Genie In Training

by Meredith Badger

  Poppy twisted the top of her lamp until the smoky words appeared. She clicked on Emerald Bazaar.

  Here goes! thought Poppy, bracing herself. Just like before, the floor seemed to drop away and Poppy found herself spinning and looping through the air.

  It doesn’t seem so fast this time, thought Poppy, relieved. Or maybe I’m getting used to it!

  Poppy heard the Emerald Bazaar before she saw it. It sounded like a thousand bees humming in a field. She carefully opened her eyes and gasped. The Emerald Bazaar was inside a bottle that was as big as a skyscraper and so wide that Poppy couldn’t even see the sides. The whole place was alive with action.

  The bottom of the bottle was filled with tiny shops and brightly coloured stalls, all packed together so tightly that Poppy couldn’t see how you could squeeze past without knocking something over. Genies were bustling about, examining wares and haggling with the shop keepers.

  But the most remarkable thing was that the shops weren’t just on the ground level. Hundreds of shops were floating around in the air! The Emerald Bazaar was definitely like nothing Poppy had ever seen. Even Jake looked impressed.

  ‘Lexie, how do you get up to those floating shops?’ asked Poppy curiously.

  ‘By magic carpet, of course,’ replied Lexie. As she spoke, a passing genie whistled shrilly and a small, red carpet zipped over to him instantly, nearly knocking Poppy over!

  The carpet dropped to the ground and the waiting genie stepped on. Then the carpet zoomed off again towards one of the floating shops.

  ‘Can we have a go on one of those?’ asked Jake eagerly.

  ‘No way!’ exclaimed Lexie. ‘You wouldn’t be able to control a magic carpet yet.’

  ‘Can we have a look around?’ asked Rose.

  But Lexie shook her head. ‘No time today, I’m afraid,’ she said. ‘We have appointments to keep. I’ll just have to give you a running commentary as we go.’

  Lexie took off at top speed, winding her way between the busy market stalls and genie shoppers.

  ‘I can see what she means about a running commentary,’ muttered Jake.

  Poppy couldn’t help laughing. Jake was right. Lexie didn’t slow down for a second as she pointed out the sights.

  ‘To your left you’ll see the shoe makers’ shops. You’ve probably noticed that genie shoes curl over at the top. This is to help us hook onto things like tree branches if we need to make an emergency stop while levitating or on a magic carpet,’ Lexie said. ‘And on your right are the wig-makers’ shops. Girl genies all wear high ponytails, so the wig-makers provide hair extensions for tweenie genies whose hair is too short. Hazel, you’ll need some.’

  The air filled with delicious smells. ‘Now we’re coming into the food bazaar,’ said Lexie. ‘Genies love spicy food, and we also love things that are unusual and surprising. A popular snack in the Genie Realm is spicy springballs. They look like mini-meatballs, but rather than just sitting on a plate, they spring into your mouth all on their own. This is totally fine if you’re expecting it, but it can be a choking hazard if you’re not.’

  Sure enough, the group soon passed a genie holding a plate of tiny meatballs. He opened his mouth and straight away, the springballs started leaping into his mouth!

  Poppy was feeling a bit puffed out when Lexie finally stopped in front of a funny, dark little shop at the end of a narrow laneway. The gold letters on the front window said that they had arrived at Madame di Silver’s Fashion Emporium. Inside, Lexie introduced them to Madame herself.

  ‘You should feel honoured, tweenies,’ she said. ‘Madame is the finest dressmaker in the entire Genie Realm. She even makes clothes for the Genie Royal Family.’

  ‘Welcome to my shop!’ said Madame, who was an elegantly dressed genie with a broad smile. ‘I’ll get you all looking like genie princesses in no time.’

  ‘Not all of us, I hope,’ Jake said, horrified.

  But Madame didn’t seem to hear him. She pulled out some shimmery blue genie pants and a gold top and held it up against Poppy.

  ‘What about something like this?’ Madame suggested. ‘Maybe paired with some gold sequinned slippers?’

  Now, Poppy usually hated shopping. And she detested people picking out clothes for her. But this was completely different. These clothes were exactly the sort of thing she’d always longed to wear – unusual and beautiful and not at all like Clothes Club clothes!

