Chapter 7

Maggie’s eyes were wide and full of wonder as she looked around the stable. She’d never seen anything like it! So many magical animals in one place! If only her grandmother could have been there to see it. “Where will you keep the tiny horse?” asked Maggie.

“I have a special stall for little fellas just like him,” said Bob. “I’ll show you.”

Maggie followed Bob into the stable and down a long hallway. There were enclosed spaces for magical animals on either side. Some of the stalls were big. Some were very small. They all had doors that were closed at the bottom and could open at the top. They were all tall enough for Bob and Maggie to stand in. Maggie heard something grunt behind a closed door. She ran to take a look. She had to stand on tiptoe to see inside.

“What’s that?” she asked, pointing at a pig. It had wings growing from its back.

“A flying pig, of course,” said Bob.

She heard the mew of a kitten and ran to another stall. Opening the top door, she saw an animal in a box filled with straw, nursing its babies. They all had the long ears of rabbits and the long tails of cats. “What are they?” asked Maggie.

“Cabbits,” said Bob. “A witch combined a cat and a rabbit. She thought they’d be extra cuddly. She was right.”

When the mother cabbit started to get up, Bob quickly closed the door. “You can’t keep their door open for long. They have the hind legs of rabbits and are very good jumpers.”

Maggie followed Bob to a stall with moss on the floor and a puddle of water in the middle. A little tree grew beside the puddle. Tiny horses flew from the tree to the moss while others raced around the puddle.

“This is where your horsefly will live while he gets better,” said Bob.

He showed her a tiny piece of wood the size of a splinter. “There are some nasty witches and some nice witches living in the Enchanted Forest. I avoid the nasty ones, but most of the witches I’ve met are very nice. One of the nicest is a good friend of mine. She made this for me,” he said.

Maggie opened her hands. Bob straightened the horse’s wing and laid the tiny splint on top of it. The wood glowed. When it stopped glowing, it was stuck to the wing.

“The splint will fall off when the wing is healed,” said Bob. “Why don’t you let him meet his new friends?”

Maggie stepped into the stall. She set the tiny horse on the moss. The horse bucked and galloped off. Other tiny horses followed him as he ran around the stall. Delighted, Maggie laughed. “I think he likes it here!”

“He’ll be fine now,” said Bob. “Once his wing is all better, you can help me let him go and return to his family.”

“You mean I can come back?” Maggie asked, her eyes shining.

“You have to come check on him, don’t you?” said Bob, smiling at her.

Maggie was thrilled! Here was someone she could talk to about magical animals who liked them as much as she did. And he’d actually invited her back!

Maggie and Bob left the stall. They closed the door behind them. Maggie was relieved that she’d found the magic stable. Her grandmother’s stories had been true all along.

Standing side by side, they watched the tiny horses stop to smell each other, then race around the stall again.

“Why are his wings different from the others?” Maggie asked.

“Horseflies like these were made with magic,” said Bob. He took a small book out of his shirt pocket. “Take a look at my record book. It’s where I write down what I learn about all the magical animals I encounter.”

“Your journal says that the horseflies live in tall grass,” said Maggie. “That’s where I hid from the goblins.”

“You saw goblins!” exclaimed Bob. “That’s not good! I’m glad you’re all right.”

“The goblins didn’t see me in the grass,” said Maggie. “But that’s where the horseflies found me.

A horsefly

Appearance:

Different kinds of wings they might have:

Favorite foods: moss

Habitats: tall grass in meadows, mossy banks of streams, in fields of clover, in the mist of waterfalls, raspberry bushes

Sounds: faint whinny, faint nicker, faint neigh

Sleeping habits: usually standing up. Other times, some stand guard while others sleep lying down

Cleaning habits: gentle rain, mist of waterfalls

Other important details: the marks they leave when they bite (red mark with a purple center) or kick (tiny half-circle hoof mark) a human

Maybe they thought I was taking their food. They did get mad when I ate some raspberries.”

“Maybe,” said Bob. “Or maybe they were trying to warn you about the goblins. Horseflies are very brave creatures.”

Maggie thought about that for a moment. She liked the idea of magical animals looking out for people.

“Hey, guess what! I also saw a griffin today,” Maggie said. “Do you have anything in here about griffins?”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Bob said.

He opened the book to another page and handed it back to Maggie.

“The griffin I saw looked just like this picture!” said Maggie. “Did you draw it yourself?”

“I did,” Bob told her. “Do you like to draw?”

Maggie nodded. “But I’m not as good as you are.”

A griffin

Appearance:

Flight:

Nests:

Wings:

Where griffins most commonly found: forest, mountains

Sounds: screech when angry, clack of beak when curious, tut-tut sound when with young

Other important details: how to recognize a griffin when you are hiding in the dark–talons scraping, harsh squawk, shriek, clack of beak, stinky breath, brush of feathers

“I bet you could be if you practice,” said Bob.

Maggie turned the page to read about another creature.

“You’re right about trolls and sunlight,” said Maggie. “The one that was chasing me today followed me up some rocks until a little patch of sunlight turned it to stone.”

“A troll chased you and you got away! I’m so impressed with you, Maggie!” said Bob. “Very few people can escape from a troll.”

Maggie smiled and blushed as she handed him the journal and he tucked it back in his pocket. “I add to the journal every time I find a new magical creature. Most people don’t notice things like a horsefly. They think it’s any old bug. They don’t really look at it. You, however, see things that other people don’t. Keep your eyes open. Let me know if you come across any more magical creatures.”

Trolls

Trolls are very persistent. If one is chasing you, do not stop until you get behind castle walls or run into a dragon. Trolls and dragons hate each other. If a troll sees a dragon, it will stop chasing you to pick a fight with the dragon.

Favorite food: anything except fruits and vegetables. They think humans are especially tasty.

Habitat: They sleep in caves and will not leave them on sunny days. If even a tiny bit of sunlight touches a troll, it will turn into stone.

Eyesight: extremely poor

Hearing: lousy, but not as bad as their eyesight

Sense of smell: good, but because they are so stinky, they can smell only themselves

To hide from a troll: Camouflage yourself with leaves or mud, stay far away, or hide behind a broad tree trunk. This works only if the troll has not already seen you. If a troll sees you—run!

“Really?!” Maggie exclaimed. “I’d like that. How long before my horsefly can fly again?”

“Probably two or three months,” said Bob. “He’ll need some time to properly heal. We should give him a name, don’t you think? I’ve named all the other horseflies.”

“I think I’ll call him . . . Tickles,” said Maggie. “I swatted him away because he tickled my ear.”

Bob laughed. “That sounds like a good name. When he’s all better, we’ll take him back to the meadow. I’m sure he misses his family and friends. While he’s here, you should visit him. Bring some grass seeds or raspberries. He’ll be eating out of your hand in no time.”

“I will!” said Maggie.

She peeked into the stall again. Maggie was glad she’d found someone to help the horsefly, and she couldn’t wait to see even more magical creatures!