Katie's Grandma at School.

Dedicated to Nellie, Katie's grandma was celebrating a very special birthday.

She was 100 years old.

Yes, you heard that right, 100.

It's a big round number, but these days more and more people are ripening to that grand old age.

Katie made a huge carrot and pumpkin seed cake and placed 100 candles on it.

While the family sang happy birthday, Grandma was on the point of snapping her fingers

to snuff out the blaze with magic.

But before she could do that, Katie's mum held her hand and said,

No, mother, you have got to use your puff. You are blessed indeed to have plenty left so grandma spent 10 minutes blowing out all 100 candles

when they were all drinking tea Katie sat on the floor by her grandma's chair and asked what were you like when you were my age?

Grandma squinted her eyes and said, well, I wasn't so different from you, dear.

Did you go to school? asked Katie. And did you have to pretend to be normal without any magic powers?

Oh yes, said Grandma. My parents were very strict about me not doing any magic

at school. In those days you could get into an awful lot of trouble for being a witch. It was still

against the law. What was your school like? asked Katie.

It was a school with a very good reputation, said Grandma, a boarding school.

I was very fortunate to go there or so my parents told me.

Although we were not that well off, I won a scholarship, and my uncle who made money importing magic spices helped out with the expenses.

Oh, do tell me what it was like, begged Katie. Did you like boarding? Not very much, said Grandma. I missed my mother and father, but if you insist, I'll tell you the whole story one day when there aren't so many people around. Katie was

extremely eager to hear the story of Grandma's school days. When Grandma had had chance to recover from all the celebrations,

she dropped round at her house. This is what Grandmar told Katie.

...