Johnny and the Wand

Johnny came home from Show and Tell. When he stepped into his room he gasped. It was messier than usual. He said, "I'mnot going clean that up becauseIdidn't do it!" So he had the magic of Crystal Ball straighten it. "After all," he said, "what's magic for?":

Then he wondered who made the mess. It couldn't have been Jeanie: he was only eight. Nor could it have been his dog, Chester; he couldn't have ripped the signs off the wall. Johnny sensed it was that witch he'd gotten Crystal Ball from.

So he locked the door, crawled under his blanket, and said, "Crystal Ball, Crystal Ball,, get bigger. Crystal Ball, Crystal Ball, did Witchy-Boo do this? Did that wart-nosed hag do this?"

Crystal Ball said, "Yes and no, Master. Yes because her magic was behind it. But no because the gargoyles she sent by her magic wand actually tore it apart."

"I knew it." But before he made the ball get smaller and hide in his hand, he asked another question.

"Crystal Ball, Crystal Ball, you say Witchy-Boo has a magic wand?"

"Yes. She calls it Zobie."

"Oh," said Johnny. "I wish I had a magic wand. Crystal Ball, can you get me that wand?"

"Yes, Master." And suddenly there was a cloud of blue smnoke and the wand appeared in his hand.

But in the instant between the puff of smoke and the appearance of the wand, something very magical happened. You see, at the very time Johnny said get the wand, the ugly ole witch was holding it. Which means that it disappeared as she was looking at it.

"Yikes!" she screached. "By all the powers in Witchdom, my very toy is being taken! I'm doomed, I'm doomed!"

And all evening, while the rest of his family watched TV, Johnny Carmel flashed Zobke through the air. But after the third sword fight he realized it wasn't really doing any MAGIC.

"Crystal Ball, Crystal Ball, make this thing work. Put magic in it."

"I will if you truly wish it, Master. But don't you really want the wand to use its own magic, not borrow mine?"

Johnny knew Crystal Ball was right. "Then lhow do I get it to work?"

"By using the Magic Word, of course."

"Of course, of course. But whatisthe Magic Word?"

"The Rule of the Magic is that I can get the wand, but that I cannot reveal the Word."

Johnny was disappointed. he thought there MUST be a way to get Zobie to use her own magic.

"Crystal Ball, Crystal Ball," said the boy. "I have a plan. I want you to make me a broomstick exactly like Banjo."

"Yes, Master." And poof went a cloud of black smoke.

"Now," said Johnny, "I have something to trade."

He made Crystal Ball small, twirled it under his finger so no one could see -- especially Witchy-Boo -- then mounted Banjo

like he was a horse, and said, "Banjo, take me to Witchy-Boo's cave!"

Instantly there was a cloud of red smoke. "Okee dokee." And Johnny stood outside the cave. Outside because Johnny said take metothe cave. Had he said take meintothe cave he would have landed inside. Banjo, you see, did exactly what his Master ordered.

Inside the cave all the members of the Witchs' Society had gaathered.

And they were mad. They told wart-nosed Boo that she had done a great wrong by lelling a mere BOY get her powers. That is, the broomstick, Crystal Ball, and now the wand. The witches said that they were ready to vote her out of being a witch.

Johnny heard all this as he pressed his ear against the wall. He felt sad that they were going to fire Witchy-Boo.

"She's not such a bad person,": thought the boy. "Sure he sent gargoyles to trash my room, but that was just because I'd taken her things. I'd probably do the same if she'd taken my stuff."

Johnny heard the Head Witch getting really mad.

"If you don't get your crystal ball back, Witchy-Boo, I'll make you a NON-witch andthencurse you by changing you into a snot-nosed brat of a BOY!"

"Oh, no, Head Witch,: moaned Witchy-Boo. "That's theworstthing possible. Please don't. ANYTHING but a BOY."

"You have violated the Rule of the Magic, Boo. You have let your powers get into the hands of a BOY."

"Please give me one more chance. I'll get my magic back, I promise. Please give me one more chance."

But the Head Witch wouldn't listen. She was about to lower her magic wand on the head of Witch-Boo. But outside the cave Johnny thought fast.

"Witchy-Boo isn't abadwitch. She hasn't harmed me, and as far as I know hasn't hurt anyone else. Also, I got all my magic from her. I think I owe her a favor."

Quickly the boy whispered, "Crystal Ball, Crystal Ball, get bigger. Crystal Ball, Crystal Ball, can you make ANOTHER crystal ball just like you?"

"Yes, Master, if you wish."

"Then do it. NOW. We don't have much time."

A cloud of pink smoke poofed. Okee dokee. And a new crystal ball sat on the ground.

"Good. Now get me a second wand. Just like the one I got from Witchy-Boo."

A black could poofed. Okee dokee. And a new Zobie appeared.

"Now, Crystal Ball, can you make me invisible and as small as a thought and send me into the head of Witchy-Boo?"

"Yes. If you wish, Master."

"Then do it. NOW!"

Poof, Okee dokee, and the boy flew into the ole witch's brain.

"Witchy-Boo, Witchy-Boo, yell STOP!"

Without knowing why, the wart-nosed one yelled "STOP!"

The Head Witch lowe4red her wand. She looked at Boo, confused.

The pause was long enough to do two things: iit saved Witchy-Boo and it gave Johnny long enough to talk to her.

"Look, Witchy, I owe you. After all, I'm in lyoiur head right

now because of the crystal ball. So I'll do you a favor. You tell me the Magic Word that gives Zobie wand power, and I'll give you your crystal ball, the majic broomstick,andyour wand back."

Witchy-Boo thought, "If only I could make a deal."

Johnny read her thought. "You don't have time, Witchy. You acceptmydeal or you become a BOY. You'd better make up your mind and fas5t."

Then Witchy-Boo said to the Head Witch. "Please reconsider. Please give me one day to get my power back." Wht Witchy-Boo REALLY meant was give me enouygh time to figure out Johnny's deal.

"No!" shrieked the Head Witch. And she raised her magic wand. "You have disgraced all Witchdom by losing your power. Now I turn you into a BOY so you'll see how low you've become."

"Quick, Witchy-Boo. Tell me the Magic Word!"

"Oh, alright! It's Wunginell. But you have to repeat it three times. Wunginell, Wunginell, Wunginell."

Just as the Head Witch's wand came down, Witchy-Boo's broomstick appeared. So did her wand. And in her gnarled, warty fingers, rested her crystal ball.

"Eureka!" yelled Boo. And don't you thinkthatdidn't stop the wand from hitting her?

When all the witches saw Boo's things, they cackled, shrieked, and screached wildly. "You did it! You did it! Ah, nothing like a little threat to get a witch's powers back."

Witchy-Boo smiled as best she could.

But the Head Witch wasn't through yet. "These are justthings," she said sternly. "Prove to me that they have true

power. And if you can't, I'll make you into a BOY for the rest of eternity."

As Witchy-Boo strattled tye broom she thought, "Brat-BOY, get out my head. I gave you what you wanted. Now get out and leave me alone."

Johnny did as she wished. Outside the cave he strattled his broomstick. And at the same time he and the witch he'd saved rose into the air and zoomed.

Under his blanket back in his room, Johnny Carmel smiled happily. He'd gained the power of Zobie Wand. But in doing so he'd also saved someone. And it's not every day a ten year-old saves someone even if it is a witch.

Now, don't you know that that's not the last we'll hear about Witchy-Boo? Or the last of Johnny and his new wand?

And don't you also know that in order to hear any new storiew then this one must be

TO BE CONTINUED