THE MAGIC CRYSTAL

Alyssa was not having a good day! Her older brother had been fighting with her all afternoon. Her mom kept giving her jobs to do, like feed the baby, change the baby, give the baby his bath. And her baby brother just didn't seem to want to stop crying. It was almost more than a seven year old girl could bear! All she wanted to do was to go to her room and get away from everyone, and so that's just what she did.

The chair in Alyssa's room was large and comfortable, and as she curled up in it, she began to think about the days events. She wished her big brother wouldn't pick on her so much. And she wished that her mother wouldn't give her so many jobs to do. And she wished her baby brother wouldn't cry so much. She just wished her life could be different! Suddenly her bedroom window blew open, the room got very dark, and she heard a loud bang and saw a puff of white smoke. When the smoke cleared she saw the strangest sight she had ever seen!

There, standing in the middle of the room, was a funny little man with a long white beard, a blue robe and a blue pointy hat! "Hello Alyssa" he said in a deep, gruff voice. "I am the Wizard of Wishes, and you seem to have to have been wishing for a lot of things today! You seem like a nice young lady, and so I will show you how to make your wishes come true." Then he reached inside his robe and pulled out a beautiful spinning crystal. As it spun it reflected every color of the rainbow, and the colors sparkled and danced. "When you want to make a wish," he said, "you must squeeze the crystal very tightly between your hands, so that it stops spinning. Then your wish will be granted." And in an even deeper and gruffer voice he said, "But you must never let go of the crystal, for if you drop it or lose it, well, I'm afraid even I don't know what will happen to you." And then there was another puff of smoke, and the Wizard vanished, but before the smoke cleared she heard his deep voice say "Goodbye Alyssa, good luck!"

While the crystal spun in her hands Alyssa wondered what she should do. Could the Wizard have been telling the truth? There was only one way to find out! She squeezed the crystal tightly in her hands and thought about her rotten day and wished she could just get away from everyone for awhile. Suddenly she felt quite dizzy, and the room seemed to be spinning. And then she wasn't in her room anymore, she didn't know what was happening, so she closed her eyes and waited.

When the dizziness passed, and she didn't feel like she was spinning anymore, Alysssa opened her eyes and found herself in the middle of a desert. The sun was awfully hot, and the sand was even hotter! There were a few palm trees and a small pond of water in front of her, but other than that, there was nothing but sand for as far as she could see. She walked to the top of a sand dune and looked in every direction, but there was nothing to be seen but more sand. She was truly away from everything here! She went back to the trees and sat near the water hoping someone would come along. Alyssa sat there for what seemed like forever, but no one came. This was certainly not what she had wanted. It was so hot, she wished she were somewhere cool, with at least some people around! She didn't realize it, but she had been holding the crystal very tightly as she thought about where she would like to be, and all at once the dizziness and spinning feeling came back, and she wasn't in the desert anymore. She was standing by a stream in a cool damp forest. The trees must have been hundreds of feet tall because she couldn't see the tops of them. And there were strange ferns and plants that she had never seen before. And there, on the muddy bank of the stream, were footprints! Thank goodness, at least there was someone here! She started to follow the tracks in the mud, and soon she came to a clearing with a very strange little village in the center. There were mud huts, and open fires, and people, at least Alyssa thought they were people. They were all hunched over, not really standing upright, and had very long arms and huge heads. Everyone was clothed in what looked like animal skins, and they all had long shaggy hair. The men carried clubs, and even the women and children had poles or sticks in their hands. And now they had noticed her! Soon everyone was gathered around Alyssa, and it was getting mighty uncomfortable! The men grunted and muttered at her, the women pulled at her long brown hair, and the children poked and prodded her with their sticks. This was much worse than any torment her brother had ever put her through! Just when she thought she couldn't take any more of this, everyone stopped and turned their heads toward the forest. Something was coming, and it was making a an awful lot of noise. Alyssa could see trees being brushed aside and knocked over. Whatever this was, it was going to be big! And then the last tree was pushed aside, and there it was.

Standing at the edge of the clearing was a fifty foot tall dinosaur, and it looked hungry! The villagers had started to scatter and Alyssa was left alone in the clearing. The beast was looking at her as if it were wondering if she would make a tasty snack, and Alyssa certainly didn't want to end up being a dinotreat, so she squeezed the crystal as hard as she could and wished she could get out of there in a hurry! There was no spinning or dizzy feeling this time, instead she found herself in a rocket ship hurtling away from the earth at a fantastic speed. She looked back and saw her home planet getting smaller and smaller. "Where in the world have I wished myself to now?" she wondered.

When she could no longer see the earth behind her she looked out the front of the ship as saw a strange planet with rings around it coming into view. The rocket seemed to be doing everything automatically, so she just sat back and waited for whatever was to come next.

The ship landed on a platform in the middle of a city made of bright shiny metal. There were three suns in the sky, and a loud hum, like machinery, was coming from all the buildings. Alyssa climbed down the ladder from the ship and was met by a large robot who moved around on one wheel.

"Welcome to the planet Noworkus." said the robot in a buzzing sort of voice. "Here you will have no jobs to do and no responsibilities. We robots do all the work here. You may do whatever you wish, no one will ask anything of you." he said. "You are the only human to ever visit our planet." Alyssa didn't think that sounded too bad, she could lay around all day and wouldn't have to take orders from anybody. "I'll give it a try!" she said, and the robot left. Alyssa wandered through the cold metal streets, and looked in the cold metal buildings where all the cold metal robots were busy doing whatever it was they were doing. And she began to get a little lonely and homesick, and she wondered if she'd made a big mistake wishing for the things she had. She certainly wasn't any happier here. Then she heard something whirring and clacking and grinding behind her. She turned to see a crazy looking robot coming at her!

His arms were swinging and Alyssa felt one cold pincher grab her shoulder. She was trying to run but the robot had a firm grip on her arm, and she dropped the crystal! She knew she was done for now, the crystal

had shattered on the cold metal street, and the robot was shaking her and calling her name, "Alyssa, Alyssa, Alyssa!" it kept saying.

And then she woke up, she was in her big comfortable chair at home, and her mother was gently tapping her shoulder and saying "Alyssa, Alyssa, wake up, it's almost time for supper." It had all been a dream, she was safe and had never been so happy to see her mom. She hugged and kissed her mother, then she ran down the hall to the baby's room and kissed him too. Alyssa went running through the house looking for her brother, hopeing maybe she could get him to tease her or pick a fight with her, anything at all, she was just so happy to be home! Alyssa had learned a lot about herself today. She knew now that her life really wasn't so bad, that it was pretty good actually! And there was no place she would rather be than home!

The Rain Angel

Chrissy was a new angel. She had only been in Heaven a few days. Everything was so beautiful there, and everyone was so nice. And even though she was the newest angel she had been given a very important task. Chrissy was in charge of the rain. Every week, on Monday and Thursday, she had to be sure that the clouds opened up and spread their raindrops all over the world. Because every so often, every living thing on the earth needed rain.

The trees needed the rain to grow tall and strong. The grass needed the rain to

stay green, and the cattails needed it to be soft and furry.

All the animals had to have

water to drink and to take baths in.

And of course the many flowers needed the

rain to look lovely and smell wonderful. Making the rain come was a very important job! But no one had told Chrissy how to make it rain, and she didn't know what to do.

Chrissy asked one of the older angels if he could help her. "Well," said the old one, "the angel that had the job before you used to tell sad storys to the clouds, and that made them cry." But Chrissy was a very happy little angel and she didn't know any sad tales. So she didn't think that would work. One night Chrissy flew up to see the Man In The Moon to ask him if he knew how to make it rain.

"Hmnnn," said the moon as he thought about the question. "You might try pinching the clouds to see if that would make them cry." But Chrissy didn't want to hurt the clouds and so she decided that was not a good idea. What was she to do, it hadn't rained for more than a week, she had to think of something soon!

The next morning, as the little angel was walking around Heaven, skipping from cloud to cloud, she heard someone giggling. It was the little cloud she was walking on! Chrissy bent down and asked the fluffy white cloud what was so funny. "It's your toes," replied the soft one, "They tickle us when you walk!" "Oh, I'm so sorry," said Chrissy, "I shall try to be more careful." "No, no, please don't," said the cloud, "We love to be tickled. It makes us laugh so hard we almost cry! Well, that gave Chrissy an idea! She bid the cloud goodbye and went off to think.

The next day was Monday, and it was raining all over the world! And there was a very strange sight in Heaven! Little Chrissy was running and skipping and wiggling her toes across all the clouds in the sky. The clouds were giggling and laughing so hard that tears were coming to their eyes! And the tears were falling to earth and making a wonderful rain. The grass was getting greener, the trees were growing taller, the flowers were looking lovelier than ever and all the animals had water again. Everything looked bright and fresh and happy. The little angel named Chrissy had done a wonderful job and she still does it to this very day.

So the next time it rains in your part of the world, just think of Chrissy, way up in Heaven, tickling all the clouds with her toes. And if you should hear some thunder don't be frightened. Sometimes the clouds laugh so hard it sounds like a roar, but they're really just having a lot of fun.

