Three Wishing Tales

by Ruth Chew

  “What’s he doing?” Alice asked.

  “You’ll see.” Tom pulled the leash away from Alice. “Hurry, Al!”

  Alice ran down the steps and along the walk. She heard screams coming from a large brick building.

  When Alice went into the building she saw a crowd jammed around one of the cages. An old lady had fainted, and some of the people were trying to revive her. But most of them were watching Merlin.

  He had climbed over the guard rail and reached into the cage. A big lion lay on his side while the magician stroked him under the chin. The lion began to lick Merlin’s hand.

  The old lady opened her eyes. She took one look at what was going on and fainted again.

  A keeper with a gun put a key in the gate of the cage. “Stand back,” he said to the crowd. “That lion is a mean one.”

  Alice was frightened, but she knew she had to do something. She pushed her way to the guard rail. “Merlin,” she said, “what are you doing?”

  The old man’s bright blue eyes were gazing into the golden eyes of the lion. “I’m practicing,” he said. “This is the first step toward regaining my power.”

  “Haven’t you practiced enough?” Alice said. “It’s lunch time. I’m hungry. And I’ll bet the lion is too.”

  Merlin stopped stroking the lion. He climbed back over the guard rail. The people moved aside to let him pass. They seemed to be afraid of him.

  Alice took the magician’s hand and pulled him out of the building.

  Tom showed Alice and Merlin a way back to the cave that cut across the hills and followed the bridle path. He took the leash off Freckles so the dog could scamper after squirrels and poke his nose into every hollow tree.

  When they came to the stream, Merlin sat on a flat rock and bathed his feet in the cool water. “My feet are out of practice too,” he said.

  Alice wondered if the cave was gone from the bank above the stream. She looked under the vines. The old pipe was still there.

  “Hey, Al,” Tom yelled. “The swing is gone!”

  The piece of branch Merlin had used for a seat lay on the ground. The two ropes of shining hair had disappeared.

  “Some rotten kid stole the swing,” Tom said. “We should have remembered you never can leave anything in the park.”

  Merlin didn’t seem to mind. “The swing was a help to my thinking this morning. Now I don’t need it. Besides, swinging tends to upset my stomach. I recall that you were talking about lunch.”

  It would have been easier to take the magician home with them for the meal, but Alice was afraid her mother might have the afternoon off again. “Tom,” she said, “stay here with Merlin. I’ll take Freckles home to feed him, and I’ll bring back a picnic lunch for us. This way, if Mother or Daddy comes home, I’ll have to come back to the park to get you.”

  Tom remembered how they had been stuck in the house yesterday afternoon. “OK,” he said, “but hurry. I’m starving.”

  Alice was hot and tired by the time she reached home. She thought of what her mother had said about the wading pool. It would be fun to spend the afternoon in it.

  She fed the dog and filled a paper bag with food—bananas, bread, potato chips, peanut butter, and three cans of cherry soda.

  When Alice opened the kitchen drawer to get a knife for the peanut butter, she saw the little red flashlight her mother kept there. She knew her mother didn’t want her to play with it. But Alice couldn’t forget how the tunnel had disappeared when they came out of it in the library. The other end was still in the park. Alice took the flashlight out of the drawer and put it into the pocket of her jeans.

  “Freckles,” she said, “you look tired.” The dog was stretched out on his back under the kitchen table. “I think I’ll leave you at home.”

  Alice took the picnic lunch back to the park.

  The picnic was a big success. By this time Merlin was an expert at eating bananas. He finished three of them. He still didn’t like the bread, but he said that peanut butter improved it. The cherry soda, Merlin said, was the finest wine he had ever tasted.

  They were all three perched like birds on the split oak tree. Merlin said he’d stayed in the tree so long that he felt at home there. He sat on a twisted branch and swung his bare feet. “Such wonderful crackly things you have to eat.” Merlin munched a potato chip. His blue eyes were shining, and there were crumbs in his white beard. He couldn’t stop eating the potato chips until the box was empty.

