You see, a witch has to have a familiar, some little animal like a cat or a toad. He helps her somehow. When the witch dies the familiar is suppose to die too, but sometimes...

One was an ancient tortoiseshell cat with arthritis, who creaked around the house–but when Aunt Sibby flickered her fingers and crooned, Miminy, miminy, tall-as-a-chi-mi-ny, danced on his hind legs like a kitten.

See? You are learning,” Sampson said.

This is thekind of magic that you shouldn’t do.

A dragon for a familiar!” Trom exclaimed.”That’s what I said to her or close to it anyway,” the dragon said.”You’re supposed to be helping me make you my familiar,” I said to the dragon.”Yeah, I...