Lavinia's Treasure
Lavinia Mudwallow lay flat on her tummy in the midst of Grandmas neatly planted flower garden, contentedly thumping her tail. Lavinia was watching butterflies. Lavinia LOVED butterflies. Almost as much as she loved rolling in the dirt. Which is how Lavinia Mudwallow had come to earn her name in the first place.

For Lavinia, there was simply no better place in the whole wide world to watch butterflies, than Grandmas garden. Filled with vibrant colors and soft sweet scents, Grandma's yard was truly a magnet for the most beautiful of those gracefully fluttering creatures. Lavinia sighed happily, then yawned and thumped her tail some more.

"Neek?", came a plaintive sound, interrupting the tranquil scene, causing Lavinia perk up her ears and still her tail in mid-wag. "Neek?" came the sound again, louder now, from somewhere beneath the fragrant lilac hedge. Lavinia cocked her head to one side, as a puzzled look crossed her face. It certainly sounded like an "I'm Lost!" to her.

Quietly, the roly-poly Lavinia Mudwallow got to her feet and stretched. She ambled slowly towards the spot from whence the sound had come. A twig crackled, and Lavinia paused, listening intently. All of a sudden, amidst a great mass of lavender flowers, there appeared a tiny, amber-eyed little creature. As it struggled to extricate itself from the last bit of blossoms, the tiny thing stumbled, landing smack on its chin near Lavinia's feet. "Neek!", it complained loudly. "Neek!". Lavinia Mudwallows tail began wagging a mile a minute. She approached the tiny bit and sniffed it ever so carefully to make certain it was what she thought it was. It was indeed. Lavinia opened her mouth very wide. You could see ALL of her sharp teeth. "NEEK, NEEK, NEEK!", the frightened little thing screamed, and threw itself to the ground, paws over its eyes. Lavinia picked it up ever so gently in her mouth, the same way shed have carried a new puppy. It flailed wildly about, twisting and turning and trying to escape. Lavinia turned and trotted back towards the house, going very carefully through the dog door so that she didnt harm her treasure. Gently she climbed the stairs, taking care not to jostle it, as she padded down the hall towards the sunny playroom. Amanda Gray sat on the floor, busily sorting through the toybox. Her brother Timothy was sprawled sideways in an oversized wingback chair, knees draped casually over the arm, deeply engrossed in a book. Sam Cat, perched comfortably on Timothys stomach, appeared to be helping him turn pages.

At Lavinias approach, Sam Cat abruptly flung himself off Timothy, and rocketed across the room to see what was struggling, and flapping about so determinedly, in Lavinias mouth. Whatever it was, it was beginning to get pretty soggy, that was for sure.

Sam gave it one startled look and then tore out of the room, in search of Timothy and Amandas Grandma. Timothy, still deeply engrossed in his book, was not paying the slightest bit of attention, and Amanda was mostly upside down as she leaned over the side of the big wooden toy chest. Lavinia walked silently up to Timothy and unceremoniously dropped the gooey mass onto his stomach. "NEEEEK!", it screeched indignantly, at the very top of its little lungs. "Aaaaaaaa!", yelped a startled Timothy, and shot straight up in his chair. Tiny, sharp nails gripped Timothys tshirt as the terrified little thing tried to keep from being catapulted into the air. Sitting up now, his book in a heap on the floor, Timothys hands firmly gripped the arms of the chair as he leaned over and peered intently into the bright amber eyes of the disheveled little thing on his lap.

"What the heck is THIS?" he demanded of Lavinia, who at the moment was looking extraordinarily pleased with herself.

Amanda Grey backed out of the toybox to see what all the commotion was about. "Oh, WOW!", she said excitedly, "Lavinia found a kitten". Without bothering to stand up, she quickly scurried across the room on her knees, stopping at the side of Timothys chair. "I dont THINK so, Amanda", her brother said levelly, as the tiny thing made itself at home on Timothys knee. It was trying to shake some of Lavinias drool off of one downy wing which seemed to have appeared from nowhere. Amandas eyes grew big and round as she met her brothers equally startled gaze. "GRANDMAAAA!", Amanda shouted over her shoulder. "Come QUICK!" Grandma, led by Sam Cat, who had already alerted her, appeared, as if on cue, at the door. "Grandma", said Amanda Grey matter-of-factly, "You had better come look at this. Youre never going to believe what Lavinia just found".

"Oh my!", Grandma said to Lavinia, pausing to reach down and pat her head. "What a good girl you are!". Lavinia smiled happily and wagged her tail even harder. "Neek!", the little voice protested to Grandma. "Neek!". "I had thought they were all gone by now", mused Grandma, as she knealt and stroked the delicate little head. It arched its back to meet her gentle touch.

"Its purring", said Timothy, thoroughly fascinated by whatever this was, perching precariously on his knee. "They all do that", Grandma replied. The three of them watched as the little wings fluttered and it raised one paw to wash its intelligent little face. Sam Cat stood on his hind legs to take a closer look, then turned and looked into Grandmas eyes. Sam Cat had thought they were all gone as well. "May we keep it?" Amanda asked quietly.

"Its welcome to stay", replied her Grandma. "Do you have a name, dear?", Grandma inquired of the pretty creature, "Would you like to stay?" Grandma leaned forward so she could hear the reply more clearly. Obligingly the little chin raised and appeared to whisper something into Grandmas ear. The ghost of a smile played around the corners of Grandmas mouth as she turned and told Amanda, "She says her name is Isadora LeChat, and yes, shed like very much to live here ". Timothys finger gently traced the outline of one little wing, folded now against the fur, all but invisible to those who had not seen it extended. The purring grew louder when the creature made its way back from Timothys kneecap, and curled itself into a contented ball on his lap. "What IS she Grandma?", asked Amanda, totally captivated by this pretty little creature. "Shes pretty rare, isnt she?". Grandma nodded, her eyes alight with both delight and amusement. "Yes, dear, she is. Very rare."

The Sleepmaster
"Time for bed, Stephen!"

Mom's words floated up the stairs and found Stephen working on a baseball player he was modeling out of clay. "Just ten more minutes, Mom! Please?" "Ten minutes it is, and not a moment longer young man!" Stephen returned to shaping the bat his figure would be holding. Time passed quickly.

A shadow fell over him and his mother's stern words had their desired effect. "Now, Stephen! Your time was up five minutes ago. I don't want you starting school this year with bags under your eyes!" "Right!" he said as he hurried off to the bathroom for the ritual face washing and teeth brushing. Returning with his pajamas on, Stephen turned back the bed covers and climbed in for what he knew would be a long sleepless night. "Click". The bedside lamp was off. His eyes adjusted to the darkness.

The full moon was shining through his window and casting moonbeams across his covers. His thoughts of school, a new teacher, and a new schedule were not pleasant ones. He always felt uneasy at the beginning of a new school year. As he lay in the darkness his mind began picturing what the following day might bring. He saw other students laughing at him for dropping his books or going into the wrong classroom. These visions gave way to thoughts of a bully stealing his lunch money or picking a fight. As he turned on his side, Stephen tried to think about more pleasant things. He imagined the baseball player coming to life and being his best friend, teaching him all about the game, and going with him to the other kids' houses. He thought about how jealous they would be. Then he relived the moment that summer when he had made an impossible catch and won the game against the team from Oakridge. Sounds of cheers were ringing in his ears and he could still feel the hands of his teammates slapping him on the back and their excited voices as they told him what a great catch it had been.

Now lying on his back, Stephen didn't think he would ever go to sleep. It seemed as if he had been lying there for hours and yet, when he looked at the clock with the lighted dial that sat on his nightstand, he saw that he had only been in bed for half an hour. He sighed. The moonlight on his covers seemed to have become a little brighter. Stephen figured it was just another trick his mind sometimes played when time seemed endless. Restless, he turned on his left side and faced the wall. "What seems to be the problem?" Stephen opened his eyes, sat up, and looked around. Had someone said something to him, or had his mind invented a voice? In the moonlit room he didn't see anything unusual. "I've done everything I can to help you sleep but it doesn't seem to do any good. Don't you think you could learn to relax a little?" The voice was faint, but sounded like it was coming from the foot of the bed. Surely, this was his imagination! He didn't feel scared; the voice didn't sound threatening. "Where are you?" whispered Stephen. "I can hear you but I can't see you. If you don't show yourself I'm going to turn on the light!" "If you do I'll disappear. If you close your eyes and breath slowly you might be able to see me. Go ahead, try it!" Stephen closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths and then slowly opened them as the air in his lungs quietly escaped. As if looking through a piece of gauze he could barely make out the form of a tiny man dressed in an old-fashioned suit and a stove pipe hat sitting at the foot of his bed.