  She looked pleadingly at Lexie. But Lexie shook her head.

  ‘Sorry, but no,’ she said firmly. ‘Just the regulation tweenie uniforms and pyjamas today. The tweenies can come back for fancy stuff when they’re getting ready for the Graduation Ball.’

  Madame smiled apologetically at Poppy and then pulled out a stack of white garments for each of the tweenies.

  Once she had changed, Poppy looked down at the uniform and half-smiled, half-sighed. They were very beautiful genie clothes, but totally boring and simple compared with the clothes Madame di Silver had first selected!

  But Lexie was very pleased. ‘Much better!’ she declared, looking at the group. ‘Now for your hair.’ She ushered the tweenies through a curtain at the back of the shop where they found Madame’s hairdressing salon.

  ‘All the girls will be shown how to do the proper high genie ponytails,’ she explained. ‘And you,’ she added, looking at Jake, ‘will be fitted with a training turban.’

  The hair salon was so small that only two genies could be attended to at a time. Poppy and Jake were first. Poppy, much to her surprise, mastered the art of pulling her hair into a high ponytail fairly easily. For once she was happy to have boring, straight hair, because she could tell it would be much harder to do with curls like Rose’s or short hair like Hazel’s. Then she caught a glimpse of Jake. He was wearing a magnificent green turban.

  ‘You look like a real genie!’ giggled Poppy.

  ‘Yeah, well so do you, Teeny Weeny,’ Jake snorted.

  ‘Very good,’ said Lexie approvingly, looking Poppy and Jake up and down. ‘Now you two wait out the front while the others get their hair done. But don’t wander away!’

  I’ll just pretend Jake isn’t here, decided Poppy, sitting down on the step in front of the shop. There were plenty of interesting things in the laneway to distract her from the most annoying boy who ever existed! Genies were zooming by on magic carpets, carrying interesting packages and eating delicious-smelling snacks.

  I wish I could go exploring, thought Poppy longingly, as two genies flew past carrying what looked like steaming hot ice-creams.

  Then Jake nudged her, a mischievous gleam in his eye. ‘I heard Madame say that Rose and Hazel both have tricky hair, so they’ll be in there for ages,’ he said. ‘If we’re quick, we could have a look around and be back before Lexie even notices.’

  Poppy hesitated. It was very tempting, but she didn’t really trust Jake. He was so annoying that he’d probably abandon her somewhere, and then dob on her to Lexie.

  But if I don’t go, who knows when I’ll get a chance to come back? Poppy reminded herself. Although I really don’t want to get into trouble …

  She was just about to tell Jake no when a genie not much older than themselves rode past on a bicycle – in mid-air!

  Poppy stood up. ‘Right,’ she said. ‘Let’s go!’

  Poppy and Jake began wandering through the narrow market lanes. One shop had a giant fish tank instead of a window. Tiny, jewel-like fish flittered about, one minute covered with spots and the next with stripes. Poppy tapped gently on the glass and to her astonishment, one of the fish turned and roared at her like a tiger!

  ‘I guess that’s to scare you,’ laughed Jake.

  ‘Well, it works really well,’ Poppy grinned, her heartbeat gradually returning to normal.

  Around another corner they saw a juggler. Poppy had seen jugglers before, of course. But she’d never seen one whose objects kept changing! One minute he was juggling a ball, a vase and an umbrella. But a moment later he was juggling a lollypop,
a ukulele and a wriggling snake!

  They saw a market stand selling fruit that looked like oranges, but the flesh inside was purple. Another shop sold lollies shaped like butterflies that flew around the shop, dusting everything with sugar as they went. Genies were chasing them around with long-handed nets.

  As Poppy and Jake watched, a couple of the butterflies flew out the shop door towards them.

  ‘Catch them!’ yelled Poppy, grabbing and missing.

  Then Jake leapt up and somehow managed to scoop them up with his turban. ‘Here you go,’ he said, offering them to the lolly shop owner who was standing in the doorway.

  The shop owner smiled. ‘First time at the Emerald Bazaar?’ he said kindly.

  Poppy and Jake nodded.

  ‘You can have them, then,’ he said.

  ‘Thanks,’ grinned Jake.

  Then Jake did something really nice. He gave one of the butterflies to Poppy!

