‘I see,’ said Rosemary slowly. ‘You mean that if you had more china, quite a lot of it, that you would earn a great deal of money this afternoon?’
‘I’d give anything I’ve got for some more china. You see, that’s not all.’
‘Oh dear. Is there some more?’ Miss Maggie nodded.
‘This afternoon my brother was coming to see how we are getting on. He put up the money for the tea shop in the first place, and if he sees that we’re busy he will probably help us out a bit, but if he thinks it is being a failure he’ll say it’s throwing good money after bad. Oh, well,’ she went on, ‘it’s no use bothering you with our troubles.’ And she turned heavily to the sink, looking so dejected that Rosemary said:
‘Oh, please cheer up. I might be able to help. About the china, I mean. But I must talk to my friends first.’
She ran out of the kitchen, to find John waiting impatiently for her.
‘What have you been doing all this time?’ he asked crossly.
‘Hush, I’ll tell you. Come outside, quickly!’
They hurried out and turned down a little passage that ran down the side of the shop.
‘Carbonel,’ said Rosemary. ‘Now we have got the cauldron, can it do some magic – grant wishes and things?’
Carbonel considered.‘It’s a bit irregular. You don’t belong to the Sinister Sisterhood, but the cauldron might do it to oblige me. But what for?’
Rosemary told them about the Women’s Institute rally, and the broken china, and the brother who was not going to throw good money after bad, and then she added:
‘… And Miss Maggie said that she would give everything she had got if she had enough china for this afternoon. So you see, if we could help I believe she would let us have the cauldron.’
Carbonel trotted off without a word.
17
The Wishing Magic
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In a few minutes Carbonel was back again, looking very pleased with himself.
‘It’s all right. I’ve persuaded it to do just one Wishing Magic to oblige. It’s a bit risky on account of the poor thing really being a bit past it, what with the Pot Mender, and so on. But it will do what it can.’
‘How exciting!’ said John. ‘What do we do?’
‘Well, wishing spells are Rainbow Magic. But, of course, you know that?’
John and Rosemary both shook their heads.‘You don’t? Good gracious! That’s how the story began that there is a pot of gold at the foot of the rainbow, simply because gold is what so many people wish for. The whole tale is just superstition, but that is how it started. Well, of course we must make a Rainbow Brew. Can you do that, do you think?’
Again Rosemary shook her head.‘But I’ll do anything you tell me to!’
‘I can’t think what they teach you at school,’ said the cat severely. ‘Every Witch’s Kitten knows how to do that. You mix seven liquids of the seven colours of the rainbow. It doesn’t much matter what, so long as the colours are right. That is why they let the kittens do it. And then, when it’s nicely simmering, you say the Wishing Words… if only I can remember them. I’ve heard HER say them often enough.’
Carbonel sat down with his tail neatly curled round his paws and closed his eyes.
‘Oh, don’t go to sleep now,’ said John, dancing with impatience. The cat opened his eyes very wide.
‘Who’s going to sleep? Do you imagine that every time a cat closes its eyes that it is sleeping? That’s when we think our deepest thoughts. Besides, how else can I concentrate, with you jigging up and down like a bobbin on a string? I think I can remember the Words all right. Now where can wedo it? We can’t do even the most elementary magic in the middle of the High Street in comfort.’
‘When I was in the kitchen, I think I saw a sort of wash house place across the yard outside the window. Would that do?’ asked Rosemary. ‘I expect this passage leads into the yard.’
They went to look, and sure enough, there were some neglected-looking out-buildings.
‘I’ll go and get the cauldron,’ said John. ‘I hope to goodness no one sees me. Lucky thing it’s just by the door. Rosie, you had better go and buy the rainbow things. I don’t think I should be much good at that. We must keep our fares home, but you had better take the rest of my money.’
‘What colours must I get?’ asked Rosemary.
‘The colours of the rainbow, of course,’ said Carbonel. ‘Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Meet us in the wash house as soon as you can.’ And he and John hurried down the passage.
They found that the wash house was a derelict building, with the sky showing through the slates here and there. There was a broken chair and some odd pots and pans and a copper in one corner. Beneath the small-paned window was an old sink with a tap and, better still, on the draining board was an ancient gas ring attached to a snake-like pipe.
‘We’re in luck, my boy!’ said Carbonel. ‘Every modern convenience. The thing is, have you got any matches?’
John went rather red, because he was not supposed to carry matches about, and he had to admit that he had one of those cardboard books. It had a portrait of a famous cricketer on the flap. He had meant to tear off the portrait and leave the matches behind, but somehow he had not.
‘See if the tap works!’ said Carbonel.
It worked all right. In fact, water spurted out of all sorts of unexpected places when it was turned on. They stood the gas ring on the sink, among the dust and bits of plaster, and put the half-filled cauldron over it. Then they lit the gas. It made an alarming‘pop’, but by the time a breathless Rosemary had returned with a large paper bag the water was beginning to boil.
‘I’ve got them!’ she said triumphantly. ‘I hope they will do!’ and she tipped the things out into the sink. ‘I’ve got lemonade powder for yellow, a packet of orange dye, a blue bag, a little bottle of green setting lotion (I got that cheap because the cap is cracked), some methylated spirits, and a bottle of indigo ink. I couldn’t get all packets of dye because I hadn’t enough money. Oh, and the woman in the shop let me have a pennyworth of hundreds and thousands. I thought we could add those as a sort of “thank you” to the cauldron.’
‘That is just the sort of attention it will appreciate,’ said Carbonel as he counted over the colours. ‘Wait a minute, though. You have not got anything red.’
Rosemary’s face fell. ‘Oh dear! I’ve only got three ha’-pence left and it’s getting so late! What shall I do?’
‘I know,’ said John. ‘Nip into the kitchen and warn Miss Maggie about the china coming, and see if there is anything red there. It isn’t stealing, really, because it’s for them.’
Rosemary hurried to the kitchen where Miss Maggie was arranging the half-dozen tea sets that were left. She was still sniffing slightly.
‘It’s all right, please cheer up! Because I think we can find you some china, as a lend, you know, for the afternoon. And then you will be able to make a lot of money with all the Women’s Instituters, and your brother will be frightfully impressed!’
Miss Maggie gave a wan smile.‘You are a kind little thing, but whoever would lend us enough china? And besides, it is half past three already!’
‘Goodness!’ said Rosemary, ‘we must hurry up. But I am almost sure we can do it, so do have a whole lot of cakes ready!’
Miss Maggie shook her head despondently, but as she turned to lift a tin from its shelf, Rosemary snatched something from the table and dashed back to the wash house with her pigtails flapping excitedly.