"I think I can see you now," said Stephen. "Who are you and what are you doing in my room?" Stephen looked around to see if he could make out the forms of any other night visitors. Only his stuffed animals and a few figures he had made could be seen in the moonlight, looking down on him from their usual places on the bookshelves that lined his room. "My name is not important," the man said, "but if you must call me something you can call me Arthur. I'm here because you are having such a hard time going to sleep and it is distracting me beyond belief!" "I don't understand," said Stephen. "Why do you care if I sleep and, more importantly, why are you here?" "All right, perhaps it would help if I started from the beginning rather then the middle. I've been watching kids for hundreds of years, helping them get some sleep when it looked like they needed it. You, though, are impossible. I whispered in your ear for an hour trying to get you to relax. All the old methods just didn't seem to work. I've only allowed myself to be seen by a few other kids over the years. Tommy Edison was one, Micky Mantle another." "Is sleep all that important?" asked Stephen. "It seems like someone here is over-reacting a little and it isn't me, if you know what I mean!" Arthur rose to his feet and began pacing back and forth. "If you don't sleep, you don't dream," he said, waving his hands above his head. "If you don't dream, you don't get ideas. Getting ideas can make the world a better place, and that's what it's all about. Besides, sleeping clears the head and gives you a clean slate to start with each day. It's so important that over a thousand of us have been assigned to watch just the kids in this country. My job is extremely important and I do it with pride. You were threatening to break my record tonight. I couldn't let that happen, so I made it possible for you and I to have this little chat. There's a safeguard built in so you won't remember any of this when we're done. Deep down, though, below your active thinking level, you'll remember." As Arthur talked, Stephen watched him walking back and forth on the foot of the bed, and was entranced by the small glowing footprints on the bedcovers that faded away after a few seconds. ".....different technique if you don't mind." "What?" Stephen asked. "I'm sorry I must have been day-dreaming." "That's cute, kid. I'll have to remember that one for the annual convening. I was saying that I'd like to try a different technique with you and see if it works. How about it? Are you willing to give it a try? Nothing painful, I assure you. Strictly mental." "Sure, let's try it," Stephen said. "For all I know, I'm dreaming now." "Wouldn't that be nice. Here's what I want you to do. Get in the position you're most comfortable with and breath deeply, letting the air out slowly." Stephen lay on his side and took a deep breath, letting it out as directed. "Now, I want you to pretend your feet are made of stone. They're so heavy you can't move them. Close your eyes and concentrate." After a short while, Stephen actually began to feel that his feet were two rocks attached to his ankles. "Now it's your legs that are the heavy weights, then everything below your waist. I want you to continue with this until everything from your neck on down is immovable." Stephen did as he was instructed, and by the time he reached his neck he was very tired and relaxed.

"All right, kid, the next one's your eyelids. There's no way you can open your eyes." After a few moments Arthur knew that his task was finished. Stephen was asleep. A small smile appeared on Arthur's face as he gently faded from the foot of the bed. All that remained were two glowing footprints bathed in moonlight. In a twinkling, they were gone as well. There was a knock on the bedroom door. "Stephen, you're going to be late if you don't get up soon!" The sound of his mother's voice awakened him. "Did you sleep well, honey?" "Sure did, mom! I feel great! I was so tired I didn't even dream. When does the bus get here?"

The Wonderful Thing

Of all the activities in Kindergarten, Hannah liked 'making things' the best. Last Tuesday, while the children were busy at the work table making boats, Hannah was making something different, something special, something that was really quite wonderful. She started out with an empty margarine tub. All around it, on the top and bottom, inside and out, she glued several scraps of blue cloth, pieces of pink tissue paper, two tufts of white cotton wool, a handful of multicoloured confetti, some crumpled silver foil, a few green plastic twisty things, and a generous shaking of glittery stuff. When she decided it was finished, when it was Just Right, Hannah knew it was the most Wonderful Thing she had ever made and was very proud of herself. She smiled. The teacher, Miss. Jones, came over to Hannah, saw the Wonderful Thing and said; "That's lovely Hannah. What kind of a boat is it supposed to be?" But before Hannah could explain that it wasn't a boat, it was something special, Peter John Anderson looked across the work table and said; "What a silly boat! Look at mine Miss Jones, mine has a sail!" "Yours is a nice boat too, P.J, very good." Miss Jones said and she moved further along the work table. Hannah frowned. When Mother came to pick Hannah up from school, she looked at the Wonderful Thing in Hannah's hand and said; "How pretty? Did you make it all by yourself? What is it? Watch out for the cars, dear. Come along, we'll cross now." Hannah frowned. When they got home Hannah put the Wonderful Thing she had made on the hall table. Her big brother Matthew saw it and said; "Cool! What's that, some kind of space ship or something?" But he didn't wait for an answer, he was on his way out to play with his new basketball. Hannah frowned.

Jemma, Hannah's older sister, said; "What do boys know, anyone can see it's a jewellery box." She picked up the Wonderful Thing and said; "It's cute, how does it open?" But when the telephone rang, Jemma put it down quickly and ran down the hall calling "I'll get it!". Hannah frowned. Father came home from work and when Hannah showed him what she had made he smiled and said; "Wow, that's really good. I'm not sure what it is or what it's supposed to do, but it's very good indeed. That's my girl." He kissed Hannah on the top of her head and went into the kitchen to talk with Mother. Hannah frowned. Later that evening Grandma stopped by for a quick cup of tea. When she saw the Wonderful Thing on the hall table she stopped and gasped; "Oh my goodness, just look at this will you! Who made this?" Grandma bent down and looked at the Wonderful Thing from all sides. She carefully turned it around and gently touched every piece of plastic and paper and bit of cloth on it, uttering lots of "Oooos" and "Ahhhhs" while doing so. "Hannah," she said "you made this didn't you? Now this is something very special, a work of art, a Wonderful Thing! I haven't seen one of these in years. It's different from the ones I remember but by far the most beautiful I have ever seen." Grandma gave Hannah a hug, smiled and sighed. She said, "My, my, my" and "What a Wonderful Thing" and "You must be Very Proud". Then she stood there with her arm around Hannah and looked at the Wonderful Thing for such a long time, her tea was cold when she finally got around to drinking it. Hannah smiled.

"Oh Mum. Why can't I go outside to play with the other children?" whined Sally Applebarrel. "You know why, dear. Besides, Dr Twigg is coming to see you any minute. Now run along and get washed up, like a good little girl".

Sally huffed and puffed, but it didn't do any good, so she finally wandered off to get cleaned up before their visitor arrived.

There was a knock at the door. "Good morning Doctor Twigg", Sally's mum greeted the doctor as she swung open the door. "How are you?" The Doctor's face was covered in the largest bushiest beard anybody had ever seen. Little Sally hadn't been feeling well for months and months, and although Doctor Twigg had been visiting Sally almost daily, always bringing with him the latest medicines, he hadn't yet been able to find a cure for Sallly's mystery illness. "Good morning to you, Mrs Applebarrel, said Dr. Twigg. And how are you this fine day?" Sally peeked around the corner. "Ah, good morning Sally", said Dr. Twigg, beaming a great big smile in her direction. "Are you feeling well today, young lady?," "I'm just a little bit tired Doctor. But I would like to go outside and play with my friends. Please tell my Mummy it would be alright," pleaded Sally. "Very well Sally, tell your mother I said you may, but on one condition. Stay away from Black Heart forest". Black Heart forest was dark and spooky and strange things had been known to happen there. Sally wasn't well and Dr. Twigg didn't want her exposed to anything that might place her in danger. His warning expressed his concern for his favourite little patient. "Alright, I promise, Dr. Twigg", agreed Sally. "Mummy, I'm going out to play, smiled Sally. Doctor Twigg says I can. I'll be back home in time for supper" and with that, a happy Sally dashed out the door, off to meet her friends, Mary and Saul, the local Blacksmith's children. Mary and her little brother Saul were regular visitors to Black Heart forest. The pair loved playing tag in the shadows of the tall dark trees. "Come on Sally, let's play hide and seek!" yelled Mary, and the three of them scampered off. Suddenly Sally stopped. "Wait!" she cried. "I can't go into that spooky old forest. Ive promised my Mum and Doctor Twigg." At that Saul began to dance around Sally, taunting her with "Scaredy-cat, Scaredy-cat". "Who's a scaredy, scaredy cat then?" asked Mary with a sniff. "There's nothing to be afraid of, Sally. We've never seen anything spooky, have we Saul?". Saul started to shake his head then paused. "Well....there is that

strange old woman who lives in the cottage down by the stream. But its not that spooky....". Still, Saul shuddered ever so slightly when Sally wasnt watching. In truth, she was sort of spooky. The old woman always dressed in black and was thought to live all alone. For years most of the villagers had privately referred to her as a witch, but not one of them was interested in venturing into the forest to find out if she really was or not. "What could be so spooky about an old lady's cottage?" asked Sally curiously. "Well", said Saul pausing briefly, "It's got a large black cauldron outside which bubbles away night and day". "It smells horrible too," added Mary. "I could tell you whether a cottage and a cauldron is spooky or not, said Sally. But I'd have to see it first, wouldn't I? Come on then.... And just like that....Doctor Twiggs warning was forgotten. Sally's mind was now racing with excitement as they wandered deeper and deeper into the woods. She wanted to see the cauldron and the cottage, and the old woman who lived there. "Ive just remembered something", Sally told Mary. "I must be home in time for supper, I've promised my Mum. Its funny how she remembered that part of her promise. She had certainly forgotten all about Dr. Twigg's warning. The three children ran through the forest. After a while Mary stopped. "I'm thirsty", she said. "Lets go down to the stream near the cottage so I can get a drink of water".