  Poppy quickly put it in her mouth before he changed his mind. It fizzed on her tongue like sherbet.

  ‘See,’ said Jake cheerfully, like he was reading her mind. ‘I’m not totally annoying all the time.’

  Poppy smiled back. It was true that Jake seemed less irritating all of a sudden. In fact, Poppy was enjoying herself so much that she completely forgot the time. It wasn’t until she heard a clock chiming that she checked her watch and gasped in horror. They’d been gone for ages!

  ‘We’ve got to get back,’ she said urgently. ‘Which way?’

  ‘Don’t ask me,’ said Jake, shrugging. ‘I’m lost.’

  Poppy stared at him in dismay. ‘What are we going to do?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ replied Jake. ‘Only a magic carpet would get us to Madame di Silver’s in time.’

  He’s right, thought Poppy. A magic carpet would definitely be the fastest way to travel. Even though Lexie did say that tweenies can’t control magic carpets …

  That exact moment, a magic carpet zoomed past and Poppy let out a piercing whistle. To both tweenies’ astonishment, the carpet screeched to a stop. Then it did a u-turn and landed at Poppy’s feet, twitching its tassels.

  ‘Climb on!’ Poppy told Jake.

  Jake put one foot on the carpet which promptly slid out from under him. ‘Hey! That carpet totally did that on purpose!’ he exclaimed, toppling over. ‘It’s got a nasty streak. Just look at the way it’s flapping its corners.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ said Poppy. ‘It’s perfectly friendly.’ She wasn’t sure why, but somehow she just knew that the carpet wouldn’t try the same trick on her. And sure enough, she stepped onto it easily.

  ‘Come on!’ she urged Jake.

  ‘No way, Teeny Weeny!’ protested Jake. ‘That rug is insane. Plus you don’t have a clue how to drive it.’

  Poppy shrugged. ‘Either you get on, or you figure out a way to explain where you’ve been to Lexie.’

  ‘Good point,’ said Jake, jumping on.

  At first, the magic carpet did nothing at all. Poppy stared down anxiously.

  ‘See, I knew you wouldn’t be able to work it,’ said Jake.

  But Poppy wasn’t giving up so easily. Maybe it’s waiting for instructions, she thought. So in a loud, confident voice, she said, ‘Please, take us to Madame di Silver’s shop.’

  Instantly, the carpet obediently rose from the ground and took off at top speed. Poppy and Jake held on as tightly as they could!

  ‘Looks like I can fly this thing after all,’ Poppy shouted, over the noise of the wind.

  ‘Beginner’s luck!’ laughed Jake as they zoomed along.

  ‘I don’t think so!’ Poppy retorted. She quickly worked out that she could steer the carpet by leaning one way or another. I wonder what will happen if I pull on the tassels?

  She gave one a gentle tug and the carpet began zooming straight up.

  ‘Better hold on!’ yelled Poppy, and the carpet did a complete loop.

  ‘OK, OK,’ Jake half-laughed, half-gasped. ‘I take it all back. You do know how to drive it. Just no more loops, all right?’

  The carpet dropped Poppy and Jake outside Madame di Silver’s shop and then rose up again, ready to take off. Poppy felt a bit sad. She’d become very fond of the carpet.

  ‘Thanks for the ride,’ she said to the carpet, giving it a pat.

  The carpet did a couple of loops around her, and tickled her cheek with a tassel.

  ‘Off you go before Lexie sees us, you oversized doormat,’ muttered Jake.

  The carpet flew over and slapped him on the nose with a corner.

  ‘Ouch!’ spluttered Jake, as the carpet sped off. ‘Right. That’s it. I’m walking everywhere from now on. These carpets are nutso.’

  They had arrived back just in time. The shop door swung open and Lexie appeared, followed by Rose and Hazel with their new genie ponytails.

  ‘Where have you been?’ Lexie asked Poppy and Jake, her eyebrows raised. ‘I looked out the window a minute ago and you weren’t there.’

  Poppy swallowed. There was no way she could lie to Lexie. She opened her mouth to blurt out the truth, but Jake jumped in first.

  ‘Sorry, Lexie. I wandered off, and Poppy came and got me,’ he said.

  Poppy looked at him in disbelief. Had Jake just lied to get her out of trouble?

