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"Isn't it too early for that?"

"Not up here They starts up here!" Granny hurried along little paths and behind gardens and caed with people S around in the slightly hopeless why-are-we-here? way of croho're doing what their hearts want to do but their heads feel es on sticks to eat There were lots of white chickens, too Very good eggs, Nanny had said, so it would have been a shame to kill them Granny walked to the front of the crowd There was no need to push people out of the way They justThey'd arrived just in tie, only just ahead of the dancers who, as they trudged along, seemed like quite ho in forges or driving carts They all hite clothes, or at least clothes that had been white once, and like the audience they looked a bit sheepish, their expressions suggesting that this was all just a bit of fun, really, not to be taken seriously They were even waving to people in the crowd Tiffany looked around and saw Miss Tick, and Nanny, and even Mrs Earwig…nearly every witch she knew Oh, and there was Annagra very proud It wasn't like this last autuht It was dark and quiet and sole that this isn't Who watched it froht? Who is here in secret? A druh the crowd, along with the local pub owner carrying eight pints of beer on a tray (because no grownto dance in front of his friends with ribbons around his hat and bells on his trousers without the clear prospect of a large drink) When the noise had died down a bit, the drummer beat the dru-drawn-out chord, the legal signal that a Morris dance is about to begin, and people who hang around after this have only got themselves to blame The two- each other, counted the beat and then leaped… Tiffany turned to Granny as twelve hobnailed boots crashed to the ground, throwing up sparks "Tell me how to take away pain," she said, above the noise of the dance Crash! "It's hard," said Granny, not taking her eyes off the dancers Crash went the boots again "You can move it out of the body?" Crash! "Soe for it and carry it away And all of it's dangerous, and it will kill you if you don't respect it, young wo me to tell you how to put your hand in the lion's mouth" Crash! "I must know, to help the Baron It's bad There is a lot I have to do"

"This you choose to do?" said Granny, still watching "Yes!" Crash! "This is your Baron who doesn't like witches?" said Granny, her gaze going from face to face in the crowd "But who does like witches until they need one, Mistress Weatherwax?" said Tiffany sweetly Crash! "This is a reckoning, Mistress Weatherwax," Tiffany added After all, once you've kissed the Wintersmith, you're in the mood to dare And Granny Weatherwax smiled, as if she'd done all that was expected of her "Ha! Is it now?" she said "Very well Coo, and we'll see what you may take back with you And I hopes you can close the doors you are opening Noatch the people! Sometimes you see her!" Tiffany paid attention to the dance The Fool had turned up without her noticing, wandering around collecting h she'd squeal if he kissed her, he gave her a kiss And so off into the dance, spinning through theplace Then Tiffany saw it The eyes of a woold, just for a ain--in the eyes of a boy, a girl, thearound to watch the Fool-- "Su her foot to the beat; she realized it because a heavier boot had just trodden on it and pinned it gently but firround Beside it, You looked up at her in blue-eyed innocence that becaolden eyes of a snake "She'sher boot "A few coppers for luck, miss?" said a voice close by, and there was the sound ofshaken in an ancient hat Tiffany turned and looked into purple-gray eyes The face around the "A copper or two froold, ht, you just kno it all should go… "Iron?" she said, taking the ring off her finger and dropping it into the hat The Fool picked it out, delicately, and flipped it into the air Tiffany's eye followed it, but so on the ave her a sudden kiss on the cheek It was only slightly chilly The galleries inside the Feegle mound were crowded but hushed This was important The honor of the clan was at stake here In the e book, taller than Rob and filled with colorful pictures It was quite muddy froed For years he'd thought his had said he wasna, no' really Weel, you couldn't argue wi' the hag o' hags, but he wuz goin' to rise tae the challenge, oh aye, so he wuz, or his name wasna Rob Anybody "Where's aes cluck! It is a…a…chicken! It is no' mah coo! An' then there's this wee paintin' o' a couple o' chickens That's another page, right?"

"It is indeed, Rob," said Billy Bigchin There was a cheer fro his hands in the air "An' this one is a lot harder than Abker, right?" he said, when he'd done the circuit "That one was easy! An' a very predictable plot Whoever writted that book didna stretch himself, in chin "Aye" Rob Anybody jumped up and down and punched the air a few tile looked at the stack of battered books the Feegles had, in various ways, collected "So book"

"Well, this one's called Principles of Modern Accountancy," said Billy doubtfully "An' is that a big heroic book to read?" said Rob, running on the spot "Aye Probably, but--" Rob Anybody held up a hand for silence and looked across at Jeannie, who had a crowd of little Feegles surrounding her She was s at their father in silent astonishht, they'll be able to walk up to even the longest words and give the Not even commas and those tricksie semicolonses will stop theuid about this readin'," said Rob Anybody "Bring it on!" And he read Principles of Modern Accountancy all ons in it Author's Note T he Morris dance… …is traditionally danced on May 1, to welcome in the summer Its history is a bit confused, possibly because it's often danced near pubs, but it is now the English folk dance The dancers usually hite, and have bells sewn on their clothes It is danced by both men and women, and is certainly now danced in the United States too I know this because I saw the Dark Morris danced in a bookshop in Chicago soo I'd invented the Dark Morris for another book called Reaper Man (at least I think I invented it), and a Morris team (officially known as a side) turned up in all black, just for me They danced it in silence and perfect time, without the music and bells of the "summer" dance It was beautifully done But it was also a bit creepy So it ood idea to try it at home…