Sadie's Story

Sadie's Story Read Free Page A

Book: Sadie's Story Read Free
Author: Christine Heppermann
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indignation. “I know how that goes.”
    â€œNo, no.” The witch flapped her small arms. “She flew. She turned into a bird. A yellow warbler. And not by choice, I’m fairly certain.”
    Sadie’s heart did a little flip of excitement. Now they were getting somewhere. She leaned forward. “So Ethel was cursed?”
    â€œCareless is more like it. I told her a thousand times, ‘Wear your glasses when youbake or hex!’ But oh no, Ethel knew best. So it was adder’s eyelid instead of almond extract. Cactus instead of cardamom. With a recipe, that means customers spitting out their scones. With a spell, it means she’s five inches tall and chip-chip-chip -ing her head off. That’s how I found her. And that’s when I saw Onyx, my cat, stalking her.”
    Horrified, Sadie looked over at Wilson and pictured tiny, feathered versions of Jess and Maya dangling from his jaws. “What did you do?”

    â€œWell, there was no time for my Whoops-I-Didn’t-Mean-to-Do-That Anti-Hex potion,even if I’d had the gargoyle scales, which I seriously doubt. So I grabbed Onyx and tossed him out. But when I opened the front door, out flew Ethel, too. So there I was, without my two best friends. I haven’t seen either of them since.”
    â€œThey’ll come back,” Sadie said.
    â€œOne can only hope.” The witch sighed and leaned over the cauldron, out of which, curiously enough, soap bubbles now floated. “Shall I wash and you dry?”
    As Sadie swirled a black dishtowel around inside the clean teacup, she said, “My two best friends left this morning.”
    â€œAnd you miss them.”
    Sadie hesitated. “Sort of. I guess. I mean, yes.”
    The witch raised her eyes from the suds. “Which is it?”
    â€œIt’s just that Jess can be so . . . Jess-like.”
    The witch peeled dishwashing gloves from her gnarled hands. She tossed them into the black bag and said, “At least your Jess knows which way she’s going. Birds get blown off course. Take a wrong turn at the third cloud from the left. Who can predict where a bird will end up? Especially a stubborn yellow warbler who takes off half-blind without her spectacles. It’s all so frustrating!”
    Sparks shot from the witch’s fingertips.
    With a screech, Wilson leaped straight into the air.
    The playhouse filled with thick gray smoke.

Chapter 5
    Big Black Bag
    â€œW ow,” said Sadie after her coughing subsided.
    The witch flicked the baby blanket at the last of the smoke to shoo it out the window. “Cozy and better than mugwort for protection!” she croaked, beaming at the ducky-covered cloth.

    Sadie looked over at Wilson, who was in the corner washing his front paw, trying to recover his dignity. “I guess Onyx left because his feelings were hurt,” she said. Wilson bobbed his head in what was either a nod of agreement or a vigorous attempt to lick the fur on his chest.
    â€œThere’s really no excuse for how I behaved,” said the witch. “Shouting at him. Banning him from the cottage.” A small puff of gray smoke that must have been hiding near the ceiling floated down and hovered over the witch’s head like a thundercloud. She waved her arms in the air to disperse it. Then she said, “I know he can take care of himself, but I wish he’d come back and let me apologize.”

    â€œI bet he will,” Sadie said. “Jess and Maya and I fight sometimes, but then we make up. Friends don’t stay mad forever.” As if to prove her point, Wilson padded over and butted his head against the witch’s fingers, asking to be petted. A peace offering.
    â€œI do sometimes worry in the middle of the night.” The witch gathered Wilson into her lap. “What if Onyx is cold or hurt? What if Ethel is somewhere with a lot of cats? Like the Catskills.”
    â€œAren’t those just

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