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

sweets are bad for you,” she said.
    Nora had already decided not to eat the candy. She was sure it was enchanted.
    Tad wanted to eat a piece before supper. Mrs. Cooper took all the fudge and put it in the kitchen to save for later.
    After supper Mr. Cooper went into the kitchen. Nora saw him reach for a piece of fudge. “Don’t eat it, Daddy! It’s enchanted!”
    Nora’s father laughed. “That’s the best excuse for keeping it all to yourself I ever heard.” He popped a piece into his mouth. “Nothing wrong with this fudge. It’s the best I ever tasted.”
    He was going to take another piece when Tad came into the kitchen. “Daddy!” said Tad. “That’s
my
candy!” Tad grabbed the biggest piece and stuffed it into his mouth.
    Mr. Cooper put his hand in his pocket, but it seemed to Nora that he couldn’t take his eyes off the fudge. Then he lookedaround. “Where’s Skip? I haven’t seen him this evening.”
    Mrs. Cooper was bringing the dirty plates out from the dining room. “That dog!” she said. “He really must be taught to obey. I can’t get him to do anything I want him to.”
    “He’s just thinking for himself,” said Mr. Cooper. Skipper came into the kitchen looking for after-dinner scraps. Mr. Cooper gave him a piece of meat from one of the plates.
    “Oh, John!” said Mrs. Cooper. “How can I train him not to beg if you do that? I have a hard enough time keeping the children from giving him leftovers. I never thought
you’d
start doing it.” She began to put the dishes in the dishwasher.
    It was strange, thought Nora. Daddy almost never paid any attention to the dog. He was always too busy. Suddenly Nora had an idea. “Tad,” she said, “did Maggiegive you any fudge when you were in her house?”
    Tad was sitting on the floor with his arm around Skipper, who was licking Tad’s nose. He didn’t seem to hear Nora. She went over to him. “Tad, answer me. Did you eat any fudge when you were next door?”
    Tad looked at her. “Fudge? Yes. Before Maggie introduced me to Henry. Listen to Skipper.”
    Nora could hear the dog making the little snuffling whistling noise he always made if anybody petted him. She gave him a pat.
    “Nora,” said Tad, “can’t you hear? He’s talking!”
    “Of course he is, silly.”
    “But, Nora, I can understand him. Can’t you?”
    Nora stared at Tad. He seemed to mean what he said.
    The idea Nora had was getting clearer. She looked at her father. There were still two pieces of fudge on the plate. He reached for one of them.
    Nora’s mother saw him too. “John, that’s the children’s candy! Besides, you’re getting fat.”
    Mr. Cooper looked up. “One more won’t hurt,” he said.
    Nora grabbed the two pieces of candy and ran out of the room. What was it the witch had said? Save one for tomorrow!

Upstairs in her room, Nora put the two pieces of fudge in her dresser drawer. She sat on the edge of the bed and tried to think. She was sure the fudge was magic, but she had to prove it. There was only one way.
    Nora opened the dresser drawer and took one piece of fudge. She nibbled a corner of it—delicious! Once she had started, Nora couldn’t stop until it was all gone.
    There was a faint scratching noise in her closet. It must be a mouse, thought Nora. I wonder if Mother set that terrible trap again.
    Nora’s mother hated mice. All the houses on the block were attached to eachother, and the mice ran between the walls from one house to another. Nora’s mother put traps under the radiators in all the rooms.
    Nora got down on her hands and knees and carefully pulled the trap from under the radiator. It was set and baited with a piece of bacon. Nora hit the trap with her hairbrush to release the spring. Then she took the bacon out and poked it into the closet through the crack under the door.
    “I hope the mouse enjoys the bacon,” she said to herself. “Now, what was I going to do? Oh, yes, the fudge.” Nora took the other piece of fudge