"jM r mF prizanar, n i z jMslis f jM t scragal enI loNgar," sed /glinda, in har soft, swIt vqs. "lF stil a mOmant, n rest jYrself, n Hn F wil kErI jM bAk t mF tent."
"wF d jM sIk mI?" Askd /mombI, stil skErs Ebal t spIk plEnlI f lAk v breT. "wat hAv F dan t jM, t b sO parsekjMtd?"
"jM hAv dan naTiN t mI," Ansard H Jental /sYrsares; "bat F saspekt jM hAv bin giltI v sevaral wikid AkSanz; n if F fFnd i z crM Ht jM hAv sO abjMzd jYr noliJ v mAJik, F intend t paniS jM sevIrlI."
"F difF jM!" krOkd H Old hAg. "jM dEr not hyrm mI!"
Jast Hn H /gamp flM ap t Hem n alFtd apon H dezart sAndz bisFd /glinda. Qr frendz war dilFtd t fFnd Ht /mombI hAd fFnalI bin kApcard, n Aftar a harId konsaltESn i waz disFdd HE SUd Yl ritarn t H kAmp in H /gamp. sO H /sY-/hYrs waz tosd abYrd, n Hn /glinda stil hOldN an end v H goldan Tred Ht waz arQnd /mombI'z nek, fYrsd har prizanar t klFm intM H sOfaz. H aHarz nQ folOd, n /tip gEv H ward t H /gamp t ritarn.
H /JarnI waz mEd in sEftI, /mombI sitN in har plEs wiT a grim n salan Er; f H Old hAg waz AbsOlMtlI helplis sO loN Az H mAJikal Tred ensarkald har TrOt. H yrmI hEld /glinda'z ritarn wiT lQd cIrz, n H pyrtI v frendz sMn gAHard agen in H rqal tent, wic hAd bin nItlI ripErd darN HEr Absens.
"nQ," sed H /syrsares t /mombI, "F wont jM t tel as wF H /wondarfal /wizard v /oz pEd jM TrI vizits, n wat bikEm v h cFld, /ozmo, wic sO kjarIaslI disapIrd."
H /wic lUkd At /glinda difFantlI, bat sed not a ward.
"Ansar mI!" krFd H /sYrsares.
bat stil /mombI rimEnd sFlant.
"parhAps SI dazn't nO," rimyrkd /JAk.
"F beg jM wil kIp kwFit," sed /tip. "jM mFt spql evrITiN wiT jYr fMliSnis."
"verI wel, dIr fYTar!" ritarnd H /pampkinhed, mIklI.
"hQ glAd F Am t b a /wogal-/bag!" marmard H /hFlI /mAgnifFd /insekt, softlI. "nO wan kn ekspekt wizdam t flO fram a pampkin."
"wel," sed H /skErkrO, "wat SAl wI d t mEk /mombI spIk? anles SI telz as wat wI wiS t nO har kApcar wil d as nO gUd At Yl."
"sapOz wI crF kFndnis," saJestd H /tin /wUdmAn. "F'v hard Ht enIwan kn b koNkard wiT kFndnis, nO mAtar hQ aglI HE mE b."
At Hs H /wic tarnd t glEr apon him sO hYriblI Ht H /tin /tUdmAn SrANk bAk abASd.
/glinda hAd bin kErfalI knsidarN wat t d, n nQ SI tarnd t /mombI n sed:
"jM wil gEn naTN, F aSar jM, bF Has difFiN as. f F Am ditarmind t larn H crMT abQt H garl /ozmo, n anles jM tel mI Yl Ht jM nO, F wil sartanlI pUt jM t deT."
"O, nO! dOn't d Ht!" eksklEmd H /tin /wUdmAn. "i wUd b an Yfal TiN t kil enIwan -- Ivan Old /mombI!"
"bat i z mjarlI a Tret," ritarnd /glinda. "F SAl not pUt /mombI t deT, bikYz SI wil prifar t tel mI H crMT."
"O, F sI!" sed H /tin /wUdmAn, mac rilIvd.
"sapOz F tel jM Yl Ht jM wiS t nO," sed /mombI, spIkN sO sadanlI Ht SI styrtld Hem Yl. "wat wil jM d t mI Hn?"
"in Ht kEs," riplFd /glinda, "F SAl mIrlI Ask jM t JriNk a pQrfal JrYt wic wil kYz jM t fYrget Yl H mAJik jM hAv evar larnd."
"Hn F wUd bIkam a helplis Old wUman!"
"bat jM wUd b alFv," saJestd H /pampkinhed, kansOliNlI.
"d crF t kIp sFlant!" sed /tip, narvaslI.
"F'l crF," rispondd /JAk; "bat jM wil Admit Ht it's a gUd TiN t b alFv."
"espeSalI if wan hApanz t b /TarOlI /eJjMkEtd," Add H /wogal-/bag, nodN aprMval.
"jM mF mEk jYr cqs," /glinda sed t Old /mombI, "bitwIn deT if jM rimEn sFlant, n H los v jYr mAJikal pQrz if jM tel mI H crMT. bat F TiNk jM prifar t liv."
