Read Online The World's Worst Fairy Godmother by Bruce Coville - Free Book Online Page A

grabbed the two women.
    â€œLeave them alone!” cried Dr. Dekter angrily.
    â€œStay out of this, old man,” shouted one of the villagers. “Now, witch, prepare to meet your Maker!”
    â€œActually, I already have,” said Maybelle. “He’s quite nice. Frankly, I don’t think he would approve of this.”
    â€œKindly take your hands off me,” said Edna in frosty tones to the man who held her. “I am not a witch!”
    â€œOh,” he sneered. “Then what are you?”
    â€œA fairy godmother!”
    The men burst into laughter. “And I suppose this is just a sweet little cherub,” said one of them, gesturing at Zozmagog.
    â€œAs a matter of fact, that’s exactly what he is,” said Edna fiercely.
    The men laughed harder than ever.
    â€œThis is not funny!” said Edna.
    â€œI’ll say it’s not!” shouted one of the women, who was struggling to hold on to a screaming, shouting little girl. “What have you done to these children?”
    â€œBewitched them!” shouted another woman. “That’s what they’ve done! Bewitched them!”
    â€œBurn them!” roared the crowd. “Burn the witches!”
    â€œNo!” cried Susan.
    â€œSusan!” hissed Mrs. Pfenstermacher. “Be quiet.”
    â€œI won’t!”
    â€œTake Susan away,” said one of the men. “Take them all away. What we have to do now is not for children’s eyes.”
    Susan squirmed free of her mother’s grasp and ran to stand in front of Maybelle. “Don’t you touch her!” she cried. “They’re telling the truth. She is a fairy godmother. She’s my fairy godmother!”
    â€œSusan!” cried Mr. Pfenstermacher. “Come away from there. That woman is dangerous! She might… might… turn you into a frog!”
    â€œHey,” said Maybelle. “No fair bringing up old mistakes.”
    Several of the men began to advance on her, muttering menacingly.
    â€œI’m warning you,” said Susan. “Don’t touch this woman! She’s the only person who has ever liked me. And I… I… I love her!”
    The world seemed to hold its breath. There was a moment of deep and mysterious silence. Then an enormous crack of thunder sounded overhead.
    Susan sighed and collapsed in a heap at Maybelle’s feet.
    At the same time the other children stopped squirming and struggling.
    A sense of peace seemed to settle over the villagers.
    â€œSusan did it!” cried Edna. “She broke the spell. Congratulations, Maybelle!”
    Susan shook her head and sat up. “What happened?” she asked, sounding groggy.
    The townspeople were all asking pretty much the same thing, shouting, “What happened? What’s going on?”
    â€œMake way, make way!” cried a stern voice. It was the blind beggar to whom Susan had given a coin the day before. “Be quiet,” he said, pushing his way to the front of the crowd. “All of you.”
    He spoke softly now, but his voice held a strength and a power that immediately calmed the crowd. Their shouts grew softer, turning to mutters, then fading to silence.
    The beggar turned to Susan. “Well done, young lady!” he said. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”
    â€œWho are you?” asked Susan, staggering to her feet.
    â€œMy name is Mr. Peters,” said the beggar, pulling off his hood and taking off his dark spectacles.
    â€œWell, I never!” said Maybelle in astonishment. “Look at that, Edna!”
    â€œI decided to watch you up close this time, Maybelle,” said Mr. Peters. “You made some awful blunders.”
    â€œBoy, you can say that again, boss. Well, we might as well get it over with. Take my wings. Break my wand. Tarnish my halo!” She sighed. “There’s nothing worse than a failed fairy godmother.”
    â€œBut Maybelle, you’re