  ‘I can kick you out of tweenie genie training at any stage, Jake,’ said Lexie sternly.

  Jake went red and Poppy found herself feeling sorry for him. Lexie was scary when she was cross.

  ‘It won’t happen again,’ said Jake meekly.

  When Lexie had turned away, Poppy whispered awkwardly, ‘You didn’t have to do that. But thanks.’

  Jake shrugged. ‘I figured you’d been in enough trouble this morning,’ he said, ‘and anyway, it was worth it. I had loads of fun! Didn’t you?’

  Poppy thought about all the amazing things they’d seen at the Emerald Bazaar, with its dazzling colours and smells. And then she thought about how nice it had been wandering around with Jake. It was almost like … well, like Jake had turned into a friend in the Bazaar.

  ‘Yes,’ admitted Poppy with a big smile. ‘I really did have fun.’

  Lexie gathered the newly styled tweenie genies around her.

  ‘Good work, guys,’ she said, smiling. ‘Time to take a break in your genie bottles. But be back at the training centre in an hour. We’ve got heaps more to get through tonight.’

  Poppy was very glad to hear they were having a break. She was very tired and even an hour’s rest would be good. She said goodbye to the others and used her lamp to get back to her genie bottle. And this time she didn’t even fall over when she landed!

  Before she climbed into bed, Poppy checked the clothes that Madame di Silver had given her. Sure enough, she found a pair of white, fluffy pyjamas, soft as a cloud.

  As she pulled her blanket up, Poppy noticed a dial on the headboard with different settings, including Magic Carpet and Waterbed.

  I’ve had enough riding on magic carpets for one evening, Poppy smiled to herself, so she changed the setting to Waterbed. Instantly, the green carpet seemed to disappear and was replaced by what looked like gently rolling waves. The sound of a sea breeze rose up around her, and it felt for all the world like the bed was a snug little boat, rocking to and fro on the sea.

  Poppy woke feeling refreshed and alert. But to her surprise, the clock said that it was only an hour later. Poppy got changed back into her uniform and grabbed her Location Lamp.

  When she arrived at the Training Centre, she saw that it had been set up for a feast. In the middle of the room were large carpets, laden with food. As soon as Poppy sat down, one of the carpets floated over to her, waiting patiently while she picked something to eat. She chose a bowl of pink yoghurt sprinkled with bright green pistachios and a plate of mini blueberry pikelets, each with a blob of strawberry jam on top.

  Across the other side of the Training Centre Bottle, Poppy saw Jake drinking a bottle of juice through a very curly straw. As the juice trave
lled up the straw it changed colour. It started off orange, then changed to pink half way up, and was purple by the time it reached the top!

  When snack time was finished, and the carpets had whisked the dirty plates away, there was a puff of purple smoke and Lexie appeared.

  ‘Grab your jotters, everyone,’ she said. ‘I’m going to teach you about wish twisting.’

  Poppy’s jotter fell open to a blank page. But as Poppy watched, words appeared.

  ‘I don’t understand Step 3,’ said Poppy. ‘What does add a twist mean?’

  Jake’s hand shot up. ‘I bet it means that if the normie wishes to be tall, you make them mega-tall – like a skyscraper or something. Or if they wish to be rich you turn them into a gooey chocolate cake, covered in cream. Or if they wish –’

  ‘OK, I get it!’ said Poppy, laughing. ‘So, if they wish they could fly I give them a plane ticket.’

  Lexie nodded approvingly. ‘Exactly,’ she said. ‘Genies are bound by ancient genie law to grant wishes. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do it in our own way.’

  Then Lexie clapped her hands. ‘OK, now that we’ve covered the basics of Wish Twisting, let’s move onto Wish Granting.’

  Poppy felt a shiver of excitement. Now this sounded more like it!

  ‘Why are you teaching us Wish Granting at all,’ asked Jake, ‘if we’re supposed to just try and get out of it?’

  ‘Well, there are some normies who make good wishes that you want to grant,’ explained Lexie. ‘And there are other times when you have no option but to grant a wish, regardless of how silly it is. And to do that, you’ll need to come up with your own personal wish routine. No-one can teach it to you. It’s something you have to discover for yourself. All I can do is show you some basic wish moves. Then it’s up to you.’