, she curtsied to the king as she had been taught.

"Thank you for making the cookies," King Arthur said.

"I'm honoured that you enjoyed them, Your Majesty," Carol said.

"I want to give you a reward," King Arthur said. "What would you like?"

"Oh, Your Majesty," Carol said, "I would like to go to your next tournament."

"No problem," the king said. "I'll do better than that. You shall be the queen of the tournament."


"Well," Ben said to his sister. "How did you like it?"
"It's okay," Carol said. "But you forgot something."
"What?" Ben asked.
"How does she get home?"
Ben smiled. "That's another story."

Tale #44 -- Carol's Excellent Adventure -- Part 2

"When are you going to finish that story?" Carol asked Ben.

"Oh," said Ben, "are you interested in finding out what happens next?"

"Sort of," Carol said. "After all, it's about me. Do I get to be queen of the tournament? After all, I'm just a kitchen maid, and I don't know if a kitchen maid can be the queen of a tournament."

"I was thinking about that," Ben said.

"Think faster," Carol said.


A Question of Tradition

When King Arthur said that Carol could be the queen of the tournament, everybody was quiet, waiting for somebody else to speak up. Finally, Duke Robertson of Underwood cleared his throat.

"Sire, this woman is a scullery maid. It would dishonour the noble ladies if she is named queen of the tournament."

"I don't agree," King Arthur said. "And I'm the king."

"Yes, Sire, you are king. But you are not above the law."

"What law are you talking about?" King Arthur said.

"The laws of courtly love and chivalry," Duke Robertson declared.

"The laws of courtly love and chivalry honour all women," King Arthur said.

"But Sire--" Duke Robertson said, "according to tradition, the queen must be the lady whose knight wins the tournament!"

King Arthur looked around. Everybody there was nodding in agreement.

The king didn't know what to do. He would either have to break the tradition, or break his word to Carol.

"I have the answer," one of the knights said. "I will be Lady Carol's knight, and fight for her honour in the tournament."

"Carol is no lady -- she is a commoner!" Duke Robertson protested.

"I can fix that," King Arthur said. "I will make her a countess, and give her an estate."

He turned to Carol. "Do you have a favour you can give your knight to wear to the tournament?"

Carol took the green ribbon from her hair and held it out. The knight knelt on one knee and took it for her. "I will do my utmost for your sake, my lady."

Everyone applauded.

"Will you join me at my birthday feast?" King Arthur asked Carol.

Carol courtsied. "I would like that very much, your majesty. Thank you."

Tale #45 -- Carol's Excellent Adventure -- Part 3

The Tournament

After King Arthur's birthday feast, Carol was taken to a beautiful bedroom in the palace. The next day, the queen's seamstresses started making her new clothes. When the day of the tournament came, Carol's maidservants got her ready for the show.

"You are so lucky to have Lancelot as your champion," one of the maids said. "He always wins all the events. You will surely be crowned queen of the tournament."

"Lancelot?" Carol asked. "That knight was Lancelot? I thought Lancelot would be bigger than the others."

"He's small," the maid said, "but he's very strong and quick."

Soon, one of the squires arrived to escort Carol to the tournament. Arthur had reserved a place of honour for her. She felt very excited when she saw Lancelot riding into the arena with her hair ribbon on his helmet, fluttering in the wind.

It was a very long day. First the knights tried to knock each other off their horses with long sticks called lances. Then they fought with swords and other weapons. Finally, they had a big fight for everybody called a grande mêlée. If a knight was knocked off his horse, the one who defeated him could keep his horse and armour.

Just as the maids predicted, Lancelot won every contest and got thirteen new horses and with their saddles and bridles and their owners' armour. King Arthur presented him with the grand prize -- a feather made of gold. Then Lancelot returned Carol's hair ribbon to her and kissed her hand.

Everyone cheered when she was crowned queen of the tournament.

"Long live Queen Carol!"


"That was very nice," Carol said after she read the story. "But I still want to know how she got home."

"Maybe she didn't want to go," Ben said.

"Of course she did! She missed her friends, her TV programs, her parents . . ."

"And her little brother?" Ben asked.

Carol hit him with a pillow. "Of course she missed her brother! And he missed her too."

