Bushman Lives! by Daniel Pinkwater

Bushman Lives! by Daniel Pinkwater

Author:Daniel Pinkwater
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt


Chapter 34

Wise Woman

“I assume you have a space here,” I said to Molly. “What is it you do?”

“Come along, and I’ll show you,” Molly said.

Molly took me all the way to the limit of the enormous space, where the end zone would be. On the way, I noticed that some people had created workspaces in clusters, and others were off by themselves. Hers was way off by itself. She had made a sort of screen or topless tent out of old sheets and bedspreads propped up with mop handles and poles of wood.

“Here’s my little area,” she said. There were a lot of orange crates, stood on end to make cabinets, full of jars and bottles, and little paper bags, a reading lamp and an electric hot plate with an iron pot on it. Something was simmering in the pot—it smelled like applesauce. I noticed that the hot plate was not plugged in. The plug was lying on the floor, but the thing was obviously hot. The same was true of the lamp plug lying on the floor. I switched it on. It lit up.

“That’s sort of unusual,” I said.

“One of the properties of this place,” Molly said. “And don’t ask me how it works.”

I noticed a rolled-up sleeping bag. The Wolluf was using it as a pillow and drooling on it. “Do you sleep here too?” I asked her.

“Sometimes. Us Dwergs don’t sleep a lot. It’s a trait.”

“Insomniac.”

“Dwerg.”

“So what exactly do you do here?”

“I told you. Studying to be a wise woman. It’s herbs and potions, poultices, remedies, cures for schizophrenia—things like that.”

“What’s that cooking in the pot? It smells like applesauce.”

“It’s applesauce.”

“For curing?”

“For eating. I practically live on the stuff.”

“You can cure schizophrenia?”

“Sure. You have a problem?”

“No, just curious.”

“Well, that one is fairly advanced. I can’t actually do it yet, but potentially.”

“But you consider it to be possible.”

“It worked for me.”

“Cool.”

“The Wolluf wants to wander around the town,” Molly said. “Any questions before we go?”

“Um. Does this place have plumbing?”

“Theres a water spigot and an outhouse in the backyard.”

“Seems kind of primitive, considering the magic electricals.”

“Hey, it’s rent-free. And it beats where I come from. Anyway, you live in a nice apartment. I may come by to use your shower sometime.”

“My parents will be delighted to meet you. How do you know I live in a nice apartment?”

“It’s in the song: ‘Old Harold Knishke, he lived in a nice apartment.’“

“Oh, right. The song.”

“Well, we’re on our way. I’ll see you around, no doubt.”

“No doubt. Thanks for bringing me here.”



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