This was Sally's chance to see the old woman's cottage for herself. And sure enough, just across the stream, the old thatched cottage came into view. It had small round windows, an iron studded front door, and a large cauldron was busily bubbling away in the front garden. As her friends were drinking Sally carefully made her way over a old rickety bridge and edged towards the small untidy garden near the front door. Suddenly the cottage door burst open and out ran a little girl, followed closely by a small black kitten.

The little girl caught sight of Sally and stopped in her tracks. "Hello!" she said curiously. "Who are you?" Sally was surprised at how nice she seemed.

"Hello", Sally replied. "My name is Sally Applebarrel. I'm from the village. Thats a nice kitten you have there? May I stroke him please?" asked Sally. "No", snapped the little girl with a frown. "He'll scratch you. He doesn't like strangers" But then the little girl stopped frowning. "How old are you Sally Appletree?", she asked curiously. Sally began to giggle. "You've got my name wrong, its not Appletree, it's Applebarrel. And I'm eleven years old. How old are you?" "I'm eleven too" said the little girl. "But only for two more days after today, and then it'll be my birthday. I'm having a birthday party", she sniffed, "but you can't come, because only other witches are invited". Sally stood there quite silently for a moment wondering whether she had heard the little girl correctly, then looked around nervously to see where her friends were. "Uhh.... did you say witches?," she asked.. "Of course I did. I'm not a boring little girl like you. I'm a little witch, so I can work magic spells. And I'm not supposed to play with children like you. So go away. Get out of my Grandmothers garden before I put a spell on you! The little girl began to say some magic words and Sally became rather frightened. She turned around and began to run. Sally wasn't about to stay behind to find out what those strange words the little witch had begun chanting actually meant. Sally dashed across the bridge and rejoined her friends. She whispered shakily that the little witch had said she was going to put a spell on them if they didn't leave right away, so the three of them turned and began to run as fast as they could. The little witch had definitely frightened them. When they reached the edge of the forest they stopped to catch their breath."What a nasty rude girl she turned out to be, grumbled Mary in a trembling voice. "Well, I hope she has a horrible birthday party," sobbed a thoroughly frightened Sally, who by now was gasping for air. The three children were still trembling when a large figure suddenly came into view, causing them to huddle together even closer. "Now what's all this, then? What have we here?", asked a booming voice which came from behind a big bushy beard. It was Doctor Twigg, and what a welcome sight he was to the children. Dr. Twigg took in the scene in an instant. Sally was pale as a ghost and she was having trouble catching her breath. "You two kids go straight home to your mother", he told Mary and Saul, "she'll have your supper ready by now. I'll take Sally with me".

On the way home Doctor Twigg quizzed Sally. "You haven't gone anywhere near that old cottage in the forest, have you Sally?, asked the doctor. You didn't drink any of the water from that stream? His voice was grumpy, but he was truly worried.

Sally nodded. "Oh Doctor Twigg.... I feel funny. My head is spinning and my legs are shaky.... I don't know what's wrong with ......" but before Sally could finish her sentence she collapsed. The Doctor quickly scoooped her up in his arms and ran all the way to her house. Sally's mother put her to bed and there she lay, as still as a statue. She wasn't dead, but she didn't look really alive either. "Let her rest," said the doctor to Sally's mother. He looked very worried. He reached into his medical bag and withdrew a small bottle. "Give her this medicine if she wakes", he said. "I'll come back tomorrow to see how she is". As the doctor left the house, Sally's mum was crying silently. But Sally didn't wake up later that day, or the day after that. Very soon word started to spread around the tiny village about just how poorly little Sally was doing. "She's such a sweet little girl, her poor mother must be heart broken," sighed Julia Gunn, the parson's wife. Her neighbor nodded. "The whole village hopes and prays that Sally gets better quickly", she agreed. The news of Sally's strange illness had even reached deep into the forest. A woodcutter, on his way to market had paused to tell an old woman and her granddaughter who lived in a cottage deep in Black Heart forest about the little girl who had collapsed at the edge of the forest. Although the grandaughter was interested in the news the old woman wasn't. She was too busy trying to explain to her granddaughter how important it was to become an evil witch, so she roughly sent the woodcutter on his way and turned to the child again. "Listen to me child", she said sharply. "There are four rules to witchdom. Rule one. Get yourself a black cat. Rule two. Always keep two broomsticks in case one breaks down. Rule three, you should look the part. Try to grow some warts and boils on your nose. Most important however, is rule four. Rule four says Never do a good spell for anybody, especially on your birthday, for to do so would mean that you and all the other witches of the forest would disappear forever. Disappear forever? The very idea sent an ice cold shiver right down the little witch's back.

"Now be off with you... I've got some magic potions to brew", growled the old witch as she shooed the little girl outside, shutting the heavy door behind her.

The little girl soon became very bored. "It's just no fun playing on my own," she sighed, "I wish I had some friends to play with.". As she gently stroked her cat, the little witch remembered Sally and her friends.

"I was very rude to that poor little girl, wasn't I Merlin? Now I've heard she's become ill, and the woodcutter said she's doing poorly". "I wonder if there is anything I can do to help her?", the little witch mused, and then she began to think. "I know!", she told her cat. "I could go visit Sally. Maybe I could put a spell on her to make her well again!," but even as she thought, the warning drifted into her head. She didn't particularly want to be responsible for making all the witches of the forest disappear, now did she?. But after another two hours of boredom she decided to seek out Sally Applebarrel. Even though by now it was getting late in the day, the little girl jumped onto her broomstick and flew through the forest towards the village. Once there she would see if there was anything that could be done.

When she got to the village the little witch noticed that everyone was very quiet. Sally was not doing well. She wasn't doing well at all, and everybody felt terrible about it. "I must do something to help." said the little witch to herself, and headed towards Sally's house. The window to Sally's bedroom was wide open. The little witch quietly climbed through the window and stood next to Sally's bed.

"Sally, please wake up", she whispered. "You can come to my party, and and you can even bring as many friends as you want." But Sally just lay there, and her face against the pillow was very pale and very still. The little witch looked out the bedroom window and in the distance she saw a handful of children still running around and playing games in the moonlight, even though it was now long past eleven in the evening. Nobody in the village could sleep while Sally was so ill, neither the adults, nor the children. Children playing together had always looked so happy and carefree to the little witch. She couldn't remember ever having fun like that, even with her magic spells. In fact, the more she thought about the idea of growing up to become an evil witch, the less she liked the idea. "I don't think I'd like to be a witch anymore. It's dull and boring to have to be nasty to everybody all the time. I'd rather play and have fun like all these children do", she thought to herself. The little witch thought some more. "The thing is..", she told herself, "..if I make Sally well, that would mean all the witches in the forest would disappear, including me. But if I don't try to make her better, I'll never have any friends at all. Ill just become old and lonely, and I'll end up turning the people I don't like into frogs. That's not much of a choice !

The little witch's mind was in a terrible muddle. Just then she heard Sally's mother sobbing quietly in the other room. "My little girl is dying!, she wept. "What can be done to save her?".

The little witch knew Sally's mother was about to come into the bedroom, so she hurriedly tiptoed over to Sally's wardrobe in the corner of the room, stepped inside, and softly pulled the cabinet door almost closed behind her. Sally's mother came into the room and sat on the edge of her daughter's bed. It was now or never for the little witch. Should she sacrifice herself to make Sally well, or leave her to her fate and become a fully-fledged evil witch? The little witch peered out through the crack in the door so she could see the clock on the mantle-piece. It was five past midnight, officially her birthday. She made her decision. She decided to say her magic spell. Sally smile and breathe once more I'll chase the fever from your door. Both eyes open, laugh, be well A gift of life with my last spell. Sally's eyes fluttered and then began to open. A tearful Mrs. Applebarrel gasped and put her hands up to her mouth. "Hello mummy", whispered Sally. "What are you crying for? She smiled up at her mother. "I've just had the most lovely dream. It was about a little witch who turned into a good fairy so that she could make sick children well again with her magic spells". Mrs. Applebarrel was both stunned and thrilled. She quickly sent a neighbor to fetch Dr. Twigg. When he arrived, he examined Sally and told her mother that through some miracle Sally seemed to be as fit as anyone he had ever seen. The villagers prayers had surely been answered. By morning, the news had spread through the village and beyond. Everyone was happy. A few days later, the woodcutter mentioned to some friends in the village that the inhabitants of the cottage in the forest must have moved away suddenly, because the place looked to him as if everybody had simply up and disappeared. Not long afterwards, on very starry night, Sally was lying in her bed, nearly sound asleep, when a beautiful pink light began to fill her room. "Hello Sally". A lovely child's voice came from within the light. "Remember me? I'm the little witch you met in the forest. I wanted to help sick children so I was turned into the good fairy you dreamed of. I'm so glad that you're well again, but I have a favor to ask of you. Please find my kitten and take care of him for me. Rename him 'Lucky', Sally. I think he'll like that don't you?". But before Sally could answer the soft light began to fade away. Please, Sally?, she heard. And the light slowly dimmed until it completely disappeared. I'll take care of him forever, I promise. And thank you for taking care of me, my friend., said Sally.