"No, he didn't," Ben said. "No time passed at home while she was away -- remember?"

"I forgot that," Carol said. "But there's another problem. If she doesn't get home soon, she'll be older. If she waits too long, she might even be grown up, and her family won't recognize her."

"I don't know how she gets home," Ben said. "Do you have any ideas?"

Carol thought and thought. "Maybe Merlin can help her," she said.

"Merlin the magician?" Ben said. "That's a great idea." He went to the computer and started writing.

The Lonely Countess

"What's the matter, milady?" Carol's maid asked as she was fixing her hair. "You look sad."

King Arthur had given Carol a beautiful house and estate and lots of servants. She had clothes and banquets and a group of musicians to play for her whenever she wanted. She was taking dancing lessons and learning all about being a lady. She received lots of invitations to Camelot and the homes of the nobles. She was very popular at court and many handsome young men asked her to dance. It was an exciting life, but she was becoming more miserable every day.

"I am lonely," Carol said. "I miss my friends and family."

"Where do they live?" the maid said. "You could travel there for a visit."

"It's more complicated than that," Carol said. "I come from another time."

The maid's eyes grew round. "Another time? That is too much for me to understand. You should consult a magician."

The next time Carol was at court, she asked King Arthur to help her get home. He said, "I will miss you, my dear, but I don't want you to be unhappy." He called Merlin, the greatest magician in the world, and asked him to help Carol.

Merlin talked to Carol and made a lot of calculations. Then he spent several days preparing powerful spells. Finally, everything was ready.

"We can send Countess Carol home tomorrow," he told King Arthur.

"Thank you for your efforts," King Arthur said. Then he sent a message to Carol. "Come to Merlin's tower tomorrow morning. But before you go, please bake some more cookies." Carol had taught the palace cooks how to make them, but King Arthur said that they were never quite as delicious as Carol's.

Carol was so excited that she could not sleep. She spent the whole night baking cookies for the king. He was very surprised when she arrived in the morning.

"So many cookies!" he said. "Thank you very much. I hope you come back some day to visit."

Merlin took Carol into his inner sanctum -- the private room in the highest castle tower where nobody else was allowed. He threw magic powder on Carol and chanted and chanted. Just when Carol was ready to give up, she started to feel dizzy. Soon she was back in Dr. Zur's laboratory.

"How was it?" Professor Zur asked as he opened the chamber door. "Was the experiment a success?"

"You bet!" Carol said. She told him all about her adventures. While she was talking, the chamber started to shake and rattle.

"We'd better get out of here," Professor Zur said. He took Carol's hand and pulled her out of the laboratory. When they got outside, there was a big bang in the laboratory.

After a while, they went back inside. The laboratory was a smoky mess. The time-travel chamber had exploded.

"Oh my!" Carol said. "I guess we won't be time travelling anytime soon."

Professor Zur spent several days trying to figure out what went wrong. Carol made lots of chocolate chip cookies to cheer him up. One day, as he was munching on a cookie, he shouted, "EUREKA!"

"Eureka?" Carol asked. "What in the world does that mean?"

"Eureka is a Greek word that means I've got it! or I've figured it out. The ancient Greek scientist Archimedes yelled it when he discovered his famous principle in the bathtub and ran down the street naked," Professor Zur explained. He talked on and on about temporal strings and fuzzy logic and quantum mechanics. Carol didn't know what he was talking about, but she decided it was safer not to interrupt.

When Professor Zur finally finished talking, Carol said, "That was much too complicated for me. Could you explain it to me in simple language?"

"There were no chocolate chip cookies in King Arthur's time," Professor Zur said. "When you baked them for the king, you introduced them into the timeline and created a temporal paradox. As a result, my machine exploded because it didn't really exist."

"It's my fault?" Carol said. "Oh, I'm sorry! I was just trying to help."

"I know that," Professor Zur said. "Don't worry about it. That's how scientific research is. Two steps forward, one step back. I'll keep working on it."

Tale #46 -- If your wishes could come true . . .

