The double glazing salesman 3/12

Three days later the secret was revealed. Jennifer Jane had just got back to the Witches’ Home after the day’s lesson with Esmerelda. To her surprise there was no one about except the witch on duty in the guardroom.

“Where on earth has everyone got to? Usually there are lots of people moving around at the end of the day, but I haven’t seen any one except you.”

“You’re the lucky one,” said the witch, “I’ve got to stay here while all you lot can go and have a good laugh. They’re all out at the front watching your dad trying to fly!”

Jennifer Jane ran through the quiet corridors. Sure enough, as she got nearer the front of the building she could hear roars of laughter coming from the lawn.

Once there, she saw her dad floating ten feet or so off the ground, waving his arms about trying to fly. Robert had made a pair of wings to the design he’d been given and Dave was flapping around trying to learn how to use them.

She couldn’t help laughing at him herself. He was hanging upright in the air with his legs dangling, spinning round and round with a great deal of effort, while not moving forward at all.

“It’s no use Robert, the balance is all wrong, I’ll have to come down so we can make some modifications.”

He stopped flapping and very gently sank down to the ground. Jennifer Jane had pushed her way through to the front of the crowd and watched closely as Robert helped her dad take off his wings. They were made using a lightly constructed wooden framework, covered with very thin fabric.

Two loops had been provided under each wing so that he could slip an arm through one and hold on to the other to make the flapping motion, while a hinged harness was strapped round his body just below his shoulders.

He saw Jennifer Jane and waved to her with a grin. “Should be jolly good fun when we get the balance right,” he said, “I thought if I can make myself as light as a bird, there shouldn’t be any reason not to fly like one. It’s not as easy as it looks though, still we’re getting there.”