Seven Came to Dinner. Chapter 4

                           Seven Came to Dinner.  

                   

                              Chapter Four.

 

                                 Spelling.

                   

          The next morning, Eddo sat in his study trying to think through what the witches had said that might help him undo their spells. Counting Day was very close, and he needed a solution quickly. He scratched his head, frowned at the ceiling, and scratched his head again, but nothing came.

          His wife brought him his morning coffee.

“You look very worried,” she said.

          He explained the problem.

          “Well,” she said, “those people do seem to deserve what the witches did to them.”

          “True,” Eddo agreed. “But I can’t leave them like that, no matter how selfish they sounded. I have to help them if I can.”

          His wife nodded. “When I’m stuck for something to make for dinner, I write down everything in the cupboard and see if anything suggests itself. Try writing down the spells.”

          Eddo thought that was an excellent idea. He wrote:

Pigs eating everything

No fire

No water

Too much water

Too much fire

Turn everything to stone

          He read the list again and again, but nothing came. He flapped the paper in front of his face to cool his brain. As he did, the words no water… too much water seemed to jump out at him.

          Calizone’s last words echoed in his mind: Cancel them out.

          “Of course — that’s it!” He rearranged the list:

- No fire — too much fire

- No water — too much water

- Pigs eating everything — everything turned to stone

          The last one worried him. He couldn’t see how one cancelled the other, but with so little time left, he had to take the risk.

          He went into the nearby town and called the businessmen to a meeting. Since it was Eddo who had summoned them, and since they were desperate, they all came. They looked very sorry for themselves. All of them wore thick leather gloves, “Only our bare hands turn things to stone,” one of them explained. “The gloves keep everything safe.”

          Eddo explained his idea. He finished with, “Since it would be impossible to bring the pigs here, you must go to their village.”

          The businessmen hesitated, until Eddo added, “Of course, you could stay here until Counting Day. I believe the punishment for failing to hand over your taxes in person is losing a hand. And I doubt the King will want a pile of stones.”

          That settled it. They ordered their coaches at once.

          Since the poor men couldn’t touch food, they brought their servants.

          Since they weren’t sure the plan would work, their wives came too.

          Since, their mothers were going on an exciting trip, the children insisted on coming as well.

          If not for the witches’ spell, it might have been a pleasant outing.

          When they reached the village, Eddo organised the servants, women, and children into groups, and all the pigs were herded into the centre. The pigs were extremely fat and had eaten almost everything in sight.

          “Now,” Eddo ordered, “businessmen, remove your gloves and start turning everything to stone. Except the pigs, of course.”                                        

          The businessmen began at once. They soon discovered it was easier to crawl along on their hands and knees than to bend down and touch things. Their children found it hysterically funny to see their fathers crawling nose‑to‑nose with a herd of extremely fat pigs.

          Very soon there was almost nothing left for the pigs to eat, except stone. The wealthiest businessman transformed the last patch of mud into rock. For a moment nothing happened. Even the pigs stopped snorting. Then there was a flash of light, and the pigs vanished.

          In their place stood a crowd of rather shamefaced people.

          Eddo handed one of the businessmen a handkerchief. Gingerly, he took it. It stayed cloth. He wiped his face with relief.

          Far away in the Dark Forest, Calizone smiled as she heard two toads squeal in pain. She took the pair from their cages and gently patted each on the head. A tiny spark seemed to pass from them to her. Then she set them outside her door.

          Eddo was very relieved. Leaving the celebrating businessmen and villagers behind, he headed off to find the people suffering from non‑stop rain. It was not difficult; he could see the cloud from a great distance. As soon as he entered the village, he was soaked to the skin. The villagers rushed up and handed him an umbrella.                             

           They had heard of him before, so it was easy to gather them together and explain his idea. They readily agreed to go with him to the Dry Lands.

          It was a very odd procession that made its way down from the hills. The sun shone everywhere except on the travellers. The roads they used turned to mud as they passed. If anyone strayed from the group, a small cloud detached itself from the main one and continued to pour rain on the unfortunate person.

          Eddo warned the two groups to stay apart for the moment. He suggested that before they stopped the rain‑making spell, the Dry‑landers should take a Rainmaker to the places where there was normally a spring or a lake. This was done, and Eddo went to watch as one group of Rainmakers stood beside a dried‑up pool. The Dry‑landers danced and sang, and the rain quickly filled the hollow in the ground.

          When water had returned everywhere it used to be, the Dry‑landers went to stand next to a Rainmaker. For a minute the two groups mingled. Then there was a flash of light, and the rain stopped. The Rainmakers looked very relieved, but many of the Dry‑landers looked a little disappointed. They had been enjoying the shower.

Not that it mattered. Very soon a group of Dry‑land children were gleefully swimming in a newly filled lake, while the ex‑Rainmakers sat on the shore enjoying the sunshine.

          Back in the Dark Forest, Calizone smiled as two more toads squealed in pain. She took them from their cages and gently patted each on the head. A tiny spark seemed to pass from them to her. Then she set them outside her door.

          Once again, Eddo did not stay for the celebrations. He set off for the mountains to find the charcoal makers. It was not difficult; all he had to do was follow the smell of burning. He found them huddled in their village, surrounded by ashes.

          Fortunately, their houses were made of stone, but everything inside that could burn had been burnt. They were extremely glad to see Eddo. There was no difficulty persuading them to go with him to the frozen northern lands.

 

          It was not the easiest of journeys. They had to avoid anything that might burn, which meant taking long detours around forests, barns, and even the occasional wooden fence. Matters grew worse when they reached the Northlands, for the frozen ground began to melt under the charcoal makers’ heat. Before long the land turned to mush and mud, and they could go no farther.

          Eddo left the charcoal makers perched on their patch of steaming mud and went on alone to find the people of the Ice Fields. It did not take long. He found them huddled together, shivering and miserable, trying to keep warm. They were only too willing to follow him back to where the charcoal burners sat.

          The Ice Field people rushed forward and hugged the charcoal makers. Eddo could see the pleasure on their faces as they felt the heat. Then there was a flash of light, and the fires in the mud went out.

          Back in the Dark Forest, Calizone smiled as the last two toads squealed in pain. She took them from their cages and gently patted each on the head. A tiny spark seemed to pass from them to her. Then she set them outside her door.

          The Ice Field people looked rather sad when the fires went out, but they soon cheered up when they discovered that they could at last make things burn again. The charcoal makers were equally delighted not to set fire to everything they touched.

           Eddo left them to their celebrations. He was tired now, and more than ready to go home.

           Back in the Dark Forest, Calizone smiled and stroked the large ginger cat sitting on the table, “Don’t worry,” she murmured, “I won’t turn you into a messenger again.”

         The cat purred.

       “You know,” she said thoughtfully, “it is really going to take some getting used to, being six times as strong as I was. I wonder if Eddo realises just how much power he has given me.”                        

         The cat purred and washed its front paws.

          "No? I thought not." Calizone whirled around the room. "Oh, I AM going to have some fun now."