WHAT WOULD YOU DO

IF YOUR WISHES

COULD COME TRUE?

traditional stories
re-told byDancing Bear (from Spellbound)

THE WISHING CHAIR (Irish)

It was a dark day for Roisin MacFadden when her aunt came to live with her, along with her two daughters. Sickness had broken out in the neighbourhood and taken Roisin's parents.

"I will be a mother to you," the aunt promised, "And Mella and Gobnait will be your sisters."

Those three were so lazy that they left all the work to Roisin. While their mother dozed the day away, the girls passed their time bickering. Gobnait told Mella that she would never find a husband because she was as thin as a pole and her complexion was yellow. Mella retaliated by criticizing Gobnait's fat figure and huge feet. When Roisin tried to make peace between them, they both turned on her, telling her that their problems were her fault because her beauty, education and good manners gave her an unfair advantage.

One new moon night, Ana Criona, the wise woman, came to stay for a night or two. Her wonderful stories of the olden days made her welcome everywhere she wandered. This night, she told the three girls that they could get good luck for themselves by visiting a wood where the trees grew in a circle around a stone chair. "It is a long walk from here," she said, "but anyone who sits in the Wishing Chair can wish three times."

Before she went on her way, she told Roisin, "Your face is your fortune, but it is your kind heart that will bring you the good luck."

Mella, the eldest, left early the next morning. She soon tired of the unusual exercise. By the time she reached the wood, her steps were lagging, and she was parched with thirst.

"Oh, I wish I had a drink of clear, cold water!" she cried as she collapsed on the Wishing Chair.

The leaves overhead rustled, and seemed to sing, "Your wish will be granted."

At well of sparkling water appeared, with a cup beside it. Mella took a long drink, and then realized, too late, that the first of her three wishes was gone.

Mella wanted to have a beautiful complexion like Roisin. "I wish I had roses in my cheeks," she said. The leaves sang once more, and lovely pink roses appeared -- real roses, with thorns that pricked. They were so painful that she quickly wished them away, and came home no better off than she had left.

The next morning Gobnait tried her luck. The fresh air made her very hungry. She wished for a good dinner, and a beautiful meal appeared. Next, she asked for a slender figure like Roisin's. Her body shrank and shrank, but her feet remained the same. They looked so enormous compared to her thin body that she wished her old figure back. It was a disappointed girl who came home that night.

Finally, it was Roisin's turn. She got up very early, did all the housework, and left while the others were still sleeping. By the time she sat down on the Wishing Chair, the bright sunshine had made her very sleepy. She wished that she could rest and slumber for a while. While she slept, she dreamed of a tall, handsome man, who smiled at her.

"Oh, I wish I could have a man like that for my husband," she said, "and a happy home far away from my aunt and cousins!"

"Your wishes will be granted," the leaves sang.

On her way home, Roisin climbed a steep bank to rescue a bird which had become entangled in the branches of a tree. As she was making her way back to the road, she stumbled over a rock and sprained her ankle. Ana, who happened to be walking in the neighbourhood, found her crying by the roadside, unable to walk.

Just then, a splendid carriage came round the curve. "Have pity!" Ana called, waving her arms. "Help this poor girl!"

The carriage stopped. A footman opened the door for the young lord inside. It was the man Roisin had seen in her dream!

Soon after, Roisin's wishes came true, and she lived splendidly in Dunbawn Castle with her true love Brian.


THE TRANSFORMATION OF ISSUNBOSHI (Japan)

"Oh, divine Empress Jingo!" the old couple prayed at the ancestral Shinto shrine. "Grant us a son, even though he be no bigger than one of our fingers!"

From behind the bamboo curtain, a voice whispered that they would have what they asked. In due time, the old woman gave birth to a baby the size of her little finger.

His parents named him Issunboshi ("One-Inch-Priest"). "He will grow up in no time," his father said confidently. But, thirteen years later, Issunboshi was still exactly the same size. His parents became so annoyed by the teasing of the neighbours that they decided to send their son away.

Issunboshi asked his mother for a needle, a soup bowl, and a chop-stick. Using the soup bowl as a boat, he propelled himself along the river with his chop-stick until he reach Kyoto.

Issunboshi walked through a large roofed gate to the porch of a splendid house, and began shouting for attention. The owner, Prince Sanjo, was delighted with the little man and made him his eldest daughter's page.

