turn at the mirror. "Andy, you
look way cool today."
Persephone barely held back her laughter as
she took her turn. "Persephone," she said, smiling and winking at
Andy, "you have nice hair."
The mirror rippled and melted away, showing
them the second half of the staircase.
"Very funny, guys," said Chase, between
clenched teeth. "Come on, Andy. Let's go."
He pulled his snickering brother up the
stairs. After a few more twists and turns, they stopped in front of
a tall, arched doorway.
"Let's try this one," said Persephone.
It was one of the house's round castle-like
turrets, furnished with several armchairs, tasseled footstools, a
table and lamp, and an old spinning wheel. Chase wandered to a
mullioned window and peered out. Grandfather was working in the
garden far below.
"Okay," said Janie, "Grandfather said the
clues to the magic are in the wallpaper."
Chase turned back to the room and began
studying the walls. The wallpaper was gold with blue stripes and in
between each stripe were pictures of chairs, lamps, shoes and
books. He looked closer.
"Hey!" he exclaimed. "This is Augusta's room.
I mean, look. All these drawings are moving somehow. Like this
chair, I think it's skipping. Grandfather said she made stuff come
to life."
"You know, I think you're right!" said Janie.
"This cute little teacup looks like it's dancing."
"How do we make it work?" asked Andy, pushing
a footstool with his toe.
"That, I don't know," said Chase. "There are
lots of words for things that are moving."
"Those are called verbs," said Andy
smartly.
"I know," growled Chase, glowering at him.
"But we probably have to say the right one, like when we say Invisible or Shield ."
"Maybe we only need to tell them what to do,"
said Persephone. She pointed at the footstools. " Walk,
footstools! " The tasseled stools wiggled their stubby legs and
marched across the floor.
"You did it!" said Andy.
" Play leap-frog, footstools! " Without
missing a beat, the stools switched to jumping over and over each
other.
Janie's mouth dropped open. "What? How'd you
do that?" she cried. "No one told me you had powers."
"Grandfather gave Persephone a little piece
of magic," said Andy. "She's wearing it around her neck."
"What do you know, we knew something Miss
Know-it-all didn't," said Chase, looking smug.
"You knew too, huh?" Janie propped her fists
on her hips. "So, what, it's gang-up-on-Janie day?"
"No, it's not like that," said Chase. "You
act like you know everything. And for once, you didn't."
Janie narrowed her eyes. "That's real fine. I
only wanted to help you guys!" She pointed at the lamp. " Bounce,
lamp! On them! " The lamp leaped from the table and bounced up
and down on Chase's, Andy's and Persephone's heads and shoulders.
Its flowery, fringed shade flew into the air and dropped right onto
Chase's head.
"We're sorry! We're sorry!" they yelled,
dashing around the room as the footstools galloped behind Andy,
nipping his ankles. Lunging for the door, the three kids tumbled
into the hall, leaving the wild furniture behind.
"Great hat, Chase," said Andy as he rolled on
the floor, laughing. "You should've seen your face!"
"Me? What about you?" said Chase, joining in
the laughter. He yanked the lampshade off his head. "I've never
seen you run so fast."
"If you ask me, you both looked pretty
goofy," said Persephone.
Janie appeared in the doorway. "Uh…sorry I
lost my temper, guys."
"And I'm sorry I called you a know-it-all,"
said Chase. "It's just that…"
"…I am," she said, hanging her head. "I just
wanted to help. I'll try not to do it anymore, okay? If you guys
promise not to keep secrets!"
"Deal," said Chase.
"I really am sorry," said Janie as they
ambled down the hall.
"Aw, don't beat yourself up over it," said
Persephone, patting Janie's arm. "It was totally worth it seeing
Chase flapping around with a lampshade on his head."
Chase smiled at her. He was feeling more
confident about hanging out with Persephone. His tongue sort
look way cool today."
Persephone barely held back her laughter as
she took her turn. "Persephone," she said, smiling and winking at
Andy, "you have nice hair."
The mirror rippled and melted away, showing
them the second half of the staircase.
"Very funny, guys," said Chase, between
clenched teeth. "Come on, Andy. Let's go."
He pulled his snickering brother up the
stairs. After a few more twists and turns, they stopped in front of
a tall, arched doorway.
"Let's try this one," said Persephone.
It was one of the house's round castle-like
turrets, furnished with several armchairs, tasseled footstools, a
table and lamp, and an old spinning wheel. Chase wandered to a
mullioned window and peered out. Grandfather was working in the
garden far below.
"Okay," said Janie, "Grandfather said the
clues to the magic are in the wallpaper."
Chase turned back to the room and began
studying the walls. The wallpaper was gold with blue stripes and in
between each stripe were pictures of chairs, lamps, shoes and
books. He looked closer.
"Hey!" he exclaimed. "This is Augusta's room.
I mean, look. All these drawings are moving somehow. Like this
chair, I think it's skipping. Grandfather said she made stuff come
to life."
"You know, I think you're right!" said Janie.
"This cute little teacup looks like it's dancing."
"How do we make it work?" asked Andy, pushing
a footstool with his toe.
"That, I don't know," said Chase. "There are
lots of words for things that are moving."
"Those are called verbs," said Andy
smartly.
"I know," growled Chase, glowering at him.
"But we probably have to say the right one, like when we say Invisible or Shield ."
"Maybe we only need to tell them what to do,"
said Persephone. She pointed at the footstools. " Walk,
footstools! " The tasseled stools wiggled their stubby legs and
marched across the floor.
"You did it!" said Andy.
" Play leap-frog, footstools! " Without
missing a beat, the stools switched to jumping over and over each
other.
Janie's mouth dropped open. "What? How'd you
do that?" she cried. "No one told me you had powers."
"Grandfather gave Persephone a little piece
of magic," said Andy. "She's wearing it around her neck."
"What do you know, we knew something Miss
Know-it-all didn't," said Chase, looking smug.
"You knew too, huh?" Janie propped her fists
on her hips. "So, what, it's gang-up-on-Janie day?"
"No, it's not like that," said Chase. "You
act like you know everything. And for once, you didn't."
Janie narrowed her eyes. "That's real fine. I
only wanted to help you guys!" She pointed at the lamp. " Bounce,
lamp! On them! " The lamp leaped from the table and bounced up
and down on Chase's, Andy's and Persephone's heads and shoulders.
Its flowery, fringed shade flew into the air and dropped right onto
Chase's head.
"We're sorry! We're sorry!" they yelled,
dashing around the room as the footstools galloped behind Andy,
nipping his ankles. Lunging for the door, the three kids tumbled
into the hall, leaving the wild furniture behind.
"Great hat, Chase," said Andy as he rolled on
the floor, laughing. "You should've seen your face!"
"Me? What about you?" said Chase, joining in
the laughter. He yanked the lampshade off his head. "I've never
seen you run so fast."
"If you ask me, you both looked pretty
goofy," said Persephone.
Janie appeared in the doorway. "Uh…sorry I
lost my temper, guys."
"And I'm sorry I called you a know-it-all,"
said Chase. "It's just that…"
"…I am," she said, hanging her head. "I just
wanted to help. I'll try not to do it anymore, okay? If you guys
promise not to keep secrets!"
"Deal," said Chase.
"I really am sorry," said Janie as they
ambled down the hall.
"Aw, don't beat yourself up over it," said
Persephone, patting Janie's arm. "It was totally worth it seeing
Chase flapping around with a lampshade on his head."
Chase smiled at her. He was feeling more
confident about hanging out with Persephone. His tongue sort
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