Free A Matter-of-Fact Magic Book by Ruth Chew Page A

go, Tad.”
    “I want to go,” Tad said. “It’s an adventure. I’m not afraid, even if you are.”

Nora sat down to do her homework, but she kept thinking about Tad.
    At supper time Tad had not come home. “Where is Tad?” asked Mrs. Cooper.
    “Next door with Maggie Brown,” Nora said.
    “
Mrs
. Brown is what you call her,” said Nora’s mother. “Please, Nora, go next door and tell Tad to come home.”
    Nora wanted very much to go to see Maggie Brown, but at the same time she was afraid of what might happen to her in the witch’s house. There was no use telling her mother about it. Her mother didn’t believe in witches. Maybe if Norahad a good luck charm it would keep her safe. She remembered the old horseshoe her father used as a paperweight on his desk. She went to get it.
    Nora climbed the stoop of the brown-stone house next door. Like many houses in Brooklyn, it looked just like all the others on the block. But instead of one doorbell like Nora’s house, it had two. Nora pressed the upstairs bell.
    While she waited, Nora stroked the horseshoe. Nobody answered the bell. Nora pressed it again.
    Almost at once the door opened a very little crack. A bright green eye looked out.

    “Come in quickly,” said Maggie Brown. “I don’t want Henry to escape.” She grabbed Nora’s arm and pulled her into the house. The door slammed shut behind them.
    Maybe Henry is a boy the witch has caught, thought Nora.
    She looked around the little front hall. “I just came to tell Tad to come home,” she said. “Where is he?”
    “Upstairs,” said Maggie Brown. “Come on up.” She led the way. Nora followed, holding tight to the horseshoe.
    At the top of the stairs Maggie turned to the right and went down the long hall to the kitchen at the back of the house. Tad was sitting on the floor wiggling a string in front of a cream-colored Siamese cat.
    She’s enchanted him already, thought Nora. She knew Tad hated cats.
    “Look at Henry. He’s more than ahundred years old,” said Tad.
    “Really?” Nora went over to the cat.
    “Maggie says he’s lived for twenty people years, and one people year is like seven cat years,” Tad said.
    Just then something cold and wet touched Nora’s knee. She looked down to see a graceful little dog with large brown eyes looking up at her. It looked more like a deer than a dog. Nora patted the dog’s smooth head, and it slowly wagged its long tail.
    “She’s an Italian greyhound,” said Tad.
    “How can she be a greyhound?” Nora said. “She’s not gray. She’s brown. What’s her name?”
    “Taffy,” said Maggie Brown. “Come and see the rest of the family.” She led Nora into a small bedroom. A ragged green parakeet sat on a perch. There was a black lizard on the floor. He was abouttwo feet long and very ugly. The lizard stuck out his forked tongue at Nora.
    Nora stepped back into the hall. “I have to go,” she said. “Mother wants us home for supper.”

    Maggie bent over to stroke the lizard. “I’m sorry you can’t stay. I wanted to give you some fudge. Never mind. You can have some to take home.”

    Nora went to the kitchen to get Tad.
    Maggie gave each of them a piece of fudge.
    Nora said, “Thank you.”
    And then she heard Tad say, “Can’t I have two pieces, Maggie?”
    The witch looked at him.
    “Oh, please, Maggie. It’s such good fudge.”
    Maggie smiled. “Promise you’ll save one piece for tomorrow.”
    “I promise,” Tad said.
    Maggie gave him another piece. “Here’s another one foryou too, Nora. Remember, don’t eat both pieces tonight. Run along now. Your mother will be angry with me.” She giggled as if she didn’t care in the least.
    Nora could hear her still cackling away as she and Tad ran down the stairs to the front door.

Mrs. Cooper was angry because Tad and Nora were late for supper. “Nora, I told you to tell Tad to come home, not to stay there yourself.”

    She was not happy about the fudge either. “Too many