The End
The Olde Shoe Shoppe
At the end of a tiny side-street,
tucked away from all the big expensive shops,
is a small shoe shop
and inside the shop there are shoes of every colour and design.
There are some who say
these are the best shoes that can be found anywhere
and everyday people gather outside the shop
just to stare in at all the different shoes.
“Oh the colours,” they say.
“Oh the shapes,” they exclaim...
“Oh such wonderful designs,” they sigh.
But the shop never seems to sell any shoes.
You see, this is a very special kind of shoe shop with very particular shoes.
Oh lots of people go into the shop and try to buy the shoes.
But the shop owner always says,
“I think you should try them on first...just in case”.
Of course when people do try the shoes on,
they find they don't fit.
No matter what size they try.
No matter how many sizes too big they try;
the shoes are always the wrong size
and if someone picks up a red pair
they soon find the shoes have turned blue or orange or green.
Or even into sticky toffee or banana colour!
The shop owner doesn't seem to mind that she never sells any shoes
or that the shoes are always the wrong size
and her friend, who helps out in the shop,
doesn't seem to mind that he always has lots and lots of shoes to keep clean.
And as for the shoes themselves, well....
After the shop owner and her friend go home at night,
the shop belongs to the shoes...
and this is where our story really begins...
“What a day that was,” yawned a bright red pair of lace-ups.
“Have you seen my laces? All twisted they are. All knotted up.”
“In that case you need zips,” said a very long pair of brown zip-up boots.
“Everybody who's anybody knows that zips are best.”
'Did you see what that person did to my laces?' Continued the bright red lace-ups,
ignoring the zip-up boots,
“And they had smelly feet!
If only I had teeth,
I would have nibbled their toes off!”
“Tut, tut. Always complaining, always complaining,”
said a pair of sandals.
“You take everything far too seriously!
You should be more relaxed. Like we sandals are.”
The bright red lace-ups and zip-up boots laughed.
“Like you?” said the zip-up boots.
“Oh no, no, much too drafty in winter.”
“What are you going to do when it rains?” Asked the red lace-ups.
“All the water will get in.”
“Everyone knows sandals aren't real shoes,”
said a pair of shiny black slip-ons.
“We are proper shoes,” said the sandals feeling a little upset.
“We are Summer Fun Wear! See, it says so on the sticker on my sole.
Besides who wants to have stuffy, smelly shoes on a hot summery day?”
“Shoes are not stuffy and smelly on hot days,” said the red lace-ups,
“and boots are good in any kind of weather,” added the zip-up boots.
“But darlings, darlings,” said a voice from a high shelf.
The sandals, bright red lace-ups, zip-up boots and shiny black slip-ons all looked up. At first they couldn't see anything
but then the pointy toe of a pair of gold high-heeled shoes
peeked over the edge of the shelf.
“There you are darlings,” said the gold high-heeled shoes.
“Look, I don't want to disappoint but I am the most important shoe in this shop.
I get to go to all the special occasions; walk on red carpets, dinner dances.
Why once I even...”
Suddenly there was a very loud crash.
A pair of big heavy army boots had jumped out of their box
and landed right next to the gold high-heeled shoes.
“What's all this noise?”
Demanded the army boots in a very loud booming voice.
“I'm trying to sleep!”
And with that he stamped on the toe of the gold high-heeled shoes!
The gold high-heeled shoes screamed, burst into tears
and ran off to the other end of the shelf where they jumped into a box
and cuddled up next to a pair of gym shoes.
“You can't do that!” Said the bright red lace-ups.
“Can't do what?” Boomed the army boots
“Jump on other shoes’ toes and upset them”, said the red lace-ups, zip-up boots and shiny black slip-ons and sandals together.
“Really?” Said the army boots.
“'Watch me!”
And with that the army boots shouted
“Geronimo!”
and jumped off the high shelf.
The red lace-ups, zip-up boots and shiny black slip-ons and sandals
quickly moved out of the way.
The army boots landed with a thud!
“Ooh, that hurt my heels.
Where are you then? Come on then.”
Said the army boots looking around.
“Ooh my heels do hurt a bit though. Oh dear.”
Then from out of nowhere, well, from behind a foot stool actually,
the bright red lace-ups, zip-up boots and shiny black slip-ons and the sandals
all rushed at the army boots.
There was commotion and shouting
and shouting and commotion;
“Hey that’s my toecap!”
“No not me!”
“Ow!”
“Put me down!”
“Help!”
“Aargh!”
At the end of all the commotion and shouting and shouting and commotion
the bright red lace-ups, zip-up boots and shiny black slip-ons and the sandals
had tied the army boots' laces together.