The next day Sally went into the forest and rescued the little cat. And true to her word, she renamed him Lucky. The lucky kitten would spend the rest of his life with Sally, a constant reminder that the two of them owed their lives to a little girl who chose to put others before herself. And always would.

The Pioneer Princess

Hildegard Hannah was an alien from another world. At least thats what everybody at school said. It didnt help things that she talked to the moon. And ate peanut butter, tomato and marshmallow sandwiches. She also thought when there was a fingernail moon, that God was scratching back the sky with his pinky finger to check to see what earthlings were up to. So, mostly at school, she was alone. Everybody thought she was weird. And then, one day her whole life changed. She awoke one morning and her dad was gone. Her mom said he had awakened in the middle of the night, and said he had to have Jamocha Almond Pineapple Fudge ice cream, his absolute favorite in the whole wide world. So he went to the grocery store, in the middle of the night, for ice cream. And he never came back. The police looked into it, but could find no answers. Her mom said that her dad had really seemed sad, lately. And Hil noticed that he had stopped singing songs and snapping his fingers to the radio, like he always did. But he had still called her his "sugar pie, honey bun."

For a long time, her mother cried, and ate potato chips with guacamole dip in front of the TV. Or, she would lay on the couch in her old bathrobe and read romance novels, which made her cry even more.

Until, one day, she found out she was pregnant. Then she cried even harder. But she stopped eating junk. And when the doctor told her the baby was going to be a girl, she decided to let Hil name her, even before she born. Hil decided to name her sister "Bella Rose." Her teacher, Miss Rodriguez, said one time that Bella, in Spanish, meant beautiful. Hil was so excited about Bella Rose, that she decided to write to her, telling her about the world and stuff. When Hil was small, her dad had always told her to dream big and to see the beauty in everything that people missed everyday.

So Hil began to look at things differently than most people. And she dreamed up ideas about stuff. She wanted Bella to be a dreamer, too. Cause her dad said dreamers saw things through different eyes, and they could change the world. This made it easier for Hil at school whenever she felt odd and different, and the other kids laughed at her.

"Im Columbus, Im Galileo, Im Lewis and Clark, Im a pioneer princess warrior, and I've been born to make a difference!" she would cry, raising an imaginary sword to the sky, and swiping it a couple of times.

Hil bought herself a spiral notebook to write letters to Bella in. She drew flowers and birds and stars on it. She cut out pretty pictures from magazines and glued those on the cover, too. She decided to call it, "The Secrets to Life and Stuff," by Hildegard Anastasia Hannah.

Hildegard bought a lavender colored pen, because she loved the color. She thought it would be soft and pretty for Bella to read her words in such a nice color. She also liked the word "lavender." She almost suggested that her mom name the baby Lavender Rose. But she had decided she liked Bella better. And so, this is how she began to tell her stories to her future baby sister. She wrote in nice, neat letters on the front cover, "The Secrets to Life and Stuff", and then, opening the notebook, she wrote:

When it snows outside, all soft and pretty, its cause the devils salting the earth real good, so he can eat it. But God wont let him, cause were not supposed to be eaten. God told the devil to eat some macaroni and cheese, or something, if he was hungry. But he likes Jalapeno peppers cause they burn your mouth up, and remind him of his home, it being so hot down there, and all.

When it rains, Gods crying real hard. Cause He loves us, but we cant seem to get it through our heads. So He cries, and his tears make flowers, and rivers, and give us water to drink. Cause then, maybe if we see the things He does for us, well figure it out. Parents make you eat vegetables and stuff, so they dont have to eat them. When you go to bed, they eat M&Ms and brownies and drink grape Kool-Aid and stuff, and dance on the furniture. Pets are really aliens. Theyve been trying to tell us this all along. But we cant understand the sounds they make. They came from Gods house. And He told them that we needed help. That it was hard for us to love each other, no matter what. So He made animals to love us. Even when we have bad breath, and havent taken a bath. The sky is really the sea turned upside down. God put cellophane in between, so we wouldnt get wet. The sun is a big hunk of warm butter and the moon is a floating pearl. The stars are left over diamonds from heaven, that God didnt need. He just threw them on the sea of sky. To tell us that thats what He thinks about them. In heaven, He uses them on the streets. He wants us to know that its us people that are the most important of all. Dad hasnt really forgotten us. He got hit on the head by this rock and got amnesia, and is wandering the earth. Hes got eyes the color of iced tea, and a smile as warm as summer. His laugh is like a dogs bark---strong and hard, and he cries at pretty sunsets.

Hildegard kept the notebook hidden under her bed, next to an old pair of sneakers and a half-eaten bag of Doritos.

Hils mother sat her down one day. "We need to talk," she said, stirring cream into her coffee. "I found your book, under the bed, just south of an old banana peel, and east of a bag of Doritos."

"Its for Bella," Hildegard said proudly. "Hil, you have to stop this nonsense. Your dad wasnt hit by a rock. He doesnt have amnesia. He just left." Tears sprang to Hils eyes. "Have you heard from him?" "No," her mother said, avoiding her eyes. "Well then, how do you know?", she wailed, standing up so fast she almost knocked her mothers mug off the table. "Honey, dont do this to yourself." "Im not doing anything to myself. Rocks fall out of the sky all the time. People trip on banana peels and hit their heads. Thats what hadto have happened. He wouldnt have just left without saying anything."

Hildegard ran to her room. She found her cat, Mylo. She tried to talk to him in alien talk, but he just stared at her, and rubbed his head against her ankles. "Mylo, maybe you can contact your people, cause aliens have x-ray vision and stuff. You could have them look for my dad. Hell be easy to find. Hes got to have a huge bump on his head from that rock that hit him," Hil told Mylo.

Mylo meowed, as if he understood. Hildegard smiled. "I knew youd understand," she said, winking at him.

She went to the window, and gazed at the stars. "God, sir," she said, "this is just between you and me". "Could you maybe drop one of those diamond stars out of the sky, and let it land in our front yard. Cause even though mom doesnt say it, I know we dont have much money. I can tell, cause we eat rice and macaroni a lot now. And mom puts a little sugar in water, rather than buying CocaCola. And she always tells me to turn the lights out when Im not in a room.

We used to buy Mylo food with meat and gravy in it. But now she buys this dry stuff that costs $1.99. Sometimes, when Mylo tries to swallow it, he starts hackin and stuff. Im sure thats because its so dry going down. So if you could see fit to drop a diamond or two out of the sky, Id really appreciate it." Hil had just gone back to her desk to start writing to Bella again, when her mother knocked on the door. "Enter," Hil said. Her mother came in. One hand was on her hip; the other gently rubbed her big stomach. "Theres something I have to tell you," she said, sitting on Hildegards bed. "Is it about Dad?" Hil asked "Well, yes," her mom said. "When I told you I hadnt heard from him, that was true. What I didnt tell you was that I have heard something about him." "And you didnt tell me?" Hil cried. "I didnt want to hurt you," her mom said softly. "What is it?" Her mom looked away from her gaze. "Hes not coming back to us, Hil. His Aunt Zelda called. She knows where he is, but she wont say. She said she thought it was as evil as sin that he didnt at least let us know he was alive. So she called." "I dont understand," Hil said, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

"Baby, Im so so sorry. This is partly my fault," Hil's mom said, pulling her daughter into a hug. "How is it your fault?" asked Hil. "Hes the one that left."

"Its not the first time hes done it, honey. Leaving people, I mean. He had another family before us," her mother said. Hildegard sat stunned. And then she felt something like a thunderstorm gathering in her brain. Her head hurt. "I hate him," she said, bursting into tears. Her mother held her, until she cried herself out.

