“Look who’s here!” Nick said.

The starling was perched on the table beside the book of spells. “Who did you think it was?”

Marjorie was ashamed of how frightened she had been. “Hello,” she said to the bird and walked over to put the little square flashlight on the table.

Nick opened the big book and started turning the pages. “Here’s the spell for flying, Marge.”

Marjorie looked over his shoulder. “You have to hold three feathers in each hand and one in your mouth.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out the feathers.

Nick grabbed them.

Marjorie went on reading. “Next you have to step into the brew and go all the way under.” She looked across the cave at the steaming pot. “You’d better forget the whole thing, Nick.”

“Well, I sure don’t want to be boiled,” Nick said. He walked over to the pot and touched the brew with the tip of one finger. “Marge, it isn’t hot at all!”

“Then why is it steaming?” Marjorie asked.

“Maybe because it’s magic.” Nick walked back to the table.

Marjorie looked at the book again. “While you’re in the brew, you have to tap your head three times with the magic spoon.”

Nick laughed. “You’d better do that for me, Marge.”

“Don’t mess around with that spell,” the starling said. “What’s so great about flying?”

“You say that because you fly all the time,” Nick told the bird. “Come on, Marge.” He stuck a feather in his mouth and held three in each hand. Then he ran to the pot and jumped in.

Marjorie rushed over with the wooden spoon. She tapped Nick three times on the head after he went under the brew. “Now, get out of there!”

The brew started to hiss and bubble. The pale gray steam turned blue and then green. For a moment it was bright yellow. A second later it was orange. The orange deepened to red, which became purple and then brown. Finally the pot was covered with steam so black it looked like smoke.

Marjorie couldn’t see her brother at all.

After what seemed an age, she heard him splashing. Then a speckled starling climbed onto the rim of the pot and shook the brew from its wings.

It fluttered up into the air. “Hey, Marge, this is great! I’m flying!”