“Talking of witches,” Andy said, “Zelda ought to be here pretty soon.” He jumped off the broom. “Back to your corner, Broom!”

The broom dropped to the floor and slowly shuffled to its place behind the cabinet.

“I’m glad this broom does what it’s told,” Robin said.

It was nearly five o’clock. Robin set Pearl on the floor and helped Andy shove the cabinet closer to the wall. Then she put the jar of magic polish into her jacket pocket.

Robin began to wonder what the witch would do when she found they’d sold the teapot. She looked around the little store at the china lady and the plaster frog, the glass alligator, and the hound dog. Maybe they were once alive! Was Pearl afraid Zelda would turn her into a china cat? Robin could just imagine Andy made of wood like the turtle. Suddenly the back of her neck felt prickly. And she was cold all over. Robin shivered.

The bell over the door jangled. Zelda walked into the store. “Did I have any customers?” she asked the children.

Robin looked up into the old woman’s green eyes. She took a deep breath. “Only one,” she said. “The lady in the pink hat came back for the teapot.”

Andy handed Zelda the five-dollar bill. “She gave me this to pay for it.”

Zelda took the money.

Robin wanted to run out of the store before the witch could do anything to her. But she was too frightened to move.

Andy picked up the dustpan. “We cleaned up the store a bit.”

Zelda looked at what was left of the pile of dust in the middle of her floor. “Thank you,” she said. “That was kind of you.”

She was still wearing the long cape and the funny pointed hat. There was a round mirror with a curly frame on the wall beside the old clock. Zelda went to look at herself in it. She sighed and took off her hat.

Andy walked to the door. “Good-bye, Zelda.”

“Good-bye.” Robin turned to look at the witch. Zelda was still holding her hat. Slowly the old woman took off her cape and went to put the hat away in its box.

Robin and Andy left the store. They walked to the corner. When they turned onto their own street Robin started to run. Andy chased after her. They didn’t stop running until they came to their own house.

Robin rushed up the front steps and rang the bell. She had to ring three times before her father answered it.

The football game on television was still going on.