“Oh no!” Ali bent lower to stare at the tiny watch on Genie's wrist Sure enough, the pink sand had started slipping through the hourglass.

“Don't look so worried.” Genie beamed at Ali. “You know how much you love having your wishes!”

Ali groaned quietly. It wasn't that she didn't like having three wishes. She'd loved looking after the cute cartoon tiger with purple fur that Genie had brought to life from a chocolate ad, for instance. But today she just wanted to enjoy the trip without worrying about magic spells going wrong.

“I'm not going to use any wishes while we're at Popplehoff Castle!” Ali said in a determined voice.

Genie looked very disappointed. “But if you wait until the trip is over; the sand might hâve run all through the hourglass by then,” she pointed out “Then you won't get any wishes at all.”

“I'll just have to take that chance,” Ali said. “No wishes and no magic!”

“Are you talking to yourself again?” Mary teased, turning around and settling back in her seat Luckily, she seemed to have persuaded Barry to stop singing.

Ali blushed. “Um—no.” She glanced down at the backpack and was relieved to see that Genie had popped out of sight again.

“Want a mint?” Barry leaned between the two seats and thrust a bag of peppermints at them. Ali had to jerk backward to stop Barry's finger from poking into her eye.

“Okay, thanks,” she said. Maybe if Barry was eating candy, he wouldn't start singing again.

Barry yanked hard at the bag, trying to open it Suddenly the bag split and Ali and Mary were showered with peppermints!

“Help!” Ali yelped as one hit her on the ear.

“Oops” Barry said. “Sorry”

‘There isn't a single one left in the bag!” Mary said as she picked peppermints off her seat “Honestly, Barry, can't you be more careful? And they aren't wrapped, so we can't eat them.”

AM bent over to collect some peppermints that had fallen on the floor in front of her She was just in time to see Genie pop out of the pocket and snatch up a peppermint that had landed on the backpack

Ali pushed the rest into the other backpack pocket and fastened it firmly. There was no point in giving them back to Barry now that they'd been all over the floor

Barry slumped down in his seat with a sigh, looking dismally at the empty bag in his hand. A moment later, Ali and Mary heard “Eighty-nine bottles of Popplehoff on the wall” from the seat behind them.

Mary stuck her fingers in her ears and closed her eyes. “Tell me when we get there!” she moaned to Ali.

Ali laughed, then noticed Genie popping out of the backpack pocket again. She was licking her lips. Surely she couldn't have eaten that peppermint already? Ali thought It was nearly as big as her head!

Genie glanced cautiously at Mary, who. still had her eyes closed. She pointed over Ali's head at Barry and began waving her arms around. Then she put her hands over her ears and pulled a face. Ali grinned. Genie wasn't impressed by Barry Jones's singing either

“Want me to stop him with a bit of magic?” Genie whispered to Ali.

“No!” Ali whispered back, alarmed. “Don't you dare!”

“Please!” Genie begged.

“No!” Ali said through clenched teeth.

Looking disappointed, Genie slipped down into the pocket again. This time Ali zipped it up. Barry was being really annoying with his endless songs and flying peppermints, but she'd rather put up with them than let Genie loose with her magic.

A little while later; when Barry was down to thirty-four bottles, Ali sat up in her seat and nudged Mary. “Look,” she said excitedly. “PopplehofF Castle!”

The bus had turned down a long, sweeping driveway lined with leafy trees. Ahead of them stood a huge castle built of gray stone. At each of the four corners, turreted towers stretched up into the blue sky.

“It looks just like a castle should look!” Ali gasped. “Isn't it cool?”

“Let me see!” squeaked an excited voice from inside the backpack.

Ali looked flustered as Mary glanced around, puzzled. “Oh! I just wanted to see out the window on the other side of the bus,” Ali said quickly, peering past her friend.

The bus rolled into the parking lot beside the castle and drew to a halt.

“Stay in your seats for a moment please,” Mrs. Jasmine called.

“Mrs. Jasmine, I need to get off the bus first,” Tiffany Andrews announced from the backseat”! feel sick.”

Ali rolled her eyes at Mary. That was just like Tiffany—she had to be first to do everything.

Mrs. Jasmine looked suspicious. “I thought you said you were all right if you sat in the backseat,” she reminded Tiffany.

“I am, usually” Tiffany sniffed. “But it was a really bumpy journey.”

Ali and Mary grinned as the bus driver turned around to raise an eyebrow at Tiffany.

“Well, we'll all be getting off in just a few minutes,” Mrs. Jasmine told her. “Please make sure you have your pencils and notebooks ready to take notes for your project. We're going to be shown around the castle by Mrs. Ledbetten one of the official guides.” Mrs. Jasmine pointed out the windows at a white-haired woman in a tweed suit and sensible shoes.

“Now,” Mrs. Jasmine went on, “there are lots of valuable pictures and furniture in the castle, so make sure you don't touch anything unless you're told you can. I expect you all to be on your best behavior”

And that's why there won't be any wishes or any genie magic! Ali thought.

The driver opened the doors, and everyone grabbed their bags and followed Mrs. Jasmine off the bus.