Feeling a bit scuffed and needing a good polish,
the army boots tried to run away but because their laces were tied together,
they couldn't and tripped over.
Bump!
“Ow!”
But before the army boots could say or do anything else, there was a loud
Whoosh!
And a flash of light.
“Sorry, sorry,” said a pair of very dusty looking trainers
as they appeared out of nowhere and floated down to the floor.
“I did tell him not to make it so loud and bright but you know what wizards are,”
said the dusty trainers.
The army boots, bright red lace-ups, zip-up boots and shiny black slip-ons and the sandals watched as the dusty trainers landed gently on the floor.
“Oh I say,” said the shiny black slip-ons pointing at the dusty trainers soles,
“you appear to be on fire.”
“Oh no!”
The dusty trainers quickly stamped around the floor,
putting out the little flames that had begun to appear.
“Phew!” They said once the flames were out.
“That was close. I tell you, wizards don't half run fast - so fast
it almost burns your soles right up!”
The dusty trainers bounced up and down and stretched a little
“Have you been out yet?
My wizard told me there's a special witches and wizards party tonight
and they're all coming here to pick their footwear.”
“Party?” said a voice from the high shelf.
“Did you say party?” It was the gold high-heel shoes.
“I sim
ply love a party, darling. I'm ready, just need a quick wipe over.”
Suddenly from all around the door came popping sounds
and all sorts of witches and wizards began appearing -
all looking for shoes, boots and sandals
to wear to the
Annual Witches and Wizards Grand Party and Tea Dance.
“Quick, everyone line up”, said the shiny black slip-ons.
“We don't want to miss out.”
“Come on, you too army boots,” said the bright red lace-ups.
All the shoes lined up and after a lot of
picking,
unpicking,
deciding,
un-deciding,
and
re-deciding
the witches and wizards had chosen the shoes, sandals and boots they would wear.
In the end there was not a single pair of shoes,
boots or sandals left.
All had been chosen.
And that is why at the end of a tiny side-street,
tucked away from all the big expensive shops,
there is a small shoe shop called the
Witch Wizard Shoe Shoppe.
Inside there are shoes of every shape and colour and design
and where, so witch and wizard people say,
are the best shoes that can be found anywhere.
The End
Peta and her missing parents
This is a story about a girl named Peta who lives with her uncle.
But perhaps it would be better to say, Peta's uncle lives with her.
You see, he moved in when Peta's Mum and Dad went missing...
and really it was partly his fault that they did go missing.
Peta's Mum and Dad had gone off on holiday.
Nothing unusual in that except they hadn't taken Peta but then she hadn't really wanted to go anyway.
More importantly though...
they had not come back!
Six months Peta’s mum and dad had been gone.
Six whole months!
Peta would stomp around the house shouting out,
“six whole months Uncle!
Do you know that's half way to
Christmas
and maybe near or past
Easter!
And before or after mine and everyone else's
birthday!
And yes, Uncle,
it is all your fault!”
When Peta's parents didn't return from their two week holiday
and the two weeks became three weeks,
and the three weeks turned into four weeks...
then six weeks,
then two months,
then three months!
Well, Peta had to explain about her missing parents to -
and here is the list:
1. All her friends.
Quite easy apart from Marcie – more on Marcie later.
2. Her Mum and Dad's friends.
Easier than Peta thought and lots of offers of help.
3. The school.
Tricky this one.
Peta left it to her uncle.
He said the Head Teacher was surprisingly understanding –
whatever that meant?
4. The nosey neighbours down the road at number 25.
Not surprisingly...they already knew!
Now, rather than say that her parents had gone on holiday and not come back,
Peta thought it better to say, they'd
gone on holiday in a very small plane
and it had crash-landed on a desert island.
A very tiny desert island,
somewhere in the middle of nowhere
and no one knew where nowhere was.
So, they were not only missing
but lost as well.
This satisfied most people...
except, except...
Marcie.
Marcie was Peta's best friend and Marcie had to know
everything about everything!
She would say;
Tell me, tell me, tell me,
Hour after hour.
Peta had no idea how someone could repeat the same thing
over and over
without their tongue getting tired, saying
huh, I've had enough,
jumping out their mouth
and running off!
After two whole days of Marcie saying
“Tell me, tell me, tell me,”
Peta gave in and told Marcie what had really happened...
Naturally, Marcie didn’t believe her.
She put a lemon drop sweet in her mouth and slowly sucked it
before taking it out, looking at it,
putting it back in her mouth and saying;
“I don't believe you, Peta.”
That was typical of Marcie.
