The Motorway Protest 3/7

Barnacle Bill was just coming up the river. 'Toot toot' went his whistle and the giant stopped crying into the pool so that he wouldn't sink the paddle steamer. Jennifer Jane climbed aboard as quickly as she could.

"Full steam ahead for the Witches' Home?" asked Barnacle Bill.

"Yes please," said Jennifer Jane, "Abigail wants me to help her get the new road stopped."

Barnacle Bill turned his boat round and headed back down the river. Jennifer Jane waved goodbye to the giant.

"Best of luck, Jennifer Jane," called the giant, as he waved back.

An amazing sight met the paddle steamer as it emerged from the magic fog. The Witches' Home was even busier than it had been when Jennifer Jane was last there. Witches and wizards were walking up and down the lawn in little groups, talking excitedly. Flying brooms were arriving in an almost continual stream, while others were leaving on urgent errands. Several clouds were waiting overhead and Jennifer Jane could see the snowmen in charge of them, watching over the side to see when they were wanted.

"How ever do I find Abigail when we arrive?" asked Jennifer Jane, as the paddle steamer drew nearer.

"You blow the foghorn, that'll make them take notice," laughed Barnacle Bill.

‘Toot toot’, the witches and wizards all looked round and one of them came away from a small group and walked down the lawn to the landing stage.

"I'm so pleased you've got here," said Abigail, as Jennifer Jane stepped ashore. "We're working on a plan and I think you're the best person we've got for one of the jobs. Would you like to come ashore for some tea and biscuits?" she asked Barnacle Bill.

"Yes, please. I've never been inside the Witches' Home before."

Abigail called over another witch and when Barnacle Bill had finished giving himself orders: "All secure fore and aft, finished with engines, fires drawn," he went with her up to the house.

"Now then," said Abigail, "we're practising a very special sort of magic and while we're doing that, we want you to visit a dragon and borrow all her special food, then take it to Clarence. You seem to have a way with dragons."

Abigail waved to one of the clouds and then, with a grin, she pointed at Jennifer Jane and wiggled her fingers. One minute, Jennifer Jane was on the ground, the next, she was up on the cloud. The snowman who was in charge turned round and smiled at her. As she'd hoped, it was Frosty and for once he seemed to be happy.

"Isn't this exciting?" he said. "Really important jobs, not just routine deliveries and shovelling snow."

"Where are we going?" asked Jennifer Jane.

"Well, first we're to see a dragon to get all her food with the crunchy bits and give her the load we have aboard. Our load doesn't have any crunchy bits included, because part of the witches' plan is to feed Clarence's fire as much as possible."

"Golly," exclaimed Jennifer Jane, "how ever am I supposed to persuade a dragon to give up the food it needs to keep its' fire alight?"

"I don't know," replied Frosty, "the witches were sure that you'd be able to find a way."

"Do you know the dragon's name?" asked Jennifer Jane.

"Oh yes," said Frosty, "she's one of my regulars. She's a red dragon who lives in a mountain cave in Wales; her name's Megan."

All this time the cloud had been flying as fast as Frosty could make it go but now it was beginning to lose height. Jennifer Jane looked over the side and below her she could see the green valleys and grey mountains of Wales rapidly getting closer. They landed just outside a cave and Frosty helped Jennifer Jane to unload all the ordinary food.