For a long time after this, Hildegard couldnt write to Bella. She didnt know what to say. How could she tell her baby sister about their dad? She almost wished she could still believe that he had been hit by a rock and got amnesia. Sometimes she got so mad, she thought if she saw him again, maybe shed hit him with a rock, so he did get amnesia. But she didnt really mean this. Cause she really loved him. Thats what really hurt. That he didnt love them. She quit talking to the moon and singing to the radio. At school, when the kids found out about her dad going to get ice cream and never coming back, they said Hil was crazy, just like him. They started calling her "Loony Tunes." "Im not like him, Im not," she had screamed. "I hate him!" When she told her mom what the kids had said, her mother sat her down and made her favorite drink, hot chocolate with cinnamon. "Sometimes," Mrs. Hannah said, "people get hurt real bad, Hil. It causes their heart to get hard, to protect themselves. But just like it protects them from letting anybody into their hearts, it can stop them from letting love out of their hearts. Thats what happened to your dad. He and his mom didnt get along, and his mom didnt get along with her dad. Hes just doing what he saw his parents do." "So, his heart is like a rock?" "You could say that," her mom said. "Your dad had some good parts to him. Its just that the hurt kind of filled up his heart, more than the good." Hil thought about this for a long time. She wanted to keep hating her dad, because then it didnt hurt so much. But she began to think that hating him would make her just as bad as he was. Maybe her heart would become hard too, and maybe shed become an old lady who kicked dogs and hated kids, cause she couldnt love anybody. Everybody said she was just like her dad. She got her notebook to Bella out. She began to write:

People have good parts and bad parts. Turns out our dad didnt get hit by a rock after all. He just left us, before you were born. It didnt have anything to do with you though. Its just that he hurt real bad inside cause he wasnt loved good when he was little. So he didnt know how to love. Though he tried. I know you may get real mad reading this. He sounds really bad. I know, cause I used to hate him. But I don't any more.

Cause I dont want to have my heart hurt so bad, that it becomes hard, so that I cant love anybody. Because then, maybe, my beautiful Bella Rose, when you are born I might not be able love you. And then maybe youd get a rock heart too, because of me. Your sister, (the pioneer princess warrior world changer) Hildegard Anastasia Hannah

The Broken Diamond

These are the diamonds I inherited, said the customer. I want them combined into a magnificent piece of jewelry. All except this diamond. It's broken. I don't even know why it was kept with the good jewelry in the first place. If it were perfect, I'd keep it, of course. But it's not. It's broken. So I don't want it. Do whatever you want with it. And with that, the broken diamond was carelessly tossed on the jewelers counter. The jeweler glanced at the broken diamond, then gently set it aside. At the end of the day the jeweler picked up the broken stone and looked at it more closely. The diamond was indeed damaged. But there was a certain something about that broken stone that still held the jewelers eye. Perhaps that's why the original owner kept it safely in her jewelry box for all those years. How could anyone not appreciate the luminous beauty that still burned so brightly within that diamond, the jeweler wondered? It's the same with people, the jeweler mused. Children can arrive broken too. In this world there are children who are born with Autism, with Down's Syndrome, with Cerebral Palsy. There are so very many things that can suddenly go wrong, and for no apparent reason. Worse, there are so many people who can't begin to see the worth in these children. Families who would just as soon toss their less than perfect children away, without ever really understanding the life and the joy that continues to glow within them. And then the jeweler thought....But if those children are treated gently and surrounded by love, their true worth, the beauty of their very souls can shine, for all the world to see.

The jeweler picked up the broken diamond again. To me you are very beautiful my little friend. I will surround you with light and I will give you the care you deserve. And then, perhaps we'll see who among us is able to recognize your true worth. The jeweler worked long into the night and by the time the sun came up the broken stone had become the centerpiece of a what was earlier a beautifully engraved, but otherwise plain antique gold locket. The broken diamond had been set in the center, and was now surrounded by many smaller diamonds. The jeweler smiled and spoke aloud to the broken diamond. Alright my little friend. You now have a stable home and you can consider yourself surrounded by a circle of love.

The sparkling locket was placed in a luxurious suede box, which joined the other pieces of jewelry in the wonderfully glittering showcase. Day after day, customer after customer admired the locket and commented on how amazingly beautiful it was, but when the jeweler handed them a magnifying glass and told them to look at it more closely and showed them that the center diamond was broken, most said they only wanted something perfect. Never mind little one, the jeweler said to the locket, as each box was being packed away in the big safe every night at closing time. The right person will recognize how special you are. One day a lovely young woman who was wheeling a child's stroller came into the jewelers store. She looked at the shimmering pieces in each of the showcases but nothing seemed to capture her attention. All at once her eyes lit up. Is that a locket? she asked, pointing. The jeweler nodded. That's the most beautiful locket I've ever seen!, she whispered to herself. May I see it please?, she asked. The jeweler took the box containing the locket out of the showcase and handed it to the young mother, while explaining about the broken diamond. But it's so incredibly beautiful, the young woman sighed, as she admired the locket, I look at this and I don't see any damage, I see only the beauty. And look!, she exclaimed with delight, as she opened the locket, There are two frames! I could put pictures of both my husband and my children inside it!.

Suddenly, the handsome little boy in the stroller made a sound. Not a word exactly, but a sound that obviously conveyed meaning to his mother. The woman immediately knelt down and gave him her full attention. After calming him, she gently and lovingly stroked his face. The jeweler looked at the little boy. What's his name?, the jeweler inquired. As she told the jeweler the little boy's name, she smiled happily at her son. It wasn't as though anything was immediatedly apparent, it was more intuition than anything else that led the jeweler to look more closely at the little boy. After a moment the jeweler understood that this was a special child, who had been been blessed with a mother who recognized the beauty of his soul. The child's mother stood and turned back to the jeweler. I already know I can't afford this, but please tell me how much it is anyway. The jeweler checked the tag and told her the price. Ouch!, she sighed, as she reluctantly handed the box back. I'm afraid it's way out of my price range, she smiled ruefully, but thank you so very much for showing it to me. There's just something...something about that locket that reaches right into my heart and calls to me. The jeweler smiled and replied, You have a good eye for beauty. Thank you, she laughed. As the woman turned to go, the jeweler thought for a moment. Leave us your name and address and we'll drop you a note if this piece happens to go on sale. Perhaps your husband will stop by one day and tell us he's decided it would make the perfect gift. I can always dream, the young woman laughed, as she wrote the requested information on a little card. There had been so much interest in the beautiful locket that the jeweler knew it would sell very soon. Nevertheless, it was now carefully set aside in a corner of the big safe and never returned to the showcase for sale. One day a man came into the store and told the jeweler he was looking for something very special for his wife, because he thought his wife was very special herself. The jeweler smiled and invited the young man to share his thoughts. Tell me why she's special. The man spoke with pride and love about his wife, and his little girl, and about their very special little boy. She must be very special indeed, the jeweler said. And what are your children's names? , the jeweler inquired, and the man told him. The jeweler asked the man to wait a moment, telling him that perhaps the perfect gift might just be sitting in the big safe. A moment later the locket was placed on the counter as the jeweler dutifully explained about the broken diamond. The man picked up the box to get a better look. I don't see any damage, the man said softly, as he examined the locket, I see only beauty.

It was very clear to the jeweler that this family would forever appreciate the beauty and the sparkling life that shone so brightly in the little broken diamond. The jeweler had already seen first hand how much the pretty young woman and her husband loved and appreciated their special little boy. This is wonderful locket, the man sighed. It would make my wife so very happy. How much is it?, he asked. And the jeweler told him. That price simply can't be right!, said the man in surprise. Don't get me wrong, he said, with a winsome smile and a twinkle in his eye, I'd be thrilled if that really was the price, but I know it can't be. You'd be giving it away at that price, and I don't want to cheat you. The jeweler just smiled. No, you won't be cheating me. It's just so happens that your timing was perfect. This locket just went on sale. Wow!, the man said in amazement. He marveled at his good fortune while the jeweler finished gift wrapping his purchase. Thank you so much! My wife will absolutely fall in love with this locket!, he called to the jeweler as he cheerfully headed out the door. The jeweler smiled and silently thought, She already has, son.

The Magic Watch

Grandma, is there such a thing as a magic watch?, asked Amanda Gray? Amandas Grandma looked up from her computer. Why do you ask dear?, she inquired.

Because I was looking at this watch catalog and it says Time Travelers on the front. I figured they must be magic watches to travel through time.

Amandas Grandma smiled. Let me see, she said, holding out her hand for the catalog.

Amanda scrambled up from where she sat on the rug and handed the glossy catalog to her Grandmother, who glanced at the front and back covers. You know whose catalog this is, dont you? she asked Amanda. Amanda shook her head. See? Amandas Grandmother said, pointing to the name, Gray & Sons, on the back. Thats the same Mr. Gray who lives next door. He and his family are jewelers. Amanda raised her eyebrows. Is Mr. Gray a Time Traveler?, she asked. Amandas Grandma smiled. Well, in a manner of speaking, yes. What Mr. Gray sells is Estate Jewelry and fine, pre-owned Swiss Watches. His jewelry and his watches are very pretty and of very good quality. They're lovely things, that just happen to have been owned by other people first. Lavinia Mudwallow is a pre-owned dog, right?, asked Amanda, gesturing to the plump black Laborador Retriever who lay on her back next to Grandmas chair, sound asleep, with all four feet in the air. Exactly, said Grandma with a laugh. She smiled fondly at the slumbering dog who was clearly dreaming about chasing something. Lavinia's paws made sporadic running motions, and every once in a while a series of quiet little woofs would erupt.. You remember that our friend Cathy had Lavinia before we did, but when she found she couldnt keep her, Cathy gave Lavinia to us. You know, Cathy originally paid quite a lot of money for Lavinia. The fact that we got Lavinia second doesnt make her worth any less, does it? Amanda shook her head. And we love her, and were delighted that shes part of our family, right? Amanda nodded. Well, its pretty much the same with things like fine watches and jewelry, she explained. One of two things can happen when something of very good quality has been owned by somebody else first. Either you can save a lot of money when you buy it, or, if it was owned by somebody particularly interesting, and theres a record of that ownership, then whatever it is can actually become a collectors item. You might even find yourself owning something worth a small fortune. Why?, asked Amanda. Because of the thing's history. Its what they call an items Provenance, said Grandma. I dont understand, said Amanda. Well, lets use your bicycle as an example. That bike belonged to your brother Timothy first, right? And when we offered to get you a new bike for your birthday, you said youd rather let Timothy get a new one so you could have his old bike. Amanda nodded enthusiastically. Because thats the bike Timothy used when he raced Billy Wilson. Thats the fastest bike in the whole wide world. Its a lot more interesting than any new bike. she said. Grandma smiled. Exactly, she nodded. Cool! said Amanda. Does that mean my bike is worth a small fortune?.