  When lunch was over they all climbed out of the tree and went to look for a trash basket. “There’s one over near the boat house by the lake,” Tom said.

  Merlin stood on the stone wall at the edge of the lake and watched two boys in a pedal boat. “Marvelous!” the magician exclaimed.

  Alice enjoyed the way Merlin reacted to all the new things he saw. When they were on their way back to the cave she took out the flashlight. “This is much better than a pine torch.”

  Merlin took the little red flashlight. Tom showed him how to click it on. They were walking under the long dark arch of the stone bridge.

  Out of the shadows stepped four big boys. Alice jumped back. She saw that they were holding knives.

  “Okay, old man,” one of the boys said. He poked a pointed knife at Merlin’s chest. “Hand over that flashlight.”

  Merlin stared into the eyes of the boy who spoke to him. “What’s the matter with your knife, my son?” he said in a low voice. “Look at it. It’s bending.

  “See how the blade droops,” the magician said in the same strange clear voice. “And the handle is getting hot. In a moment it will burn you.”

  While Alice watched, the knife blade seemed to turn to rubber.

  Merlin spoke again. “All your knives are soft and warm,” he whispered. “They’re getting warmer and warmer.”

  The boy standing in front of Alice let out a yell. He dropped his knife. When he leaned over to pick it up, Merlin said to him, “Take care. It will cut you if you touch it.”

  The boy reached for his knife. He grabbed it by the blade and gashed his thumb. Now all four boys dropped their knives and started to run. They tore out from under the bridge and raced down the walk that wound across the hills above the stream.

  Tom and Alice were still under the bridge with Merlin. “Pick up the knives,” the magician said softly. “You can dig a hole and bury them.”

  When Merlin and the children came out from under the bridge, the four boys were gone. Tom used one of the knives to dig a hole at the foot of a hawthorn tree. He dropped all the knives into the hole. Then he filled it with earth and put a large stone on top.

  Alice was talking to the magician. “Is that some of the magic you got out of the library book?”

  “Yes,” the old man said. “Easy magic. The book helped me to remember it.”

  Tom had finished burying the knives. “Why did you swipe Mom’s flashlight, Al?” he asked.

  “I didn’t swipe it,” Alice said. “I only borrowed it. And I want to know what happened to the pipe when we came out of it in the library.”

  Tom scratched his head. “Hey, that is queer. I never stopped to think about it before. Merlin, do you feel like crawling through that pipe again?”

  The magician nodded. “I was going to suggest it myself. That pipe is like an underground road. This morning I wanted more than anything to find a way to remember my magic. And the pipe led right to the book.”

  “You said that was easy magic you were doing.” Alice took back the flashlight and put it into her pocket.

  “Yes,” Merlin said. “I have to have certain herbs before I can do anything difficult. And if I could find a certain charm—” The magician smiled. “But that’s too much to hope for.”

  They had been walking along the ridge above the stream. When they came to the old split tree they crossed the stream and climbed the bank to the cave.

  Alice wiggled in first. She had the flashlight. Now it was her turn to lead the way. Tom was in the middle, and Merlin craw
led through last. The tunnel looked quite different by the steady beam of the flashlight. It wasn’t scary at all. They went much faster than they had before. But the tunnel seemed longer than last time. Alice’s knees were red and sore when at last she saw a dim light. The light got bigger and brighter. They heard water splashing.

  The tunnel came to an end. Alice crawled out into what seemed to be a downpour of rain. She stood up, stepped forward, and found herself standing in the sunshine. She had walked through a waterfall.

  Tom came dashing through the waterfall to join her. A moment later Merlin was beside them. Alice hopped to a rocky bank and looked around. She saw a shrine near a beautiful little lake. Near it a graceful tree trailed weeping branches in the water.

  “I know where we are,” Tom said. “This is the botanic garden.”

  “Why would the tunnel lead here?” Alice asked.