Peta let out a long sigh,
“oh come on, Marcie. Tell your mum you're coming round my house for tea.
You can see my uncle and he will tell you.”
When Peta arrived home with Marcie, her uncle was writing a note for her.
“Ah, there you are,” he said,
“I was just leaving you a note. I’m just about to pop off.”
“Don’t you mean pop out”, said Peta.
“Oh no, pop off. I’ve seen the chief wizard and he has given me this special spell.” He waved a piece of paper in the air.
Marcie tugged at Peta’s sleeve.
“Why is your uncle wearing a blue cloak with stars on it
and what’s a chief wizard?”
Then she noticed the walls were covered in writing.
Even the ceiling had writing on it!
“Who has been scribbling
all over your walls and ceiling?”
Marcie asked.
Peta looked at the walls and the ceiling;
they were covered in magic spells.
Some long, some short
and some rubbed out, crossed out or scribbled out.
Peta poked her uncle in the ribs and gave a little ahem cough.
“Oh, the writing”, said her uncle looking around.
“Ah, yes. Spells. Lots and lots of magic spells.
Well, lots and lots of mostly the same magic spell.
I just can't seem to get it right.
Bit bad for a wizard you know, not getting the spell right.”
Marcie took a lemon drop out of her pocket, put it in her mouth
and was about to take it out again and say,
“Tell me, tell me, tell me,”
when Peta's uncle said;
“It all started when Peta’s parents said they wanted a holiday.
Being a wizard, I made a spell for them and
whoosh!
Off they went. A nice sunny, tropical island”.
“It was meant to be an automatic spell”, explained Peta,
“So they should have come back after two weeks, shoohwa”.
“Shoohwa”? Said Marcie. “What’s shoohwa”?
“That’s whoosh backwards, sort of”, said Peta's uncle then he explained;
“In magic when you go somewhere there is always a whoosh sound.
And when you come back, it always sounds like shoohwa”.
Marcie nodded not quite sure if any of this was really true.
Then she said,
“If it was an automatic spell, why didn’t they come back”?
“Ah yes”, said a blushing, red-faced wizard - a little embarrassed.
“I think I got the spell a tiny bit wrong and ever since”…
“And ever since,” Peta interrupted,
“Uncle has been trying to find the right spell to bring Mum and Dad back!
“Yes,” he smiled slowly, looking at the walls.
“I, erm, ran out of paper..! But,” he added,
“I’ve got the chi
ef wizard’s special spell to get your parents back home.
Do you want to come with me?”
Peta and Marcie both said yes
and before Marcie could say anything else,
there was a
FLASH
and a shower of
glittering,
sparkling light...
Suddenly they were standing on a tropical island beach.
“Wow”, said Marcie looking around.
“You really are a wizard!”
Peta's uncle smiled in a relieved, phew, glad it worked sort-of-way,
looked around and then pointed.
“Look, under that palm tree. I think that is your mum and dad, Peta”.
Peta’s mum and dad waved. “Come and join us for lemonade”.
Peta and Marcie ran to them.
“Do you know how long you’ve been gone?” Peta said to her mum and dad.
Peta’s dad gave Peta and Marcie a large glass of lemonade each then said,
“Well, we thought it did seem a bit long for two weeks but we decided when it was time to leave,
the magic spell would,
well,
just magic us back home...”
Just then Peta's uncle arrived – a little hot.
“I don’t think a wizard’s cloak is quite right for the beach”, he said.
Then, after a cool glass of lemonade he added,
“the spell didn’t work, you’ve been here months.
But now its time to go”.
“Oh”, said Peta’s mum and dad together.
“We were just getting used to it too”.
“Quick, everyone hold hands”, said Peta’s uncle,
“I forgot to say this is an automatic spell and”…
SHOOHWA!
Without waiting any longer
the spell brought them all back to Peta’s house in an instant.
“As I was saying”, said Peta's uncle,
“once the words of the spell are spoken, it only lasts ten minutes”.
“Wow”,
said Marcie
not quite knowing what else to say for the moment.
“Oh look”,
said Peta’s mum pointing out the window,
“it’s raining”.
“Mum”, said Peta,
“Marcie’s come for tea. What are we having
and Dad can you give her a lift home after?”
Then Marcie tugged Peta’s uncle’s sleeve,
“about being a wizard”, she said,
“Tell me, tell me, tell me.”
Peta gave a little groan then realised she was still holding her lemonade.
“Mmm, delicious”, she said closing her eyes
and wishing that perhaps
she was standing
under a palm tree
somewhere.
The End
If you have enjoyed reading
A Triangle of Wizard Tales,
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Thank you
Rachael Long
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