A Hidden Magic Read Online Free PDF Page A

anyway."
    "But who's Malveenya?" Jennifer asked.
    "
Who
'" the witch cried. " '
Who? Who?
' she asks. Who do you think they were so afraid of that they built the magic wall? Who do you think they were trying to keep in here? Silly girl, get out of here. Forget your prince, and leave me alone."
    She had pushed Jennifer outside the cave
and shoved her in the direction she had been going earlier.
    "And don't come back!" she screamed as the young girl took a few uncertain steps.
    Jennifer watched as the Old Witch angrily stamped back into the cave. There were so many things left unsaid. Jennifer had never meant to hint that the dark young man didn't intend to come back. She wanted to apologize for giving that impression. Also, she wanted to find out more about this Malveenya and how powerful she really was.
    Jennifer quietly stole up to the cave mouth and looked in.
    The Old Witch was striding about. "Stupid girl," she mumbled. "Stupid pool, stupid beau. Who needs you? Who needs anybody? 1 think I'll drain the water out of you, Magic Pool; you're a health hazard anyway." She stood tapping her foot. "I never want to see his face again. Do you hear that? Never again."
    She stamped around a bit longer while Jennifer tried to decide if she really wanted to
go in. She had just decided yes when the Old Witch said, "I've changed mv mind. Let me see him again." She tapped her foot impatiently. "I said, 'Let me see him again.'"
    When she got no answer, the Old Witch sank to her knees and pleaded. "I'm sorry, Magic Pool. I didn't mean that about draining you. I like the mosquitoes in summer and the ice in winter. I wouldn't really drain you. Are you still there?"
    The pool gave a slight shimmer.
    "We go back together a long time, you and I, don't we?" the Old Witch sighed.
    The pool shimmered again, and from where she stood Jennifer could see the dark young man's face reappear.
    The Old Witch still hadn't moved several minutes later, when Jennifer turned to make her way back to the road.

The Sorcerer
    J ENNIFER CONTINUED down the road for a very short way before she came to another woodland cottage.
    Her first impression was that the place was deserted, for it was rather run-down, with weeds successfully invading the vegetable garden and a broken shutter hanging loose against the side of the house. But then she noticed a well slightly off to one side and a young man pulling up the bucket.
    She came up behind him, intending to introduce herself. "Excuse me," she said.
    He gave a startled gasp and jumped back.
The bucket clattered down into the depths of the well.
    jennifer opened her mouth to apologize when, to her surprise, the person standing before her was suddenly gone and she found herself addressing a hawthorn bush.
    "That's odd," she thought, circling the bush, which was shaking violently despite the fact that there was no wind.
    When she could find no trace of the young man, she started toward the house to see if she could find some help there.
    Suddenly she changed her mind. " 1 saw what I saw," she told herself, and quickly turned back to the well. She was in time to see an old man with a long white beard trying to tiptoe out of the clearing into the forest. There was no sign of the hawthorn bush.
    "Stop!" she called, and the old man froze, then slowly and quietly peeked at her over his shoulder to see if she was talking to him. When he saw that she was, he came back to the center of the clearing.
    "How did you do that?" she demanded.
    "Do what?" the old man asked, trying to act casual and leaning over the well to pull up the bucket.
    "You changed!"
    "All life is a series of changes."
    "Yes, but just now, this very minute. You were about my age not thirty seconds ago, and then you were a bush. You're a sorcerer, aren't you?" Normally Jennifer wouldn't have been so bold, but the fact that he seemed so nervous made her feel that he wasn't to be feared. Besides, the events of that morning had made her desperate.
    "I what? No, of