The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star by Jill Murphy Page B

burst out Maud. ‘The dog is amazing! Mildred does a flying routine with him that’s absolutely brilliant – we’ve seen it, haven’t we, Enid? Honestly, Miss Cackle, it’s funny and clever –’
    ‘And the dog’s so cute,’ said Enid, getting carried away. ‘And Mildred flies the best we’ve ever seen her when she’s with him – doesn’t she, Maud?’
    They carried on in this fashion, singing the flying duo’s praises, getting more and more enthusiastic, until Miss Hardbroom put up a hand to stop them.
    Everyone stared down at Star, who didn’t
look
like a competition winner, hunched in the shadows, trying to keep out of the way.
     

     
    ‘I don’t
think
so, Maud,’ said Miss Hardbroom. ‘Even if what you say
is
true, we don’t have any time to put the pair through their paces and we certainly don’t want the academy to be made a laughing stock in front of such an illustrious panel of judges – don’t you agree, Miss Cackle?’
    Mildred stood up and took a deep breath. ‘
Please
, Miss Cackle,’ she said, trying to keep her voice from trembling. ‘I think we
could
do it really. I’ve been training him for weeks on end and the auditions are only ten minutes long. I know we could manage to keep everyone entertained for at least that long and the school entry
is
called “The Joy of Flying”, so we could still enter under that title –
please
, Miss Cackle, it’s the only way I can possibly make amends for messing up our chances. Wouldn’t it be better than nothing – to
try
and win?’
    Incredibly, Miss Cackle was moved by Mildred’s plea. She over-rode Miss Hardbroom’s protests and announced that she agreed with Mildred – that it
was
better to make an attempt at winning than to give up.
    At this point Ethel couldn’t restrain herself any longer. ‘But it’s not fair, Miss Cackle!’ she exclaimed. ‘It’s that stupid dog’s fault that we can’t do the ballet and I think –’
     

     
    Miss Hardbroom fixed Ethel with one of her most blood-curdling stares. ‘Miss Cackle is speaking!’ she said icily.
    ‘Thank you, Miss Hardbroom,’ continued Miss Cackle. ‘As I was saying, Mildred, I’ve decided to trust you,
and
the opinion of your two friends here, mainly because I think I
know
you and I don’t think you would risk putting yourself up in front of the school if you didn’t feel sure you could do it – am I right?’
     

     
    ‘Yes, Miss Cackle,’ said Mildred gratefully.
    ‘Well then,’ said Miss Cackle, ‘you’d better take the dog and get yourselves ready to assemble for take-off at ten o’clock as planned. Miss Hardbroom and I will deliver the news to all the pupils and tell them that we
will
be competing after all.’
    ‘Just a moment,’ said Miss Hardbroom to Ethel, who was attempting to sneak out with the others. ‘Would you just stay behind – I have a few questions I’d like to ask you …’
     

     
    As soon as they were out of range of Miss Cackle’s study, the three friends hurled their arms round each other and jumped about.
    ‘Thank you so much for saving me,’ said Mildred to Maud and Enid, scooping up Star who was ecstatic to be back in her arms.
     

     
    ‘You’re not out of the woods yet,’ said Maud. ‘You’ve got to actually
win
the competition and Pentangle’s have probably got something brilliant up their sleeve – they usually have.’
    ‘And Form Five are going to
hate
you and Ethel,’ warned Enid.
    ‘It wasn’t really my fault about the costumes,’ said Mildred. ‘Ethel knew I was hiding Star in the holdall and she grabbed it; that’s why we fell. I s’pose I shouldn’t have had him in the bag in the first place, but if she hadn’t been snooping it would never have happened.’
    ‘Whatever the reason,’ said Maud, ‘it’s a bit hard on Form Five after all their hard work. Even if you do win, they’re still not going to be pleased.’
     

CHAPTER TWENTY
     

 
    hey
weren’t
pleased. All four