09 What Boy?

Chapter 09 What Boy? “ Welcome back, ” came a soft, lovely voice. Jack opened his eyes. It was Morgan! They hadn’t seen Morgan in a long time. “ Morgan! ” cried Annie. She threw her arms around the enchantress. Jack jumped up and hugged Morgan, too. “ It’s good to see you both, ” said Morgan. Arf! Arf!

“ And it’s good to see you, too, ” Morgan said, smiling at the little dog. “ Look, ” said Annie. She reached into Jack’s pack and pulled out the piece of painted bark. “ A gift from a kangaroo. ” “ We have all four gifts now, ” said Jack. “ Good work, ” said Morgan. She picked up their first gift. It was the pocket watch from the Titanic. “ Once upon a time, there was a boy who wasted time, ” Morgan said. “ This watch teaches him that time is very precious. It must be used wisely. ” Morgan picked up their second gift, the eagle’s feather from the Lakota Indians. “ Sometimes the boy was afraid to stand up for himself, ” she said. “ The eagle’s feather teaches him that a small creature can be one of the bravest. ”

Morgan picked up the lotus flower from the forest in India. “ Sometimes the boy did not respect nature, ” she said. “ This flower teaches him that nature holds many wonders. ” Morgan picked up the piece of bark with the painting of the Rainbow Serpent. “ Sometimes the boy didn’t want to study other times and places, ” she said. “ This painting teaches him there is mystery, magic, and wisdom in the traditions of ancient peoples. ” “ What boy?” Jack asked. “ Who are you talking about?” asked Annie. Morgan didn’t answer right away. She placed her hands on Jack’s and Annie’s shoulders.

“ Thank you, ” she said, “ for helping this boy learn his lessons. Thank you for breaking the spell. ” “ What boy?” Jack asked again. Arf! Arf! Arrrrrrrf! Jack and Annie looked over at Teddy. Then something magical happened. In a flutter of time … in the spin of a whirlwind … Teddy was changed. He was no longer a dog. He was a boy.