  Merlin stood on the gravel path and admired the view. Alice thought he might like to see the rest of the garden, as long as he was here. Besides, the tunnel had vanished again. The waterfall came out of a small pipe set in the rocks—a pipe not big enough for a water rat to crawl through.

  After walking around the little lake they went to see the rose garden. Merlin had never seen such large roses. He bent over to smell one. “The little roses of long ago had more perfume,” he told Alice. She thought he sounded sad, as if he were homesick for that faraway time.

  “If you like to smell flowers,” Alice said, “there’s a special garden here for that.”

  “She means the Garden of Fragrance,” Tom said. “You’re allowed to touch the plants there.”

  “I would like to smell that garden,” the magician told the children.

  The way to the Garden of Fragrance led past the water-lily pond and the greenhouse. The magician stopped to look at the enormous goldfish swimming among the lilies. Then Tom and Alice took him into the greenhouse to show him a banana tree.

  It was even hotter in the greenhouse than outside. They didn’t stay there long. Alice thought again how nice it would be to splash around in the wading pool.

  The Garden of Fragrance was set apart from the rest of the botanic garden by a brick wall. Tom and Alice took Merlin through the gate. The flower beds were waist high so that people could lean over to touch and smell the plants. There were all kinds of sweet-smelling herbs here.

  Merlin was excited. He went from plant to plant, sniffing and touching. He broke off a few sprigs of tiny gray leaves. “Just what I need,” he said. Humming to himself he walked all around the Garden of Fragrance.

  Alice saw him pick some berries from a bush and slyly pull up a little plant by the roots. “Tom,” she whispered, “if he keeps this up they’ll make us leave the garden.”

  “No they won’t. Look.” Tom pointed.

  Now Alice noticed the other people in the garden. They leaned over the plants, buried their noses in them, pulled at them. These people were blind. The Garden of Fragrance had been made for them.

  “Merlin isn’t acting any different from anybody else here,” Tom said.

  When Merlin had picked the herbs he wanted, he walked back to the children. “We can leave now,” he said. “I’m ready to do difficult magic.” His blue eyes twinkled. “But I don’t know a spell that will make a pocket in this robe. Oh, it’s a beautiful robe,” he said to Alice, “but it needs a pocket.”

  Merlin did seem to like the bedspread. The fringe was rather soiled now. And some of the paper stars had fallen off. But the magician didn’t seem to notice.

  “What do you want a pocket for?” Alice asked.

  “To put my herbs in,” Merlin explained.

  “I’ll keep them in my pocket for you,” Alice said. “Then, when I get home, I’ll get you a plastic bag, one of those clear shiny ones you like so much.”

  Merlin gave Alice the leaves, roots, and berries he had gathered. She put them into the side pocket of her jeans. “We’ll walk back to the cave with you,” she said to the magician. “And then Tom and I must go home. I left Freckles in the house.”

  They walked through the turnstile that led out of the botanic garden and crossed Flatbush Avenue to get to the park.

  Merlin said he was going to take a nap in his cave while Alice went to get the plastic bag.

  As she walked home with Tom, Alice said, “It’s so hot today. Mother thought we might want to set up the wading pool. Why don’t you get the parts for it out of the basement while I take the plastic bag to Merlin. Freckles can go with me for the walk.”

  “OK,” Tom said. “But hurry back.”

  Alice promised to be as quick as she could. When they got home, she returned the flashlight to the kitchen drawer and took a plastic bag from the roll on the shelf. She put Merlin’s herbs into the bag.

  Freckles was eager to go out. Alice hooked the leash onto his collar and started back to the park.

  While she was gone Tom went down into the basement. He found the parts for the wading pool in a big cardboard box under his father’s workbench. Tom had to make five trips to carry all the things out to the yard.

  It was a small, city backyard. A peach tree grew in one corner, and there were rosebushes all along the fence. The pool was only ten feet across and two and a half feet deep, but at least it would keep Tom and Alice cool.

  Tom started to unroll the aluminum wall of the wading pool. He tried hard to set it up in a perfect circle. Then he unfolded the plastic lining. Alice came home while he was struggling to drape the lining over the wall.

