5 The Magic

Chapter 5 The Magic One morning, on her way back from the butcher's, Sara saw that a van full of furniture had stopped outside the empty house next door.

"Someone must be moving in," thought Sara. Glancing at the pieces of furniture, she had a weird, homesick feeling. They reminded her of the things they had in India. "An English gentleman has moved in," Becky told her that night. "He's come from India and his name is Mr. Carrisford. He's rich but he's been very ill."

When Sara next looked out of her window, she heard an odd little squeaky sound coming from the next door attic. Sara looked over and saw an Indian man-servant- "A Lascar!" she said to herself. He was holding a small chattering monkey.

As the Lascar smiled at her, his hold on the monkey must have loosened. Suddenly, it broke free, ran across the slates, and jumped into Sara's attic. "Shall I try and catch him?" Sara called to the Lascar. "No need, Missee Sahib," he answered. "I, Ram Dass, will come and get him."

In no time he had skipped across the rooftops and slipped through her skylight. Ram Dass bowed to Sara, then caught the monkey with ease. "My master is very fond of this little one," he said, stroking the monkey. He thanked Sara, bowed once more and went back across the rooftops.

"He spoke to me as if I were a princess, not a servant girl," thought Sara. "My clothes might be in rags, but maybe I can still be a princess inside. Meanwhile, in the house next door, Ram Dass was telling his master about the little girl in the attic.