Well.said Grandma. Worth is relative. To somebody else, that might be just a second-hand bike. But to you, that pre-owned bike was worth just as much as, or more than, a brand new bike, wasnt it?. Amanda thought for a moment. Youre absolutely right, she said. Amanda reached for the catalog again, glancing with new interest at the sparkly things in the Estate Jewelry section. What kind of stuff do you have, Grandma?, she asked. Stuff? Watches and jewelry you mean?, Grandma inquired. Amanda nodded. Actually, Im partial to interesting things. I rather prefer older things, things with a great deal of character. Like Grandpa?, asked Amanda. Amandas Grandma burst out laughing. Ill tell you what, she said, still giggling. Your Grandpas got a birthday coming up. I was thinking about getting him something special for his present this year. Thats why weve got this catalog. Suppose you see if you can't find something in there that would be a nice present, and Ill call Mr. Gray and tell him you and I will stop by his place this afternoon. Maybe while were there we can talk him into showing us some of his special things. Amanda was instantly alert. Special ? What kind of special? Oh, I'll let him show you, said Grandma, with a mysterious smile. Mr. Gray doesnt allow very many people to see his very special things, so whatever it is he shows us will have to be our secret. Assuming he'll show them to us at all, that is. Wow, said Amanda. I can keep a secret. Hurry up and call him!. Then Amanda paused for a moment. Hey wait a minute, Grandma, she said, with a thoughtful look on her face. I was wondering something. How come Mr. Gray has the same last name as me?. Does that mean that we're from the same family? Amanda's Grandma smiled. Well, not that I know of, dear, but certainly stranger things have happened. I've heard of people who have known each other all their lives, and some who lived literally a stone's throw from each other, but never even knew that they were part of the same family. But you know, lots of people do share the same last name. One of these days we'll get into the subject of genealogy, but right now, let's stick to watches, shall we?. . Amanda nodded enthusiastically.

Mr. Gray was showing a gold watch to a handsome man with broad shoulders, when Amanda and her Grandma arrived, so Mr. Grays friend and employee, Junior welcomed them to the store. He shook Amanda and Grandma's hands and told them that Mr. Gray would be with them in just a minute or two.

Well hey there, Amanda, said Junior, Good timing, he smiled, nodding his head towards the counter. This place has been full of famous people today. Amanda glanced around, then her eyes grew wide and she tugged excitedly at her Grandmothers sleeve. Pssstt, Grandma! Do you know who that IS? she said, gesturing towards the handsome actor at the counter, who was busy talking with Mr. Gray. Grandma glanced over her shoulder. Oh honey, there are movie stars in here all the time, I cant keep track of them all. But Amanda's Grandma took her sunglasses off and turned back to take a second look. Oh my goodness, she said to Amanda. He IS pretty good looking, isnt he? Ill say, said Amanda. The handsome movie star smiled at Grandma and gave Amanda a wink on his way out the door with his purchase. Sorry to keep you waiting, said Mr. Gray to Amandas Grandma. He then turned to Amanda. Hi Amanda., he said. Boy, have you grown. Youre about a foot taller than you were last week, arent you?

Amanda rolled her eyes and smiled. Mr. Gray you are SO silly, she said.

Mr. Gray just laughed. Mr. Gray, were shopping for a special present for Amanda's Grandpa. We're going to buy him a watch. Have you decided what youre looking for?, Mr. Gray asked. Weve got all kinds, including chronometers. We want something special, said Amanda. Something very special.

Well, said Mr. Gray thoughtfully, That's the only kind of things we carry here. Special. Let's look around, shall we? We'll start with this case over here.

Most people tend to take watches for granted, Amanda, but they're actually pretty interesting things. You know the earliest watches have been around since the year 1500 or so. Say, do you know what a chronometer is?, he asked Amanda shook her head. A chronometer is a watch that keeps the correct time with extraordinary precision. Before the times of wireless communication and global positioning satellites, navigation on the open seas was done by measuring the position of the sun at exactly 12:00 noon. You know, on the equator, if your marine chronometer was off by as much as one second it could mean an error in determining your ship's position by more than 400 metres! Whoa!, said Amanda. You could get really lost!. Mr. Gray nodded. In order for a watch to be called a chronometer it must have passed a special test performed by the Official Swiss Chronometer Control. In 1995, only seven companies manufactured watches that were good enough to pass the test. 29,000 watches failed the exam. Bummer, said Amanda. I've got a teacher who grades like that. Mr. Gray laughed. And out of the roughly 812,000 that did pass, 83% were manufactured by Rolex. They do good work, huh?, asked Amanda. You bet, he replied. Rolex is a high quality mechanical watch. Many watch companies today mass produce Quartz watches, he said. When you have a lot of ordinary things being made, those things can't be considered valuable. And understandably, they don't cost very much to make in the first place. That's because they're manufactured of ordinary, instead of high quality materials. Some are designed to look like they're made of gold, but they're not real gold. They might be an inexpensive gold-colored metal, or maybe a metal with a very thin layer of real gold on top. But if you wear that watch everyday, and most people do, the coating will eventually wear off, and you'll probably end up with a green arm. Amanda started to giggle. That happened to me once, she said. Mr. Gray smiled. That probably happened to all of us when we were kids. The material the watch case is made of is a major factor in evaluating the value of a wristwatch. The most desirable of course, is platinum, followed by 18kt gold, 14kt, 10kt. and so on and so forth. Got it, said Amanda. Most of the mass-produced watches you'll find on the market today while not precision instruments, actually work reasonably well. But they might not work very long. That's because they're not really designed to last. There are a lot of throw-away products around lately. When that type of watch breaks, if you take it in for repair, you'll most likely be told that it would cost more to try to repair it than it's worth. So you end up tossing

it in the trash. Those are the kinds of watches you might find sold in grocery stores and pharmacies and in discount department stores. I got a watch for my birthday last year, said Amanda. She shook her head. It doesn't work any more. That's exactly what I'm getting at., said Mr. Gray. High quality mechanical watches, the kind you see in the case there, are exceptional timepieces. No, they're actually more than that. They're wearable art. Some can even be compared to an original sculpture by Picasso, or a painting by Renoir. I know of one, a Patek Philippe, that was created to celebrate the company's 150th anniversary, that was pretty remarkable indeed. It contained 1,728 parts and had 33 different functions. It sold at auction in 1989 for $3.7 million dollars. For a WATCH?, gasped Amanda. Pretty impressive, huh?, said Mr. Gray. Hooboy, said Amanda. I'll say!. Mechanical watches like these can't really be mass-produced. They're assembled by hand. And they're made to last. Some take more than a year to create. They're the type of thing you end up passing down to your grandchildren. So in addition to being wearable art, they're also a form of investment. They come in all types of metal ... from steel to 18k gold. And I'll bet you didn't know that a steel case is considered more valuable than gold plated or gold filled case. Amanda shook her head. Hey, she said, What kind of watch did you just sell a minute ago? Ahhh, said Mr. Gray with a smile. I thought you'd be curious about that. He prefers Rolex. But he's a pretty smart shopper, so he also prefers to buy pre-owned watches. He's bought several from us over the past few years, in a lot of different styles. Some look sporty, some are more formal looking. Rolex watches are beautiful and well made. The manufacturers have been around since 1908. Rolex was the first company to introduce a waterproof watch, Amanda. They came up with a really clever ad campaign for the time. Way back then they had jewelers all over the world put fish aquariums in their windows, and at the bottom of the tank they put a Rolex watch, right where everybody could see it ticking away. Rolex was also the first company to produce a self-winding watch that displayed the date. Rolex watches are a bit like Mercedes automobiles. Theyre considered a sign of quality and good taste. Yep, that sounds like something that would appeal to Grandpa, alright, said Amanda. But what else have you got thats interesting? Well, theres Omega, said Mr. Gray, pointing to another section of watches. These tend to appeal to young sophisticates like your famous models and movie stars. The actor who plays James Bond wears that kind of watch. Grandpa reminds me of the first James Bond, said Amanda. The really handsome one. Grandma smiled. Interesting observation Amanda, she said, I tend to agree with you. Alright, tell us about Omega, Mr. Gray, she invited.

