I was thinkin answered Ben, as I d warrant tha s gone up three or
four pound this week. I was lookin at tha calves an tha shoulders.
I d like to get thee on a pair o scales.
It s the Magic and and Mrs. Sowerby s buns and milk and things, said
Colin. You see the scientific experiment has succeeded.
That morning Dickon was too late to hear the lecture. When he came he
was ruddy with running and his funny face looked more twinkling than
usual. As they had a good deal of weeding to do after the rains they
fell to work. They always had plenty to do after a warm deep sinking
rain. The moisture which was good for the flowers was also good for the
weeds which thrust up tiny blades of grass and points of leaves which
must be pulled up before their roots took too firm hold. Colin was as
good at weeding as anyone in these days and he could lecture while he
was doing it.
The Magic works best when you work, yourself, he said this morning.
You can feel it in your bones and muscles. I am going to read books
about bones and muscles, but I am going to write a book about Magic. I
am making it up now. I keep finding out things.
It was not very long after he had said this that he laid down his
trowel and stood up on his feet. He had been silent for several minutes
and they had seen that he was thinking out lectures, as he often did.
When he dropped his trowel and stood upright it seemed to Mary and
Dickon as if a sudden strong thought had made him do it. He stretched
himself out to his tallest height and he threw out his arms exultantly.
Color glowed in his face and his strange eyes widened with joyfulness.
All at once he had realized something to the full.
Mary! Dickon! he cried. Just look at me!
They stopped their weeding and looked at him.
Do you remember that first morning you brought me in here? he
demanded.
Dickon was looking at him very hard. Being an animal charmer he could
see more things than most people could and many of them were things he
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