Issunboshi went everywhere with the Princess Sanjo. Although he was small, he performed his duties with great dignity.

One day, the Princess Sanjo visited the Temple of Kwannon, the Goddess of Mercy. As she was leaving, two oni -- evil spirits -- ambushed her. Issunboshi drew his needle-sword and dashed forward to defend his mistress.

Laughing at the "funny little bean seed", the first spirit swallowed him whole. Issunboshi slipped down into the darkness of the creature's stomach, but he did not lose heart. He immediately started boring into the wall of flesh with his needle sword.

The oni roared with pain and coughed up his tormentor. Before the second oni could attack, Issunboshi leaped into its nostril and began piercing its eyes. Both creatures ran away, yelping with pain.

The princess picked up a small wooden mallet the oni had dropped. "Look -- it's a lucky mallet!" she told Issunboshi. "Tell me your heart's deepest desire."

"Honourable princess," Issunboshi said, "I want to be as big as other people."

The princess tapped the mallet on the ground and called out the wish. A moment later, Issunboshi was the same size as other youths his age.

The wonderful story of Issunboshi was told everywhere in the kingdom. When the emperor heard it, he summoned him to his palace. He gave the brave lad many gifts and made him an important official. In time, Issunboshi became a great lord and married Prince Sanjo's youngest daughter.



THE FISHERMAN AND THE JINNI

This story is from the "Thousand and One Nights" -- a collection of Oriental stories compiled about a thousand years ago. Legend has it that queen Scheherazade of Samarkand, who had been condemned to die, told these stories to her husband night after night, always stopping at an exciting point so that he would postpone the execution one more day. On the thousand and first night, the king pardoned her.

A poor fisherman had thrown out his nets three times, but had caught only garbage and a dead donkey. On the fourth try, he found an ancient brass jar in his net, with a lead cap stamped with the seal ring of King Solomon.

"At least I can sell this at the marketplace and buy food for today," he said to himself. Hoping to find something more valuable inside, he pried off the cap with his knife.

Smoke began to pour from the jar, whirling upwards into a giant pillar. Gradually, the smoke became solid, revealing a powerful jinni -- an Efrit -- who stood with his head in the clouds and his feet planted on the waves. Black fire danced in his eyes, and his mouth was as big as a cave.

"How do you wish to die?" the jinni asked in a voice that shook the earth.
"Is that how you repay me for setting you free?" the fisherman asked. "What harm have I done you?"

The jinni told the fisherman how the king of the jinn had imprisoned him in the jar 1800 years ago. At first, he had planned great rewards for anyone who set him free; but he had grown impatient over time, and had sworn to kill the first person he saw when he was released. "I will grant you only one favour," he roared. "You may choose the manner of your death."

"Before I choose, O Exalted and Generous Lord," said the fisherman, "I beg you to answer just one small question. Where did you come from?"

"From that jar you hold in your hand, of course."

"This little jar? You mock me. You are so huge -- how could you ever fit into this jar?"

"You saw me come out with your own eyes."

"I was blinded by the smoke -- I saw nothing of the sort, my lord. Surely even you are not powerful enough to make yourself so small."

"Very well -- I will show you this one thing before you die," the jinni said, eager to show off his superiority. He dissolved into smoke and passed through the narrow neck of the bottle. The fisherman lost no time in replacing the cap and the seal.

The imprisoned spirit bellowed with rage, threatening the fisherman with an assortment of dire punishments. Later, he begged and pleaded, promising every reward he could think of.

After a time, he and the fisherman came to an understanding. The jinni swore a solemn oath not to harm his benefactor, but to bring him wealth and good fortune. When the fisherman released him, the jinni took him to a lake filled with magic fish, and told him to catch one of each colour and take them to the king. But that is another story. . . .

Tale #47 -- Ben's Wish

It was three-thirty on Friday afternoon. The children at the school got their things together. Some of them got on buses. The ones who lived less than two kilometers from the school had to get home some other way. Ben walked home with Charles. Charles had invited Ben to his place for supper and a sleep-over.

"I really enjoyed that magazine Spellbound," Ben said. "Thanks for lending it to me."

"No problem," Charles said. "I know you enjoy reading stories. When you've finished with that issue, you can borrow another one if you like."