Omega took International Grand Prize at the Worlds Trade Fair in Paris in 1900 for the excellence of their collection, Mr. Gray continued. The manufacturer was the first watch enterprise to abandon the assembly workshop system in favor of a true modern factory producing all its own parts. In 1965, he said, NASA chose the OMEGA Speedmaster Professional as its official chronograph. In 1969, when astronaut Neil Armstrong took his first step on the Moon (you remember his words, don't you?) : "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind", he was wearing an Omega. And in 1970, this very same same chronograph helped rescue the crew and craft of the Apollo 13 mission from disaster after an on-board explosion. It DID? How?, asked Amanda. When the computerized timing system became inoperative, the astronauts had to time the critical engine ignition with their OMEGA to set them on course for Earth. There was even a movie about that very situation. Oh yeah, said Amanda. I remember that one. That was really exciting!. "Uh..Houston, we have a problem" That's the one, Amanda. So OMEGA is the one and only watch ever worn on the Moon. It even went along on a rendevouz with the Russian space station MIR. Thats neat, said Amanda thoughtfully. I didnt know any of that stuff. Amanda leaned toward the case again. Whats that one? she asked, gesturing to a handsome watch towards the back of the display case. That's a Breguet. Their company's founder is considered the grandfather to watch development. They've been around since 1775. Breguet was the watch supplier for the British royal family, and the Bonapartes. The watch next to that is a Patek Philippe, and it's considered by most to be the most prestigious watch in the world. Brand name is far and away the most important element in valuing a wristwatch, Amanda. All mechanical watches function basically the same, in that each one tells the hour and the time of day. And each of their mechanical movements are fundamentally the same design. But just like automobiles, although the designs might be similar, there can be a world of difference under the hood. It's the innovation of production and workmanship that make one watch more desirable than another. What's that one over there? asked Amanda, pointing to a watch in an adjacent case. Thats a Hamilton, Mr. Gray replied. They were considered the premiere American watch company. Theyre no longer in business, but their watches have a very interesting history. The company dates back to 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They were the first company to introduce the electric watch, one that never needed winding, back in 1957. A Hamilton watch was chosen by General Pershing to time the movement of his troops on World War I battlefields, and by Admiral Byrd for his North and South Pole expeditions. Hamiltons were used by the first U.S. airmail pilots, and in 1937, they became the official timepiece of the Navy, Air Corps, and most U.S. airlines. In 1957, Hamilton introduced the first electric watch. That particular model was worn by Elvis Presley in the opening scene of "Blue Hawaii." And Hamilton was the first company to introduce the electronic digital watch...the Pulsar, back in 1970. You know your Grandma's antique diamond watch? The one we just finished cleaning for her? That's a Hamilton, too. Neat. Hey, this is pretty interesting. What's that one over there? asked Amanda. Ahh. Thats an Audemars Piguet. It can take a year or more to create an Audemars Piguet classic such as the one that you see there. Watches like these are assembled from 600 or more components. The work of a master watchmaker calls for patience, devotion and total absorption.

Boy, I GUESS, said Amanda. Wow. You sure do know a lot of stuff, Mr. Gray. Mr. Gray smiled. You remember, our familys been in this business for a really long time, Amanda. Hey, wait a minute, said Amanda, suddenly. What's THAT one? Amanda put her nose up to the side of the case. It says Rolex on the face but its sort of glowing. It looks different than the Rolex next to it. Mr. Gray sighed. You are your Grandmothers grandaughter, all right. Not one person in a million would have seen that. We hadn't really planned on selling that one, Amanda. It's part of my special collection. Amanda looked up. Thats the Magic Watch, isnt it?, she asked quietly. Mr. Gray looked startled. She KNOWS?, he asked Grandma in surprise. I didn't tell her. She recognized it herself, said Grandma. She doesnt know what it DOES, though. Would you like to demonstrate?. I seem to be outnumbered by overly perceptive women, Mr. Gray said with a grin. You've got SOME family, you know that? He glanced around to make sure nobody else was close enough to hear what was being said, then he reached into the case and brought out the watch. He gestured to some chairs near the case. The three of them sat down. This is a Time Traveler, Amanda. There's only a handful of these in the whole world. Maybe nine or ten. They're not very easy to recognize, either. Weve been looking for these for years. We've managed to locate only four of them in all this time. This one's a Rolex, but they're just as likely to be disguised as any of the brands you see here. You sure she's old enough to wear this? Mr. Gray asked Amanda's Grandma. Amanda piped up and gave the answer herself. I'm a big girl. I've already been up in the U.S.S. Starship Treehouse. The two of you took that thing in your backyard UP?, asked Mr. Gray with a laugh. Well, said Amanda, Grandma and I and Sam Cat got to be the crew. My brother Timothy was actually the Captain. But yeah. We did. Works for me, said Mr. Gray, grinning and shaking his head. If your Grandma thinks you're old enough to travel through outerspace in a treehouse, you're probably old enough for Time Travel. Amanda grinned. Am I old enough Grandma? she asked. Grandma nodded. Im going to put this watch on your wrist, Amanda, said Mr. Gray very quietly. Now the bracelet is going to be way too big for you, and it could easily slip off if we let you wear it by yourself, so your Grandmas going to hold onto your hand very tightly, so that we can keep track of you. Im going somewhere?, asked Amanda. Only for a moment, Grandma said firmly. And youll be able to hear us talking to you the whole time. Cool, said Amanda.

Ready?, asked Amandas Grandma. Yep, Amanda replied. OK, then, said Grandma.

Mr. Gray Gray slipped the heavy steel and gold watch band over Amandas wrist, snapped the clasp, and then tapped twice on the watch stem.

Hey!, said Amanda. Who turned off the lights? Read the next part--

The Magic Watch - Part - II

Wow, it's pretty dark in here. What do you see Amanda?

Ummm...I can see a pretty lady. She's got a princess kind of crown on her head. And I hear a voice way far away saying something that sounds like Duchess something. Ro....Roma....something like that.

What else do you see?

Oh Wow!. Check out all this sparkly jewelry stuff ! Just sort of floating in front of me!.

Describe it Amanda. There's something all diamondy. Probably a pin. It looks a little bit like that Thanksgiving thing, the whatchamacallit. The horn of plenty.

What else? And there's a giant blue stone. It's oval. No, that's not right. The setting is oval. But the stone is almost diamond shape. It's surrounded by a bunch of small diamonds and gold. Some of it is little diamond shapes. Sort of filagree stuff. That's interesting. It looks like a ring but it doesn't have the ring part. Only the top.

Boy, that's huge! That blue stone is about the size of the......

MOON.

Whoops!

What is it Amanda? I feel like I'm moving. It's getting real dark and there's a lot of sparkles again. They're sort of pulsing off and on. Time to come back I think, Amanda. What, I have to come back right NOW? Yes, Amanda. HURRY! Right NOW!

The Magic Watch - Part III

Where was I? Who was that lady, What was all that jewelry?, asked Amanda. Well, said Mr. Gray, You had jewelry on your mind, and we just talked about the Russian space station, so it sounds to me as if you were on your way to imperial Russia, Amanda. And you were seeing part of the Romanov's crown jewels. If I'm not mistaken, that big blue stone was a very famous diamond. It was a ring that was eventually made into a stickpin. Awesome. So who was the pretty lady? Im not sure, said Mr. Gray, scratching his head. It could have been the Grand Duchess, or maybe one of her royal relatives. But since we werent there with you to see her, its a bit hard to tell. How come you brought me back so fast, Grandma?, Amanda inquired. Do you remember what it was that you said right before things started to get dark and sparkle again?, her Grandma asked. Amanda thought for a moment. I think I said something about that blue stone being as big as the moon. Um-hmmmm, that's right. And what were you thinking about when you said that?, asked Grandma. Oh, I don't know, I think maybe about Mr. Gray telling us about the watch being worn on the moo.....oh my gosh !. You mean I was on my way to the MOON? Just because I was THINKING about it? Time travel takes a bit of getting used to, Amanda, said Mr. Gray. Whoa. That watch is soooo cool, said Amanda.

She turned to her Grandmother. Grandma, she said decidedly, THIS is exactly the watch we have to get for Grandpa. Mr. Gray would you sell us this one? Mr. Gray winced but nodded. If your Grandma REALLY wants it, it's hers, he said. Grandma smiled. She picked up the watch and admired it with a thoughtful look on her face. Amanda, your Grandpa's an engineer, a scientist. He doesn't even THINK the same way we do, honey. We startle the living daylights out of him, all the time, you and I. Besides, we haven't even told him about the U.S.S. Starship Treehouse yet. Still, she sighed, This IS a marvelous buy. Are you SURE this is the one we want?, she asked, turning to Amanda with a twinkle in her eye. Trust me, Grandma, said Amanda with a grin, Grandpa is going to LOVE it.