George the Greytown Wizard
The townspeople did not care for their town and it became untidy and run down. One night all colour left the town and it turned a dreadful grey. The people called on George to bring the colour back. He tried unsuccessfully until he met Rhiannon who was a young artist. Together they solved the problem The townspeople did not care for their town and it became untidy and run down. One night all colour left the town and it turned a dreadful grey. The people called on George to bring the colour back. He tried unsuccessfully until he met Rhiannon who was a young artist. Together they solved the problem
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He rubbed the ointment and nothing happened. For a moment Georgepanicked. He suddenly did not feel very confident. He really needed a bigsuccess to reassure himself that he was indeed a wise wizard.Rhiannonʼs parents suggested, “Perhaps you didnʼt use enough ointment.”Then George remembered that it takes of few minutes for most spells to work.“You must learn patience,” he told himself, over and over again. So he waitedfor the spell to work, counting the minutes under his breath.Slowly Rhiannonʼs eyes opened, a little at a time. She smiled and sat up.“What a wonderful sleep Iʼve had,” she said. As she awoke, all the colourreturned to the room. They raced to the windows and sure enough, the colourhad returned to the town.Then there was a loud knocking on the door. A large group of townspeoplehad run to Rhiannonʼs little house. They were very excited and shouted.“Look, all the colour has come back.” They turned to George and fired onequestion after another at him.“Did you cast a colour spell George?” a neighbour shouted.“Will the colour remain?” the Mayor asked.“What kind of spell was it, George?” an old man asked.“Does Rhiannon have to go on drawing for the colour to remain?” Rhiannonʼsmother asked anxiously.George answered their questions with the patience of a good teacher. Heexplained that the town had turned grey because it was not loved by thetownspeople. They hung their heads in shame at their former untidy, uncaringbehaviour.Then George told them that the cure for the grey curse was the combinationof talent with wisdom, which was distilled in an ointment with other secretingredients. He was not about to give them all the details. “Iʼve got to keep themystery intact. This is an example of the ʻneed to knowʼ principle,” he thought.“But,” George added, saving the most important part of the spell for last. “Ifyou had not started to love your town again, none of this would have been45
- Page 1 and 2: 1
- Page 3 and 4: George, the grey town wizardwritten
- Page 5 and 6: CONTENTSsection one — the teasing
- Page 7 and 8: the teasingGeorge was a wizard with
- Page 9 and 10: about is making money. None of you
- Page 11 and 12: The fog drifted over the owls keepi
- Page 13 and 14: The Town Clerk and his wife hurried
- Page 15 and 16: times of unusual weather reversals,
- Page 17 and 18: the grey world through their lace c
- Page 19 and 20: down and other simple spells like t
- Page 21 and 22: Still George persisted. The flame o
- Page 23 and 24: all, a rather big, heavy boy. He ne
- Page 25 and 26: the churchA couple of months had pa
- Page 27 and 28: Every Sunday the preachers blamed t
- Page 29 and 30: Travellers took the long way around
- Page 31 and 32: Her father said sadly, “I really
- Page 33 and 34: into the next week. Then the school
- Page 35 and 36: One day Rhiannon had a good look at
- Page 37 and 38: flashes of colourGeorge had noticed
- Page 39 and 40: Next he put all his notes up on the
- Page 41 and 42: Her father replied in a soothing to
- Page 43: wizard. George thought to himself,
- Page 47 and 48: possible. You and your town would h
- Page 49 and 50: Mayor would call on him to put it r
- Page 51 and 52: CAROLINE AMBRUSI was born in 1938 i
He rubbed the ointment and nothing happened. For a moment George
panicked. He suddenly did not feel very confident. He really needed a big
success to reassure himself that he was indeed a wise wizard.
Rhiannonʼs parents suggested, “Perhaps you didnʼt use enough ointment.”
Then George remembered that it takes of few minutes for most spells to work.
“You must learn patience,” he told himself, over and over again. So he waited
for the spell to work, counting the minutes under his breath.
Slowly Rhiannonʼs eyes opened, a little at a time. She smiled and sat up.
“What a wonderful sleep Iʼve had,” she said. As she awoke, all the colour
returned to the room. They raced to the windows and sure enough, the colour
had returned to the town.
Then there was a loud knocking on the door. A large group of townspeople
had run to Rhiannonʼs little house. They were very excited and shouted.
“Look, all the colour has come back.” They turned to George and fired one
question after another at him.
“Did you cast a colour spell George?” a neighbour shouted.
“Will the colour remain?” the Mayor asked.
“What kind of spell was it, George?” an old man asked.
“Does Rhiannon have to go on drawing for the colour to remain?” Rhiannonʼs
mother asked anxiously.
George answered their questions with the patience of a good teacher. He
explained that the town had turned grey because it was not loved by the
townspeople. They hung their heads in shame at their former untidy, uncaring
behaviour.
Then George told them that the cure for the grey curse was the combination
of talent with wisdom, which was distilled in an ointment with other secret
ingredients. He was not about to give them all the details. “Iʼve got to keep the
mystery intact. This is an example of the ʻneed to knowʼ principle,” he thought.
“But,” George added, saving the most important part of the spell for last. “If
you had not started to love your town again, none of this would have been
45
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