"Great!" Ben said. They walked for a while. Then Ben asked, "If a genie promised you three wishes, what would you ask for?"

Charles shrugged. "I don't know. A better video game system, maybe. Ours is getting obsolete. Or maybe a four-wheeler. I'd like to learn how to drive one."

"I would wish for my Grandma Lena to come back," Ben said.

Charles stopped walking and looked at Ben. "Your grandmother? She's dead, isn't she?"

"Yes," Ben said. "I miss her. She came to live with us when I was born, and took care of me while Mom was at work. Then, one day, she went to the hospital and didn't come back."

Charles started walking again. Ben walked beside him. "I was just a little kid then," Ben said. "I didn't understand what happened to her. I thought she was mad at me."

"I don't think people come back from the dead," Charles said.

"Jesus did," Ben said. "They talk about it at church all the time."

"But he didn't stay long," Charles said. "It was more like a demonstration. Then he took off, and people had to get along on their own."

"A few days is better than nothing," Ben said.

"I guess so," Charles said. "But it isn't easy to say good-bye. When Dad comes to get me, I'm really happy, but I always feel crabby for a couple of days after he brings me home."

"Do you wish your parents would get back together?" Ben said.

"Yes and no," Charles said. "I don't want to talk about it."

The two boys walked in silence until they arrived at Charles' place. As they were walking up to the back door, Ben said, "I just thought of another good wish."

"What's that?" Charles said.

"I wish Dancing Bear would wake up and come into town," Ben said. "I really miss her."

"That's a good wish," Charles said. "It's bound to come true sooner or later."

"I don't know," Ben said. "What if she forgets me? What if she has to move somewhere else? What if she doesn't wake up?"

"Don't worry about that bear," Charles said. "She'll be here. She's magic."

Tale #48 -- The Genie and I (a poem by Ben)

I found a funny bottle
just lying in the sand.
The ocean must have brought it
from a far-off foreign land.

The cork was covered over
with purple sealing wax.
I picked it up and took it home
to show my brother Max.

Max pulled out his jack knife.
"What's going on?" I cried.
"I'm going to pop this cork," he said,
"And take a look inside."

He scratched and cut and struggled
until that cork gave way.
The room filled up with purple smoke
mixed with some wisps of grey.

And suddenly a genie
began to laugh and shout:
"Hooray! I've waited centuries
for you to let me out!"

"Now listen up," my brother said,
"We helped you out, and so
you owe us each three wishes
before we let you go."

The genie laughed. "That's just a myth!
"You're lucky that I'm nice.
"I could have crushed you like a bug
"Or turned you into mice!"

He jumped out of our window.
He took off with a ZOOM.
And I can prove my story!
The bottle's in my room.

Tale #49 -- Ben and Stacy

Ben was just finishing his lunch at school when Stacy came to his table.

"Hello, Ben," she said. "Thanks for the valentine."

Ben was startled. "How did you know it was me?" he asked. "I didn't put my name on it."

Stacy smiled. "A woman always knows."

Ben picked up his garbage and put it in the garbage can. He didn't look at Stacy. His face felt hot, and he didn't know what to say.

"I like your blog," Stacy said.

"Thank you," Ben said. He looked down at the floor.

"I see that you wrote a story for your sister Carol," Stacy said. "Will you write one with me in it?"

"What kind of story would you like?" Ben asked.

"A pirate story," Stacy said. "I love reading about pirates."


PRINCESS STACY AND THE PIRATES

Once upon a time, a pirate ship happened to find a small kingdom on a tropical island.

"This should be easy," said Gilles Blackheart, the pirate captain. "Let's attack!"

The pirates shot a few cannon balls at the palace. Then they got into their boats and rowed to shore. The people on the island were peaceful. They had no weapons. The pirates quickly took over the royal palace.
"Where's your treasure?" Blackheart roared.

"I don't have any gold or jewels," the king said. "My family is my biggest treasure."

"In that case," Blackheart said, "I'll take your daughter. When I come back, make sure you have some proper treasure to trade for her."

