The Book of Magic Read Online Free PDF Page B

last, he became (in his words) "as tall as the highliest tree"—to which he often added, "Certainly, definitely, absolutely!"
    In Fincayra 's most tumultuous years, he was a close companion of the young wizard Merlin —along with Rhia and the brave hawk Trouble . In those Lost Years , Shim helped them destroy the terrible Shrouded Castle and outwit the evil warlord Rhita Gawr in the battle known as the Dance of the Giants . His adventures with Merlin continued long after the Fincayran people won back their lost wings and the world of Avalon was born. Shim the giant became famous in story and song.
    Then everything changed. During the Battle of the Withered Spring, in the Year of Avalon 498, Shim accidentally saved the life of another giant, Bonlog Mountain-Mouth , when he tripped and fell on top of the warriors attacking her. Deeply grateful, Bonlog (the eldest daughter of the giant sorceress Jubolda) tried to thank him with a kiss. But at the sight of her enormous, slobbery mouth, Shim shrieked in terror and fled into the highlands. The humiliated Bonlog angrily pursued him, searching for Shim over many years without success.
    Although he escaped Bonlog Mountain-Mouth, Shim met a new misfortune: For reasons he couldn't explain, he began to shrink. When he finally emerged from hiding, he'd returned to his original tiny size—"utterly shrunkelled," as he wailed miserablyAlthough his bulbous nose still made him recognizably Shim, few people even noticed him. When he finally encountered the elf Brionna , he seemed to be nothing more than a small, white-haired dwarf who was very hard of hearing. Yet she managed to recognize him—certainly, definitely, absolutely.
    Stangmar
    A strong, proud young man who enjoyed riding horseback and climbing trees, Stangmar fell in love with Elen of the Sapphire Eyes , a woman from Earth who had voyaged to his magical realm. In time, he won her heart and convinced her to stay in Fincayra , the world in between mortal and immortal. Though he had struggled as the nonmagical son of a powerful wizard named Tuatha , Stangmar strove to become a great leader as king of Fincayra.
    Life, however, soon changed for the worse. Not long after Elen gave birth to their children, Merlin and Rhia , Rhia disappeared into Druma Wood , and Stangmar was corrupted by the spirit lord Rhita Gawr . Soon Stangmar became merely a pawn in Rhita Gawr's plans to conquer Fincayra. When the evil spirit commanded that the king must murder his son, Stangmar reluctantly agreed. But before he could kill young Merlin, the boy escaped with Elen, traveling to the realm of Britannia on Earth. That journey ended with Merlin washing ashore, nameless and homeless—the event that marked the beginning of his Lost Years .
    In time, Merlin returned to Fincayra, the land of his birth. Despite his rage at Stangmar, he saved his father at the collapse of the Shrouded Castle during the Dance of the Giants . Several years later, after Stangmar had escaped from prison, the former tyrant finally redeemed himself: He sacrificed his own life to save Elen's. In doing so, he enabled Merlin to forgive him at last.
    Sword Anns
    This terrible warrior wore a horned skull as a mask—and bore two deadly swords instead of arms. He appeared at the worst possible time, while young Merlin raced to save his beloved Fincayra from conquest by Rhita Gawr and labored to solve the mystery of the lost wings . Worse yet, this warrior began ruthlessly attacking young orphans. Across the island, parentless children were maimed or worse by this powerful foe.
    Merlin had no idea who this brutal warrior might be, or why he would seek out children such as the lad who would one day be called Lleu of the One Ear . But Merlin vowed to stop the carnage, even if it kept him from his other goals. When, at last, he confronted Sword Arms in battle, he discovered that any weapon he hurled at the warrior came right back with equal force. To save the children, and to find some way to