Granny Magic by Elka Evalds

Author:Elka Evalds
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chicken House

‘What fresh devilry is this?’

The grans were gathered around the table in the upstairs room at The Knittery, looking down at the flecked jumper. They were wrapped up to their chins in magical knitting, and Jun-Yu was using a pair of pliers to hold one of the sleeves up to the light.

‘This looks like a generosity jumper, only . . .’

‘Dicky,’ said Matilda.

‘Wonky,’ said Hortense.

‘All over the shop,’ said Ivy.

‘And the other sleeve – that’s a happiness pattern, only . . .’

‘Jump-started,’ said Ivy.

‘Gingered,’ said Matilda.

‘Sprightled up!’ said Dorcas.

‘And this bit round the neck looks like a wisdom jumper, only . . .’

‘Is that in reverse?’ asked Dorcas, her eyes wide.

‘So it would cloud your judgement,’ said Ivy.

‘Look at the wrist, on the inside!’ said Hortense.

‘It looks like a warming jumper—’ said Dorcas.

‘In reverse, again,’ said Jun-Yu.

‘Well, that is a whole new level of scary,’ said Ivy.

‘So this jumper would make you unwise?’ said Will.

‘Yes. And so generous you’d spend too much money,’ said Matilda.

‘And weirdly cold when you took the thing off,’ said Hortense.

‘And miserable until you had it on again,’ breathed Dorcas.

Jun-Yu had flicked on the lamp and picked up a magnifying glass. ‘Is anyone seeing any Magic Wool in here? For jumpers to work this much mischief, they’d surely have to have some. Will, use your young eyes.’

But Will couldn’t see any more gold than the grans could.

‘What are these tiny flecks?’ asked Dorcas, leaning very close and running a finger over the little black bits. ‘I can feel something here.’

Jun-Yu brought the lamp down closer, and stretched the jumper out beneath it.

‘By all that’s evil,’ said Jun-Yu, ‘I think the tiny flecks are Magic Wool, and he’s done something to it, to stop it fighting back.’

‘So it won’t unravel!’ said Dorcas.

‘That,’ said Matilda, ‘is NOT cricket!’

‘But they do unravel,’ said Will. ‘Ben’s dad’s jumper’s fell to bits!’

‘That’s it!’ said Jun-Yu. ‘The Magic Wool eventually wins. Then it unravels, and destroys the whole jumper. But not before someone has paid for it and come to love how the jumper made them feel.’

‘Then when it falls to bits, they’re desperate to buy another one,’ said Hortense.

‘And they’ll pay any price,’ said Ivy.

‘This is unspeakable,’ said Dorcas.

‘He really is a clever little blighter, isn’t he?’ said Matilda.

‘And now he knows that Gertie was taking her family to the Isle of Man,’ said Hortense. ‘Do we think he’ll try to go? Will he know how to find the sheep and gather the Magic Wool?’

Just then Holly swung in through the window, binoculars round her neck.

‘He’s gone!’ she said. ‘Jasper Fitchet just left Knittington on a motorbike. Nice one too!’ Will had seen that motorbike through the binoculars. It was a Norton Dominator, the new kind that looks old but can go like the clappers.

‘What are you doing up here, Holly? Shouldn’t you be manning the shop?’ said Jun-Yu.

‘In case you haven’t noticed, we haven’t had a customer for days. No one is knitting. No one is making anything. The whole town is out buying clothes.

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