Blackheart's men took Princess Stacy to the pirate ship. When she saw her cabin, she said, "What a mess! I can't stay here! We have to clean and tidy it up." She got a pail of soapy water and started scrubbing. When she was finished with her cabin, she started re-organizing the kitchen.

Soon it was supper time. The pirates had their usual meal of salt pork, hard biscuits, and rum with a little lemon juice in it.

"Where are the vegetables?" Stacy said.

"Vegetables?" Blackheart's men said. "Pirates don't eat vegetables!"

"You have to eat your vegetables, or you'll get sick," Tracy said firmly. The next time they came to an island, she made them go to the market and buy fruits and vegetables. She told them to fill their empty rum barrels with water from a clear spring. "Too much rum isn't good for you," she told them.

Stacy saw some pick checkered fabric and told Blackheart to buy it.

"Whatever for?" he asked.

"I'm going to teach the men to sew. We'll make tablecloths and bedspreads and curtains for the ship," Stacy said.

"That does it!" Blackheart roared. "You are going home right now!"

He took her back to her father the king.

"I don't have any treasure for you," the king said.

"Forget the treasure," Blackheart said. "Just take her back. She's too much trouble. She's changing everything. Before we know it, we'll be running a cruise ship instead of a pirate ship."

"A cruise ship!" Stacy said. "What a great idea! Why don't you give it a try?"

Blackheart turned his back and tried to leave, but the king's men grabbed him. "Just a minute," the king said. "Take Princess Stacy with you. I can't afford to pay her dowry, so she'll never get married if she stays here."

"Oh all right!" Blackheart said. "I'll give you a chest full of gold and jewels." He sent his men to the ship to get some treasure.

"Thank you," the king said. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"No, thank you," Blackheart said. "I have to get back to my ship."

"Don't forget to eat lots of fruit and vegetables!" Stacy called after him.

"You did a great job," her father told her. "I'm going to give you half of this treasure."

"Great!" Stacy said. "I think I'll use it to start a cruise ship business. I really enjoyed sailing on the ocean."

"There's one thing I don't understand," the king said. "How come the pirates let you boss them around like that? Why didn't they tie you up and throw you in the brig?"

Stacy grinned. "Captain Blackheart said I reminded him of his mother."


"That was a funny story," Stacy told Ben a couple of days later. "Am I really that bossy?"

"Sometimes you are," Ben said. "But that's not a bad thing. You know how to organize and get things done. I like being in your group for a class project because I know we will do a good job."

Stacy smiled. "Thanks, Ben. I never thought of it that way."

Tale #50 -- Mind Control

"I wonder what's wrong with David McDougall," Oreo said. She and Bandit were sitting outside the bathroom door, listening to strange noises inside.

"Maybe he has a furball," Bandit said.

"Don't be silly," said Oreo. "People don't have enough fur to get furballs."

"It sure sounds like he's coughing something up," Bandit said.

The bathroom door opened. David McDougall staggered back to his bedroom without even saying good morning to the cats.

"Hey! We're hungry!" Bandit called. He pushed against the bedroom door. It didn't open. Then he scratched on the door. Nothing happened.

"There must be something seriously wrong with him," Oreo said. "Usually, he yells as soon as you start scratching."

"Yeah," Bandit said. He licked his paw and rubbed his face. "If he doesn't get moving soon, we'll starve to death."

"No need to worry yet," Oreo said. "There's still lots of dry food. Let's take a nap and see what happens."

Two hours later, the cats woke from their naps and went to David McDougall's door again. They called and called, but there was no answer.

"What will we do now?" Bandit said.

"We will have to exercise mind control," Oreo said.

"Mind control?" Bandit asked. "What's that?"

"We sit side by side at the window and attract attention by using our thoughts." Oreo explained.

"How do we do that?" Bandit asked.

"If we think really hard about what we want, it will happen," Oreo said.

"Really?" Bandit said. "How come?"

"Cats rule the world," Oreo said.

"I suppose it's worth a try," Bandit said.

The cats sat side by side in front of the window and thought as hard as they could.

Somebody! Anybody! Please come here! WE NEED HELP!

"I think it's working!" Bandit said. "Ben's mother's car is turning into the driveway."

Soon the door bell rang. David McDougall did not answer. Then the phone rang again and again and again.

