Marjorie and Nick left the zoo and walked home through the park.

“I’m sorry I fooled with the parrot, Marge,” Nick said.

“If you had beautiful tail feathers, you wouldn’t want to lose them,” Marjorie told him. “You don’t even like to have your hair cut.”

Nick still had the key. Marjorie was carrying the feathers the zoo man had given her. “I thought there might be some on the ground near the cages,” she said. “I never thought of asking for any.”

“It sure was nice of the keeper to give them to you,” Nick said.

When they came to their front door, Nick unlocked it and gave the key to Marjorie. The children went into the house.

Marjorie ran upstairs to put the key in the glass tray on her dresser. She slipped the feathers into the drawer where she had hidden the witch’s spoon. Then she went back downstairs.

Her mother was in the kitchen. “Oh, here you are, Marjorie! I thought I heard both of you children at the door, but I saw only Nick come in. It must be the heat. This has got to be the hottest day of the year.”

Marjorie used the kitchen scissors to cut up celery for the tuna-fish salad. Nick set the table in the dining room and turned on the big air conditioner there. Supper was ready by the time Mr. Gordon came home.

Nobody was in a hurry to finish the meal. It was nice and cool in the dining room now. They had ice cream for dessert. Marjorie took tiny bites to make it last as long as possible.

It was dark when supper was over. Mr. Gordon turned on the lights. They all carried their dishes into the kitchen. Mrs. Gordon started the dishwasher. Then everybody went to watch television in the living room.

As soon as Mr. Gordon switched on the set, the lights went out.

“Something’s wrong with the fuses,” Mr. Gordon said. “I’ll have to check the fuse box downstairs.” He turned off the air conditioner and the television.

Marjorie pulled the little flashlight out of her jeans pocket. “Use this, Daddy.”

Mr. Gordon took the flashlight. He clicked it several times. It didn’t go on. “This is worn out, Margie.” He gave it back to her.

Mrs. Gordon was busy lighting the candles on the mantel. She picked up one of them. “I’ll go down with you, John.”

When their parents had gone to the basement, Marjorie and Nick took turns trying the flashlight. Neither of them could get it to work.

“I guess we’ll have to magic it again,” Nick said. “But how will we light our way down inside the tree?”

“I’ve got a candle left over from last year’s Halloween pumpkin,” Marjorie told him.

When Mr. and Mrs. Gordon came back from the basement, Mrs. Gordon said, “We’d better not use any of the air conditioners until the dishwasher has finished. And we’ll skip television this evening.”

“I have a book I want to read,” Marjorie said.

“Don’t turn on the ceiling light in your room,” her mother warned her. “Use the lamp on your desk. And see if you have a book to keep Nick out of mischief.”

Marjorie started up the stairs. Nick came charging behind. “How about that book of riddles?”

Marjorie went to her room. She switched on the little desk light. Nick came in after her. “Marge, is this your house key?” He hung a string with a key on it around his neck.

Marjorie stared at him. “Where did you find it?”

“In this tray on your dresser,” Nick said.

Marjorie felt in the tray. It was empty.

She took the key from Nick and hung it around her own neck. “I can see myself in the mirror. The magic must have worn off the key.”

“I’m kind of glad,” Nick said.

“So am I. It wasn’t nearly as much fun as we thought it would be.” Marjorie hung the key on her doorknob and went to her bookcase for the book of riddles.