The Young Magician

something exciting was happening to him.

The day Mr Frost appeared atop his large stubborn mare, Samuel could scarcely wait to finish taking care of it and barely had the animal in its stall before he was off down the street to find Mr Joshua. He flew up the stairs and onto a balcony where several men were sitting idly about, rocking on the heels of their chairs with playing cards littering the floor between them. Their conversation halted abruptly as they spied Samuel bolt in.

Samuel’s excitement vanished. The men had cold eyes that crawled over him and left him standing nervously.

‘What do you want?’ one of them then asked, but his voice was not as horrible as Samuel had first expected.

‘Mr Joshua?’ Samuel asked sheepishly.

‘Josh!’ one called out and Mr Joshua curtly appeared from a back room, looking somewhat harried and bothered. Upon spying Samuel, his frown changed to a look of jubilation.

‘Ah, my boy!’ he called, moving to Samuel and patting him warmly on the shoulder. The men stopped watching him and one began scraping up the cards at their feet. ‘How have you been? I didn’t expect to see you so soon!’

‘Ah…very well thank you, Sir,’ Samuel stammered. ‘I just thought I would let you know that…’

‘Ah, good, good!’ Mr Joshua interrupted. ‘How happy I am to see you! But, unfortunately, I don’t have time to chit-chat just now. Now, next time you visit me, why don’t you to bring me some of that nice jam from the market?’ And he pressed a couple of coins into Samuel’s palms.

‘Um…which jam, Mr Joshua?’

‘Any jam will do-your favourite. Now be off with you until next time. Go on!’

Samuel left, bewildered, as he made down the stairs. He examined his hand to find one and a half crowns. Happy at his growing fortune, Samuel skipped down the last few stairs and trotted back home, rattling the coins within his fist as a long line of brightly garbed soldiers went marching by.

The months passed by and winter soon came and left again and the seasons seemed to flit by before Samuel could even notice them. Sometimes, as he lay in the dark, cold or tired or aching in his muscles, Samuel wondered if he would spend his whole life there in the stables of the Three Toads Inn. Resolutely, he decided that with all the money he had been saving from Mr Joshua, he would eventually be able to go out and find his fortune. He had managed to gather quite a tidy sum, for he had never spent even a single coin, except for the one time he bought a tiny handkerchief for Jessicah.

She had remarked upon it in the market and had been overjoyed when Samuel had given it to her. She had carried it ever since, keeping it tucked tightly in her pocket.

The following winter was a quiet time at the Three Toads Inn and so, on the odd pleasant day, Samuel and Jessicah would go walking down by the river and play in the fields on the other side. Upstream, the river was shallow and swift and it was wonderful fun trying to get across the smooth, round stones without falling upon their backsides and getting wet. It was on one such day as this that Samuel and Jessicah returned home to find a very angry uncle, indeed. He came striding outside when he saw them approach and had a long, thin rod in his hand. Jessicah squeezed Samuel’s hand and they walked in bravely.

‘You filthy dog!’ the big man roared, directing his fury at Samuel. ‘Get inside, Jessicah!’ he commanded. She gave Samuel a desperate glance before hurrying away inside. Samuel did not mind. He was used to the tempers of his uncle and aunt and preferred that Jessicah was not there to witness it. ‘Thief! What have you been stealing of mine?’

‘Nothing, Uncle,’ Samuel stammered, wandering what was the root of the man’s fury this time.

‘Don’t lie to me! Where did you get all that money? Such a fortune for a brat like you. Where did you get it?’

Samuel’s heart seemed to stop in place as he realised his savings had been found and, undoubtedly, plundered. ‘I’ve been doing some work for a man in the marketplace,’ Samuel tried to explain.