"She's using her cell phone," Oreo said. "That should get his attention."

After a while, David McDougall answered the phone. He told Ben's mother to go away. Then he growled, "Oh, all right!" and went to the door to let her in.

"You look terrible," Ben's mother said.

"That was a dirty trick, threatening to call 9-1-1," David McDougall said.

"Get in my car," Ben's mother said. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

"I'm not going," David McDougall said.

"Yes, you are," Ben's mother said. "You need to see a doctor."

"You'll have to wait until I get dressed," David McDougall said.

"You don't need clothes at the hospital," Ben's mother said. "Just throw a coat on over your pyjamas."

In the evening, Ben came to feed the cats.

"It's about time!" Oreo said. "We were starving!"

"Mr. McDougall had an emergency appendectomy," Ben told them. "He'll be home in a day or two. The doctor said he got to the hospital just in time."

"Wow!" said Bandit. "Mind control really works. Let's think about smoked salmon. Maybe Ben will bring us some."

Tale #51 -- A Spring Ride

"What's wrong now?" Carol asked Ben.

"Nothing," Ben said.

"Stop trying to fool me," Carol said. "I know there's something wrong. It's the day before Easter. That's supposed to be a happy time, but you're moping again."
"How come the calendar says that spring has come," Ben asked, "but there is still snow on the ground?"

"That's the North for you," Carol said. "We've had white Easters before."

"Yeah," Ben said, "but--"

Just then there was a roar outside. It was Ben's Uncle Joseph on his snowmobile. "Would you like to go for a ride on the river?" he asked the children.

"Are you sure the ice is thick enough?" Carol asked.

"Oh, yes," Uncle Joe said. "I was there yesterday, and there's no sign of any breakthrough."

Ben got his snowmobile suit and put it on. Then he pulled on his snowmobile boots. Uncle Joe helped him with his helmet and his gloves.

"Aren't you coming?" Uncle Joe asked Carol.

"No thanks," Carol said. "A couple of my friends are coming over in twenty minutes."

"Where would you like to go?" Uncle Joe asked Ben.

"Do you know of any caves around here?" Ben asked.

"Yes," Uncle Joe said. "About five kilometres down the river, there's a trail that leads right to them."

"Hmmm," Ben said, "let's try going there."

What a great day for a ride! The sun was shining brightly, but the snow wasn't melting yet. Ben forgot all about moping.

Soon, they arrived at the caves.

"Let's drive around here a little bit," Ben said casually.

"Look!" Uncle Joe pointed. "I see something red."

Ben's heart started to beat faster. Could it be--?

Uncle Joe steered towards the red object. They found Dancing Bear sitting in a deck chair at the mouth of her cave, enjoying the sunshine. Her feet were propped up on a stump. She was wearing her red scarf and a huge pair of purple sunglasses with sparkly sequins.

"Dancing Bear!" Ben yelled. He jumped off the snowmobile seat and ran through the snow towards her. "Dancing Bear! Happy Easter!"

"Hello, Ben!" Dancing Bear said. Ben jumped into her lap and hugged her. "You're so thin!" he said.

"Don't worry," Dancing Bear said. "I'll soon fix that."

"When are you coming into town?" Ben asked.

"Not for a while," Dancing Bear said. "I'm just starting to wake up."

"Do you need something to eat?" Ben asked.

"Well--" Dancing Bear said.

"What would you like?" Ben asked.

"I have an appetite for strawberries," Dancing Bear said.
Ben looked at his Uncle Joe. Uncle Joe smiled. "You're in luck! Strawberries are on special this week."

Uncle Joe took Ben to the supermarket to buy strawberries, and then took him back out to Dancing Bear's cave.

"Thanks a lot," Ben said to his uncle. "You're the best. Is there anything I can do to thank you?"

"I'm cleaning out my garage next week-end," Uncle Joe said. "I could use some help."

"I'll be there," Ben said. "What time would you like me to come?"

"Around nine-thirty on Saturday would be great," Uncle Joe said.

Tale # 51 -- CLEAN-UP AT UNCLE JOE'S GARAGE

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

On the Saturday after Easter, Ben's alarm clock woke him up at six o'clock. He went down the stairs to the living room in his pyjamas and watched cartoons for two hours. Then he went back to his room and dressed in an old sweat shirt and some raggedy jeans.