  “Merlin really seems to think those herbs are important,” Alice said. “I think he was afraid I wouldn’t bring them back to him.” She stuck her hand into her jeans pocket and took out some broken bits of leaves, roots, and berries. Alice sniffed them. “They do smell good.”

  The lining of the wading pool kept sliding off the wall. There were clips to hold it on, but Tom couldn’t get them to grip. He was tired and hot. “Oh, Al,” he said, “stop fooling with that stuff and help me.” Tom grabbed the herbs and threw them into the middle of the wading pool lining. “I wish this stupid thing would set itself up.”

  Instantly the wall of the wading pool gave a little shake and formed itself into a beautiful circle. The lining reached up from the ground and flapped itself over the edge of the wall. All the clips flew to their proper places and snapped the lining to the wall. Without any help from the hose, the pool started to fill with water. In a few seconds it was full.

  Tom and Alice stared. For a minute Alice couldn’t say a word. Then she whispered, “Tom, it must be the herbs. They are magic!”

  “Come on, Al,” Tom said. “What are we waiting for? Get into your bathing suit.” He ran into the house.

  Alice went into the house. She found her bathing suit in her dresser and changed into it.

  When she came back into the yard Tom was already in the pool. He seemed to be swimming. Alice knew the pool wasn’t deep enough for that. It was only good to splash around in. She tested the water with her toe. Usually it was too cold right after the pool was filled. The sun had to warm it for a while. Now the water was just the way Alice liked it. She stepped into the pool.

  To her surprise her feet didn’t touch the bottom. Alice began to swim. The water was clear and deep. She looked around. She could see a sandy beach bordered with palm trees. Tom was just ahead of her, swimming toward the beach.

  The sun glinted on the water. Overhead sea birds wheeled and screamed. Alice tasted the salty brine. “Tom,” she called. “Wait for me.”

  Tom turned around and swam back to her. He rolled over on his back and paddled in the clear water. “Isn’t this great, Al?”

  Alice stopped swimming and began to tread water. “That looks like an island over there. Where do you suppose we are?”

  “Who cares?” Tom rolled back onto his stomach and went on swimming toward the palm trees. Alice splashed after him.

  As they came near the shore of the island the water became shallow. Alice’s knees scrap
ed on the sandy bottom. She stood up and began to wade.

  Tom reached the beach before her. He stepped out of the water and turned to face Alice with a look of surprise on his face.

  A moment later Alice stood beside him. She looked around. The palm trees were gone. There were the rosebushes and the tree covered with little green peaches. They were in their own backyard.

  The kitchen door opened. Mrs. Nelson came out into the yard. “I’m glad you set up the pool, children,” she said. “It looks so nice and cool. I wish it was deep enough for me to go in.”

  Mrs. Nelson set to work to get supper. “We’re out of milk,” she said. “Alice, get dressed and run to the store for me, please. Tom, see if you can find that heavy extension cord. We need it for the air-conditioner in the front bedroom.”

  There was no time to go back into the pool.

  After supper Alice remembered that Merlin hadn’t had anything to eat since lunch time. There didn’t seem to be anything left from supper that she could take to him. Alice found an open box of Fig Newtons in the kitchen cabinet and a half-full container of milk in the refrigerator.

  She sneaked out of the kitchen while her mother was busy wiping the top of the stove. There wasn’t time to find Tom or put the leash on Freckles. Alice slipped out of the front door and ran all the way to the park.

  It was not yet dark when Alice came to the meadow. She cut across it to the stream and walked around the bridge instead of going under it.

  When she reached the cave she whispered through the patch of vines, “Merlin!”

  There was no answer.

  Alice pushed aside the vines and looked into the cave. It seemed to be bigger somehow. She poked the box of Fig Newtons and the milk under the twisted bottom bar and then wiggled under it herself.

  Once she was inside the cave Alice got up on her hands and knees. She reached up and found she couldn’t touch the top of the pipe. She stood up.