‘Rubbish!’ his uncle spat, bright red in the face. ‘No one would pay a fool like you for anything, and I’ve told you before not to loiter in the streets with my daughter! I’ve had it up to here with you,’ and he gestured to his neck to illustrate. He stood silent for a moment, as if trying to calm himself, before spinning about and stomping away. Samuel did not know what to do. He was filled with anger and disbelief. He knew his uncle well and knew he would never see his money again. He damned himself for not hiding it better. A pain at his sides made Samuel realise he was squeezing his hands into fists and he had to deliberately force them to relax. This time he was not sad. He was filled with pure rage and wished he could strike his uncle dead. Without a word, he ran back out into the street.

‘Samuel?’ Mr Joshua said, when he spied the boy waiting at his door. ‘What brings you here today-and looking so bothered?’

Samuel edged inside Mr Joshua’s office and stood by the tall man’s desk.

‘Come on. Open your mouth,’ Mr Joshua urged him.

‘My uncle found all my money and now he’s taken it,’ Samuel explained. ‘I don’t know what to do.’

Mr Joshua looked very thoughtful. ‘Don’t worry, lad,’ and he scruffed up Samuel’s hair playfully. ‘Difficulties like this are what life is all about. You can’t let them get you down.’ He then reached into his pocket and plonked a couple of coins on the desk before Samuel. ‘I’ve grown quite fond of you, Samuel. I know about your uncle and aunt and they aren’t the sort of people that should be responsible for good children such as you. You’ve been working reliably for me all this time. Take this money.’ And he pushed it towards Samuel. ‘I know it’s small compared to what you’ve lost, but consider it a gift of goodwill to help you through the hard times, or a bonus for all your good work if you prefer. You’re still a little young, but perhaps after a few years you can strike out on your own. For now, it’s best if you go back to your uncle’s inn and stay there. I know you don’t like it, but you don’t really have much choice. You can save up a little money again and bide your time and, before you know it, you’ll have a fat purse under your pillow once more and a little house of your own. How does that sound?’

Samuel tucked the coins into his pocket and felt much better after hearing Mr Joshua’s words. ‘Thank you, Mr Joshua.’

‘But I think it’s best if I keep your savings here from now on, Samuel, given that you’ve already lost everything once. Any time you need some money, you can and come see me. How does that sound?’

‘Oh, I can’t thank you enough, Mr Joshua!’ Samuel responded. ‘You’ve helped me so much.’

‘My pleasure, my boy! Now be off with you and don’t worry about your uncle. One day, you won’t need him or his inn. But come back tomorrow! I will have some errands for you, I’m sure.’

‘Of course!’ Samuel said, beaming with glee. ‘See you tomorrow!’ And he scampered out the door, skipping like a youthful buck once again.

Samuel continued working at the inn and helping Mr Joshua whenever he could. He learned to take his uncle’s ravings and beatings with barely a whimper, although these episodes became more frequent as Samuel vanished for longer and longer periods into the city before coming back to the inn. He learned he could get up early and do most of the feeding and cleaning before even catching sight of his uncle and aunt, and then be out until well after nightfall, when he could carry water and finish the other chores. In this way, his days became far more bearable, and he could run errands for Mr Joshua and build on his savings.

The months and seasons passed by steadily, but little else changed in the town. However, with each new set of clothes he outgrew, Samuel also grew a little fleeter of foot and a little stronger in the arm and his day-to-day life became that much easier. He could now heave the saddlery around with ease and his uncle had no need at all to step out into the stables to help him-which was exactly how both of them liked it. He could finish his chores at the Three Toads Inn with little fuss and spend the majority of his time helping Mr Joshua.

Mostly, Samuel would run messages across town to other businessmen, or take them parcels. Sometimes, he would be stopped by the town guards and they would ask him many questions and sometimes search him, but Samuel always had a ready excuse and the guards knew he worked at the Three Toads Inn, so it was a perfect pretext for running all over the town. When he did have a parcel from Mr Joshua, Samuel knew all the ways to go about the city where the guards would not find him. He was spry and as nimble as a cat and could scurry through holes and leap over fences in a flash. Samuel knew the other errand boys of Stable