His mother was mixing pancake batter in the kitchen. Ben got some orange juice out of the fridge.

"Looks like you're all ready to go to Joe's place," Ben's mother said. "I'm impressed. I know how much you like to watch Saturday cartoons."

"I offered to help," Ben said, "and I will. It was really nice of Uncle Joe to take me to see Dancing Bear last week-end."

"You'd better have a good breakfast," his mother said. "I've seen that garage. You'll need lots of energy."

After finishing a big stack of pancakes with maple syrup, Ben put on his oldest running shoes and walked to his uncle's place. The sun was shining brightly and the snow was melting fast. Spring was on the way.



TRASH AND TREASURES

Uncle Joe was already at work loading his truck.

Ben stood at attention and saluted. "Private Ben reporting for duty."

Uncle Joe grinned. "You're early. I like that."

The garage was so full that there was no room for any vehicles. Uncle Joe had to park his truck in the driveway. Aunt Marie usually parked her car behind the truck. Uncle Joe couldn't go anywhere without moving the car first.

"Where's Aunt Marie today?" Ben asked. "I don't see her car."

"Gone shopping in Timmins," Uncle Joe said. "This clean-up is a surprise."

"Do you really think we can make enough space for both vehicles?" Ben asked. "There's an awful lot of stuff here."

"I know we can do it," Uncle Joe said. "All we have to do is get rid of everything we don't really need."

"Sounds easy," Ben said.

Uncle Joe and Ben put some things in boxes and took them over to Aunt Sylvie's. She was having a garage sale that week-end. Then they filled twenty-two garbage bags full of junk and hauled them to the dump along with three worn-out tires, a couch whose springs were poking through the upholstery, a broken TV set, an old stereo with missing speakers, and a humidifier that didn't work any more. Afterwards they organized the garage and put everything in its proper place.

"Where do you want me to put this?" Ben asked as he wiped the dirt off the handlebars of a green BMX bike.

Uncle Joe walked over. "Hmmm," he said. "That used to be David's bike. He's much too big for it now."

"Can I try it out?" Ben asked. That bike was just right for jumps and wheelies and other tricks.

"The tires look a little soft," Uncle Joe said. "Let me pump it up a bit."

Ben could hardly wait to try out the bike.


BEN'S RIDE

As soon as the bike was ready, Ben jumped on it and started pedalling.

"Stay out of the puddles!" Uncle Joe shouted after him. That was easier said than done because the snow was melting so fast.

Ben jumped the bike off the curb onto the street. Then he tried some wheelies. The bike did everything perfectly.

"What a great bike!" Ben said to himself as he coasted down the hill.

The street at the bottom of the hill had a miniature stream flowing across it. "Whee!" Ben yelled, and rode right through it.

Oops! There was a coating of ice on the pavement under the cold water. The bike slipped sideways and fell over.

OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A car that was passing by stopped, and the driver jumped out. "Are you OK?"

"I think so," Ben said. "But I wrecked the bike." Ben was trying not to cry. He wished he had listened to Uncle Joe when he told him to stay out of puddles.

The man helped Ben stand up and checked the bike. "I don't see any damage," he said. "That's one sturdy bike."

Ben's elbow was very sore, but he didn't say anything about it. He got back on the bike and pedalled slowly and carefully back to Uncle Joe's place.


UNCLE JOE'S SURPRISE

"What happened to you?" Uncle Joe said. "You're dripping."

"I found out why you told me to stay out of puddles," Ben said.

Uncle Joe laughed. "Both David and I had to learn from experience. I guess you did too."

Uncle Joe helped Ben take off his soggy clothes. While Ben was in the shower, his uncle found some of David's old clothes that were still in the house.

Soon Ben was warm and dry again. His uncle put some band-aids on his scrapes.

"Would you like to have that bike?" Uncle Joe said.

"To keep forever?" Ben asked. He was so excited that he could hardly breathe.

"Why not?" Uncle Joe said. "David doesn't need it any more."

"Wow! Thanks!" Ben yelled. He hugged his uncle and rode home proudly on his new green bike.