Chapter One

The shop sat smack-dab on a little lane in the snowy town of Cobbleton.

Despite the ice-capped mountains shielding it on all sides, the town itself was a place where all were welcome, where all could go to be whatever they sought to be, not what they ought to be.

Townspeople of all shapes and sizes could be found admiring the great green pine tree rising from the square, transporting fresh provisions to the quaint and toasty shops by means of cheery horse-drawn carriages, or conversing in that friendly Cobbletonian way that was always warm with kinship and connection, no matter the constant fume of breath in the chill air. Chuckling children often raced along the pavements of the charmingly narrow and crooked streets, maneuvering around lampposts and passersby as they followed ribbons of magic that streamed through the air like fireflies, a magic only they could see. Usually, it led straight to Jangles and Things, a large shop painted a merry baby blue, its marquee butter-yellow with its name printed in sprawling letters, which was rife with more than just magic, but also love.

Inside, beyond the jingle of the bell above the door, it was bright, colorful, and lively. The magnificent clock that chimed in the second-story window drew in children and adults alike, who delighted in its one-of-a-kind games, gadgets, and gizmos that gyrated, twirled, and flew around the vast space. If the coldness in the frozen town wasn’t enough to take one’s breath away, Jangles and Things always delivered. The whole shop was abuzz. Customers, gasping and giggling, crossed the checkerboard tiles to marvel at the emporium. Everything was alive, even things that shouldn’t have been. Hot-air balloons floated through the shop like jolly, lollipop-colored lanterns. Bejeweled birds and beetles chirped from within gilded cages. Cats fashioned from plates of brass purred sweetly. Painted seagulls and clouds drifted by overhead on invisible cables. Ferris-wheel-like contraptions crammed with sweets rotated seemingly of their own accord. Dolls, toys, and games unraveled from every nook and cranny, full of promise and surprise.

The shop truly lived up to its nickname: World of Wishes and Wonder.

While guests enjoyed the sprawling ground floor with its plentiful potential presents, and its chalkboards encouraging customers to buy one thing, then another, there was an upper-level landing, reachable by way of a grand mahogany staircase or the sliding ladders that glided along the shop’s shelves. Some claimed to have seen the shop owner flitting past the door above, when he wasn’t holed up in his secret workshop. Curious crowds flocked from all around, hoping for a look at the many new and whimsical toys, but also for a glimpse of the greatest inventor of all . . .

Jeronicus Jangle.