/mombI kAst an anIzI glAns At H /sYrsares, n sY Ht SI waz in arnest, n not t b crFfald wiT. sO SI riplFd, slOlI:
"F wil Ansar jYr kwescanz."
"Ht z wat F ekspektd," sed /glinda, plezantlI. "jM hAv cOzan wFzlI, F aSar jM."
SI Hn mOSand t wan v har /kAptanz, hM brYt har a bjMtifal gOldan kAskit. fram Hs H /sYrsares JrM an imens wFt parl, atAcd t a slendar cEn wic SI plEsd arQnd har nek in sac a wE H parl restd apon har bazam, darektlI Ovar har hyrt.
"nQ," sed SI, "F wil Ask mF farst kwescn: wF did H /wizard pE jM TrI vizits?"
"bikYz F wUd not kam t him," Ansard /mombI.
"Ht z nO Ansar," sed /glinda, starnlI. "tel mI H crMT."
"wel," ritarnd /mombI, wiT dQnkAst Fz," hI vizitd mI t larn H wE F mEk tI-biskits."
"lUk ap!" kmAndd H /sYrsares.
/mombI ObEd.
"wat z H kalar v mF parl?" dimAndd /glinda.
"wF -- i z blAk!" riplFd H Old /wic, in a tOn v wandar.
"Hn jM hAv tOld mI a fYlshUd!" krFd /glinda, ANgrilI. "OnlI wen H crMT z spOkan wil mF mAJik parl rimEn a pjar wFt in kalar."
/mombI nQ sY hQ hMslis i waz t crF t disIv H /sYrsares; sO SI sed, mInwFl skQlN At har difIt:
"H /wizard brYt t mI H garl /ozmo, hM waz Hn nO mYr Hn a bEbI, n begd mI t knsIl H cFld."
"Ht z wat F TYt," diklErd /glinda, kYmlI. "wat did hI giv jM f Has sarvN him?"
"hI tYt mI Yl H mAJikal criks hI nM. sam war gUd criks, n sam war OnlI frYdz; bat F hAv rimEnd fETfal t mF promis."
"wat did jM d wiT H garl?" Askd /glinda; n At Hs kwescn evrIwan bent fYrward n lisand IgarlI f H riplF.
"F encAntd har," Ansard /mombI.
"in wat wE?"
"F crAnsfYrmd har intM -- intM --"
"intM wat?" dimAndd /glinda, Az H /wic hezitEtd.
"intM a bq!" sed /mombI, in a lO tOn.
"a bq!" ekOd evrI vqs; n Hn, bikYz HE nM Ht Hs Old wUman hAd rIrd /tip fram cildhUd, Yl Fz war tarnd t wEr H bq stUd.
"jes," sed H Old /wic, nodN har hed; "Ht z H /prinses /ozmo -- H cild brYt t mI bF H /wizard hM stOl har foHar'z TrOn. Ht z H rFtfal rMlar v H /emarald /sitI!" n SI pqntd har loN bOnI fiNgar scrEt At H bq.
"F!" krFd /tip, in amEzmnt. "wF, F'm nO /prinses /ozmo -- F'm not a garl!"
/glinda smFld, n gOiN t /tip SI tUk hiz smYl brQn hAnd wiHin har dEntI wFt wan.
"jM r not a garl rFt nQ," sed SI, JentlI, "bikYz /mombI crAnsfYrmd jM intM a bq. bat jM war bYrn a garl, n YlsO a /prinses; sO jM mast rizMm jYr propar fYrm, Ht jM mE bIkam /kwIn v H /emarald /sitI."
"O, let /JinJar b H /kwIn!" eksklEmd /tip, redI t krF. "F wont t stE bq, n crAval wiT H /skErkrO n H /tin /wUdmAn, n H 'wogal-/bag, n /JAk -- jes! n mF frend H /sY-/hYrs -- n H /gamp! F dOn't wont t b a garl!"
"nevar mFnd, Old cAp," sed H /tin /wUdmAn, sMHiNlI; "i dOn't hart t b a garl, F'm tOld; n wI wil Yl rimEn jYr fETfal frendz Jast H sEm. n, t b onist wiT jM, F'v YlwEz knsidard garlz nFsar Hn bqz."
"HE'r Jast Az nFs, enIwE," Add H skErkrO, pAtN /tip afekSanatlI apon H hed.
"n HE r IkwalI gUd stMdants," prOklEmd H /wogal-/bag. "F SUd lFk t bIkam jYr tMtar, wen jM r crAnsfYrmd intM a garl agen."
"bat -- sI hIr!" sed /JAk /pampkinhed, wiT a gAsp: "if jM bIkam a garl, jM kAn't b mF dIr fYHar enI mYr!"
"nO," sed /tip, lAfN in spFt v hiz ANzFitI, "n F SAl not b syrI t eskEp H rilESanSip." Hn hI Add, hezitEtiNlI, Az hI tarnd t /glinda: "F mFt crF i f awFl, Jast t sI hQ i sImz, jM nO. bat if F dOn't lFk bIiN a garl jM mast promis t cEnJ mI intM a bq agen."