Free Tales from the Hood by Michael Buckley

Granny asked.
    The lawyers shook their heads. “No, but there’s nothing to worry about,” Little John said. “After we ask the judge for a postponement, we’ll have plenty of time to prepare.”
    Sabrina watched Daphne take out her dictionary. “Daphne, postponement means that they want more time before the trial begins.”
    Daphne scowled and put her dictionary away. “I don’t need your help.”
    Robin and Little John hurried the group through the front doors, up a flight of marble stairs, and into the courtroom. Sabrina was startled to find that the room was packed with Everafters. Goblins, witches, fairy godmothers, winkies, munchkinlanders, talking animals, and countless more were all excitedly discussing the trial. There were few empty seats left.
    Past the audience gallery, Sabrina noticed the jury box—two rows of seats set apart on the far side of the room. Each row contained six people for a total of twelve, and each juror was more bizarre than the last. The Cheshire Cat was one of them, as was Glinda the (not-so) Good Witch. There was also an enormous snail smoking a hookah pipe, a talking sheep, a young man dressed entirely in blue, and, much to Sabrina’s horror, an enormous egg with arms, legs, and a face. The top of its body was cracked but whatever was inside was still intact. Sabrina recognized most of them from around town or from one of the many books the family had on Everafters. Only one was a mystery to her. He wore a black hood that kept his face in shadow.
    At the front of the room was a wooden chair on a raised platform. Next to it was a much taller podium where a short, oddly shaped man with a tremendous head was sitting. He had an unruly mane of white hair stuffed under a big black top hat and a nose so incredibly large Sabrina suspected Lilliputians could live in his nostrils. He wore a long, black robe and held a carpenter’s hammer in his hand. Sabrina guessed he was the judge.
    Watching over the crowd were three card soldiers. Sabrina had run into their kind before. Their limbs and heads were human but their bodies were huge playing cards. They acted as Mayor Heart’s personal guards. The Three of Clubs seemed to be guarding the judge, while the Five of Diamonds and the Seven of Spades watched the doorway.
    There was heavy pounding on the door and the guards opened it. Several more card soldiers filed in, pulling the heavy chains attached to Mr. Canis. They forced him into a seat behind a big desk, then ran the chains through an iron ring fastened to the floor. Canis looked tired, but he grew angry when he spotted the family.
    “What are you doing here?” he growled.
    “We came to help, of course,” Granny Relda said.
    “I don’t want your help!”
    “Order!” the judge demanded, pounding on his desk with the hammer. Sabrina had seen judges use gavels on TV, but never real hammers. With each pound of the tool, splinters from the desk shot into the air. “Order! What is this commotion in my courtroom?”
    Robin Hood and Little John rushed to the judge’s bench and bowed respectfully. “Your honor, we apologize to the court for our tardiness. We’re counselors for Mr. Canis.”
    “Do you think you can show up for court whenever you want to, counselors?” the judge roared. “I should have the two of you thrown out of here on your ears.”
    The outburst caused quite a bit of excited chatter, which enraged the judge even further. He slammed his hammer down again and again. “Order. I’ll have order in this courtroom,” he bellowed. “I want a toasted sesame bagel with low-fat scallion cream cheese. You folks can order whatever you want, but get separate checks.”
    Robin Hood and Little John looked puzzled. “Your honor, we would like to ask for a postponement,” Robin Hood said as the family took whatever seats they could find. “We only just learned our client was being tried a half an hour ago.”
    “Your client wasn’t tried a half an hour ago. He is being