“Welcome to Popplehoff Castle.” Mrs. Ledbetter strode briskly forward and beamed at them. “It's very nice to meet you. Now, we have a lot to see, so will you please follow me?” “She has a British accent!” Ali said.

“Maybe she came over with the castle!” Mary whispered back

Everyone crowded around the guide as she ushered them through the huge archway. She told them that the first Baron Popplehoff had built Popplehoff Castle in Europe six hundred years ago.

“The present-day Baron Popplehoff and his family liked living in the castle so much, they decided to bring it with them when they moved to Cocoa Beach twenty years ago,” Mrs. Ledbetter added.

“That's kind of weird, isn't it?” Mary remarked to Ali. “Having people walking around looking at your house while you're still living in it!”

Mrs. Ledbetter overheard her “The baron's living quarters are private,” she explained. “We'll just be visiting those parts of the castle that are open to the public.”

Ali felt something poke her in the shoulder It was Genie, nudging her from inside the backpack. Ali moved away from the rest of the class and opened the pocket. Genie's head popped out.

“What's the matter?” Ali whispered.

“Can you leave the pocket open now?” Genie whispered back. “I want to see the castle.”

“Well, okay,”Ali agreed reluctantly.”But remember, no magic!”

“I promise,” Genie said,

Ali slung the backpack back onto her shoulder and hurried to catch up with her class as they walked into the cobbled courtyard.

“Isn't this great?” Mary said, gazing around. “It's like traveling back in time.”

Ali nodded. “Yeah, you can just imagine knights in armor and ladies in long flowing dresses walking around, can't you?”

“We'll start with the famous Green Bedroom tn the West Tower;” announced Mrs. Ledbetter. She led them over to one of the towers, and they began to climb the steep spiral staircase. “Many princes and princesses are supposed to have stayed in this room when visiting the Popplehoff family.”

“Wow!” Ali breathed when she reached the top of the stairs and squeezed into the bedroom with the rest of the class. A vast four-poster bed stood in the middle, surrounded by pale green silk curtains. The furniture was cream and gold, and there were huge pictures in gilt frames on the walls. “It's fantastic!”

“What's in those glass cases over there?” Tiffany asked, pointing across the room. She bent down to duck under the rope that separated them from the main part of the room.

“Come this way, please,” Mrs. Ledbetter said, giving Tiffany a stern look She shepherded them around the roped-off section to the other side of the room where the glass cases were.

Ali was fascinated to see that they were filled with china dolls of all shapes and sizes. They were dressed in old-fashioned outfits with long dresses, petticoats, and frilly bloomers.

“This is the world-famous Popplehoff collection of antique dolls,” Mrs. Ledbet-ter told them.

“They're really nice,” Ali said to Mary. “But I couldn't imagine playing with dolls that cost so much money!”

“Excuse me!” Tiffany said rudely, elbowing Ali out of the way. “Do you mind if someone else takes a look?”

Ali rolled her eyes and shuffled sideways. It wasn't worth arguing with Tiffany.

“Look, Tiff,” Sara Parker said. “That one in the pink dress looks like your antique doll.”

Tiffany peered into the glass case. “Oh, yes,” she agreed. “But mine's a lot nicer than that. Mine must be worth loads of money!”

“Ali!”

Ali jumped as she heard Little Genie's voice. Quickly she moved away from the rest of her group before anyone else could hear.

“Can I get out of the backpack and have a look at the dolls?” Genie asked.

“No!” Ali whispered firmly. “What if someone sees you?”

“I'll just keep really still,” Genie told her “They'll think I'm one of the dolls!”

Ali groaned. “For one thing, the dolls are in a glass case. And none of them are wearing bright pink pants! You won't exactly blend in.”

“Let's go out into the corridor” Mrs. Ledbetter called, leading the way out of the bedroom.

“It's not fair;” Genie grumbled from her pocket as Ali hung back to let the rest of the class leave the room.”! can't see very much from in here.”

“Shhh!” Ali whispered. She was beginning to think it had been a very bad idea to bring Little Genie along.

The wood-paneled corridor was long and wide. Suits of silver armor were lined up along the walls from one end to the other Ali thought suits of armor looked a bit scary. Someone could hide inside one of them, she thought, and you wouldn't even know they were there.

Mrs. Ledbetter was pointing out the large and colorful tapestries hanging on the walls. Some of them showed scenes of battles, while others had elaborate patterns of leaves and flowers. ‘Tapestries were often hung up to try to stop the chilly drafts,” the guide explained. “Castles didn't have central heating, you know!”

Ali was standing at the back of the group listening to the guide when suddenly she noticed Barry Jones out of the corner of her eye. He was trying to pull one of the metal hands off a suit of armor

“What are you doing?” Ali said in a low voice. “Mrs. jasmine told you not to touch anything.”

“I just wanted to try the hand on,” Barry mumbled, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Mrs. Jasmine wasn't watching.”! wish I could try the whole suit!”

“I wish you could too,” Ali said crossly, “tt might keep you from annoying me for a minute!”

The second she said the words, Ali could have kicked herself But it was too late. Way too late. Barry Jones had disappeared in a puff of glittering silvery smoke!