Chapter 5

Chapter FIVE The following morning I woke up on time and leapt out of bed. Today was the day! I was going to sell LOADS of charm bracelets, I was sure of it! And then the sleek and shiny witch skates would be mine! I made sure to brush my hair until it

shined and put my dress on the right way round. Then I left for school feeling smug. Because I had been so organized, I was one of the first witches to arrive at the playground. Miss Spindlewick was nowhere to be seen, so I quickly set up my stall of bracelets on the bench again.

They looked lovely, all glittering and twinkling in the sunshine. Soon witches started to arrive. I saw Carlotta touch down on the tarmac, but she ignored me and walked off in another direction.

'Ooh!' said Tabitha coming over to look at the bracelets. 'I love the look of these, Mirabelle! Can I buy one? I've got lunch money I can give you!' 'Of course!' I grinned, holding out my hand for the money. Tabitha took a bracelet and slipped it on. Immediately, that lovely vanilla scent filled the air, and three birds came fluttering over, cheeping and chirping. 'I want what she's got!' said a witch nearby and hurried over to take a look at my bracelets. 'That one, please!' she said, beginning to rummage in her schoolbag. 'I know I have some money somewhere. I was going

to use it to pay my library fine!' Witches were swarming over to my stall now, all jostling and nudging to get a look at the bracelets.

'Slow down!' I gasped as I tried to keep up with the shower of coins that were thrown towards me. One by one, the bracelets quickly disappeared until there were none left. 'I'll make more,' I promised the disappointed little group of witches who had been at the back of the queue. 'I'll bring them tomorrow!'