Learning Magic, level A1

Chapter 1: Yukio and His Sister

Yukio lives in a little village. It is in the country, not far from Kyoto, in old Japan. Yukio's parents are dead, so he lives with his older sister, Mariko. They live in the old family house. Mariko works hard in the garden and the house. Yukio helps her. For some years, they are happy together. But then, Kunio arrives. Kunio lives on a farm near their house. He is a farmer. One spring day, Kunio is walking past their house. Suddenly, he sees Mariko. She is standing under the cherry tree in her garden. It has beautiful blossoms on it. Kunio smiles at Mariko, and Mariko smiles at Kunio. But Yukio does not smile. He does not like Kunio.

Chapter 2: On Kunio's Farm

After that, Kunio often visits Mariko. They talk and laugh together. Sometimes, Kunio drinks tea with Mariko and her brother. Yukio never speaks to Kunio when he visits. One summer evening, Mariko and Kunio are watching the fireflies in the garden. Kunio tells Mariko, "I want to marry you."

"Do you want to marry me?"

"I do." She answers him happily.

"Kunio wants to marry me," Mariko tells her brother before they go to sleep that night.

"Yes, I know," Yukio says. The room is dark, and Mariko cannot see Yukio's angry face.

So, Mariko marries Kunio. After that, she goes and lives in Kunio's house. She takes Yukio with her. Kunio works on the farm from morning to night. Yukio doesn't work. He likes looking up at the hills and the sky. He likes talking to the birds and sleeping under the trees. Kunio cannot understand Yukio. "Your young brother doesn't help me on the farm," He tells his wife.

"What's the matter with him?"

"I don't know," Mariko answers. "Maybe he isn't interested in farm work."

"Maybe he wants to do a different job."

"Then maybe he must leave the farm and look for work," Kunio says.

Chapter 3: Looking for Work

Soon the fall arrives. The green leaves on the trees change to yellow and red. Kunio wants to sell things from his farm in the nearest town. He takes Yukio with him. "Goodbye," Mariko says when they are leaving.

"Come back soon."

"Yes, Mariko," Kunio says, and he smiles.

"Goodbye, sister," Yukio cries.

"Thanks for everything."

On the road, Kunio speaks to Yukio. "Maybe you can find a job today," He says.

"Yes, maybe I can," The boy answers.

When they arrive in the town, Kunio sells everything from his cart. He soon has a lot of money. Yukio walks through the town. He is interested in everything there. Suddenly, he sees an interesting old man. He is wearing black clothes. "Are you looking for work?" The old man asks.

"I am," Yukio answers.

"But what's your job?"

"I'm a sorcerer," The old man smiles.

"And I need a young apprentice."

"So come and work for me."

"Okay," Yukio says happily.

Yukio goes and says goodbye to Kunio. That evening, Kunio goes back to his farm and his wife. But Yukio stays with the sorcerer.

Chapter 4: At the Sorcerer's House

"You must live with me and work for me now." "And you must call me grandfather," The sorcerer says to Yukio.

So Yukio goes and lives with the sorcerer in his big old house. Every morning, they get up early. The sorcerer goes out. But Yukio stays at home. He sweeps all the rooms in the house with a big broom. It is winter, and the days are cold. But there's always a nice, warm wood fire in the sorcerer's room. Every afternoon, Yukio chops the wood for the fire with a big axe. Every evening, the sorcerer comes home and eats. He reads for a time. He has a hot bath, and then he goes to bed. For some time, Yukio works hard in the sorcerer's house. But he isn't very happy. "When can I learn to be a sorcerer?" He asks the old man one evening.

"You must wait," The sorcerer says to him.

"You're not ready now."

"When you're ready, you can learn."

Then the old man reads from a big black book. Yukio leaves the room, but he listens and watches at the door. He wants to learn magic soon. He doesn't want to wait.

Chapter 5: The Magic Broom

One evening, the sorcerer comes home late. Yukio is in bed, but he isn't sleeping. The door to the old sorcerer's room is open. Yukio can see into it and hear, too. The sorcerer is reading his big black magic book. Suddenly, the old man looks at the broom in the corner. He says some magic words.

"Peck us."

"And stay back."

Now the broom has arms and legs. It walks over to the sorcerer. He tells it, "Take two buckets and go to the well." "Bring water to the tub in my bathhouse." The broom goes into the garden. Yukio watches it through the window. It takes two buckets to the well. Then it takes water across to the bathhouse, again and again. In the end, the sorcerer goes and speaks to the broom again. He tells it, "Now make a fire under the tub."

"I want some nice hot water for my bath."

So the broom makes a fire under the tub. Soon the water is hot. Then the sorcerer washes and has his bath. Later, the sorcerer says more magic words.

"Yah!"

"Katurufutan!"

The broom goes into the corner again. It loses its arms and legs and stops moving. "Interesting," Yukio thinks.

Chapter 6: Yukio's Spell Goes Wrong

The next day, the sorcerer leaves the house early. "It's laundry day," he tells Yukio at the door.

"Put water in the tub in the laundry room." "Then wash my clothes."

After the sorcerer goes, Yukio thinks, "The broom can help me."

He cannot read, but he remembers the sorcerer's spell and says it.

"Hikas!"

"Hasten Babylon!"

Suddenly, the broom has arms and legs. "Bring water from the well to the laundry room," Yukio tells it. The broom takes water to the laundry room, again and again. Soon the laundry tub is full. "Stop!" Yukio cries, but he cannot remember the spell now.

So he can't stop the broom. Yukio chops the broom in two with the axe. But the two half-brooms change into two new brooms, and they bring more water to the tub. "Help!" Yukio cries.

He chops the two brooms into four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two. Now there are sixty-four, and the laundry room is full of water. Just then, the sorcerer arrives. "What's happening?" He cries.

Yukio tells him at once. The old man quickly says a spell. The water and brooms disappear.

"I'm sorry, grandfather," Yukio says. "Call me teacher," the sorcerer smiles at him.

"Because you're ready to learn magic now, I see."

Learning Magic