League of Extraordinary Robots, Yolanda Jackson [leveled readers TXT] 📗

winner,” said Dougloff. “Wisker has lived with the humans too long and hasn’t used his magic that much.”
“Yes, but he was in my class in school and he was one of the top students,” replied Lanter. “I have a feeling that once he gets back into it his magical abilities will grow rapidly. Besides, I heard that his wand has been restored to tip top shape, even better that it was when it was brand new,” he glanced at Dougloff to see if this rumor was true. He knew if anyone knew about the restoration of the wand, it would be Dougloff.
“That’s true,” admitted Dougloff. “And look, they’re starting the competition.” He leaned forward to watch. Then he enlarged his easy chair so that it was big enough for two. “Sit down and watch with me,” he invited. Soon the two were engrossed in what was happening on the oasis, the field of competition.
Wisker flew into the air and used his want to turn into a large bat that came striking down after his friend. “Oh come on old friend that is so kindergarten,” Jeronomo shouted, forming a large shield around himself that Wisker crashed into.
Wisker began to fly up into the air, then quickly turned and with his wand burrowed himself under the ground and up under the feet of Jeronomo. “Now that’s magic!” shouted Jeronomo, as he makes the shield disappear and commandeed the trees to come after Wisker. The trees up rooted themselves from the ground, turned into large leaf like monsters and took off running after Wisker as if a chase was going on.
Wisker was so overcome with admiration of the artistry and workings of his friend’s magical powers that he just stood and watched, completely forgetting to run or to retaliate with magic of his own. The trees began to howl like wolves and snort like bulls.
“Do something, Wisker, do something,” screamed Dougloff and Lanter, almost falling off their chair in their excitement.
“You are so beautiful,” Wisker told the tree that was standing in front of him, and stretched out his hands to pat it.
On Jeronomo’s command, the growling stopped and the trees disappeared into thin air. “Wisker, you could have been killed!” shouted Jeronomo. “What if that had been a real battle?”
Wisker began to shake as he realized what he had done and how much he had forgotten about being a wizard. “I think I’ve lost my magical abilities,” he thought to himself. He hung his head low and walked over and took a seat on a large stone. Suddenly the stone turned into a frog and hopped off, sending Wisker toppling head over heels in surprise. Wisker was very disappointed in himself.
Jeronomo came over and tapped his friend on the shoulder. “You haven’t done magic in a long time,” he told him. “Now isn’t the time for self pity, now is the time to renew your powers.”
“But I have lost so much!” said Wisker despondently. “It will take ages for me to be able to use my magic to do battle. What magic I have left I mean.”
“We have all lost so much,” Jeronomo reminded him. “We lost you to King Alfred.
Wisker immediately stood up, remembering the reason why he was there. “I must work as hard as I can to get my powers back,” he said with determination.
He pulled out his wand and began twirling it back and forth to the skies and reciting the magic spells he could remember, and beginning to remember more and more as he went. Suddenly it was evident to those looking on that Wisker was becoming more and more powerful. His weary face disappeared; his tattered clothing stitched itself up, his skin that was once a mess with dirt and debris shone with cleanliness’.
“You look like a new man,” exalted Jeronomo.
Wisker smiled at his old friend. “I am now willing to take on any challenges of Glendora and her allies,” he said, his voice full of confidence.
Jeronomo clapped him on the shoulder. “I knew once you got started everything would come back to you,” he told him. “You just needed a jump start like the humans give their cars sometimes. For now, we have something important to do,” he added. “Since I am clearly the winner, I believe I have a large bag of Special Wheshill Wizard Candy coming to me and I believe that you are the one to be paying for it.”
“That’s right,” grinned Wisker, “But don’t forget Mr. Dougloff’s special rule.”
“What’s that?” asked Jeronomo, looking rather puzzled.
“Don’t forget to share,” said Wisker.
“In that case, you’d better buy me the super deluxe size,” said Jeronomo. “All that magic has made me work up a good appetite for Special Wheshill Wizard Candy and I have a real craving for that stuff. I have an idea that you do too.”
“Yes, and I have a feeling our support folks are going to want some too,” said Wisker, indicating Dougloff and Lanter and a few other of the older wizards who had joined them.
“That easy chair started out big enough for one and now look at it,” chuckled Jeronomo. “It goes from one side of Mr. Dougloff’s shop to the other and a little beyond. t looks like our fans come in all ages,” he added, indicating a group of grade school age wizards who were hiding around the corner of the shop, so that the older wizards wouldn’t see them and send them off to school where they were supposed to be.
“I wonder if they really think the older wizards don’t know they are there skipping school,” said Wisker.
“Of course that’s what they think,” said Jeronomo. “We always did.”
“Yes we did,” grinned Wisker. “You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to buy each of those kids a big bag of Special Wheshill Wizard Candy.
“Did you ever try using your magic to make Special Wheshill Wizard Candy?” asked Jeronomo, with a big grin.
“I sure did,” groaned Wisker. “I was sick for three days.”
“I was so sick I couldn’t keep track of the days,” said Jeronomo. The two friends laughed and went up to the shop to take care of Wisker’s debt. He bought Jeronomo a super size bag. “I want to make sure you have enough to share adequately,” he told him. Then he bought a bag of candy for each of the children and two other big bags. He gave one bag to Lanter and the other bag to Dougloff.
“Why, why,” sputtered Dougloff. “This is the very first time in my life that anyone has ever bought me a bag of Special Wheshill Wizard Candy.’
“Not even when you were a little boy?” asked Wisker in astonishment.
“No, never,” answered Dougloff. “My father owned the shop before me and my grandfather before him, so I guess everyone just thought I could have it any time I wanted it. My grandfather and father did see to it that I had as much as the other children I guess, but having this bought for me makes it very special.
Thank you, Wisker, thank you very much indeed.”
“You’re very welcome, Mr. Dougloff,” said Wisker.
Dougloff reached into his bag and took out two big handfuls of Special Wheshill Wizard Candy and dropped them into one of the deep pockets on Wisker’s wizard robe. “I mustn’t forget to share,” he told him.
“Thank you, Mr. Dougloff,” said Wisker.
“You are a very nice boy, Wisker,” said Dougloff. “A very nice boy indeed.”
“Thank you Mr. Dougloff,” said Wisker, turning his head so that Dougloff wouldn’t see that he was trying not to grin. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been a boy,” said Wisker, as he and Jeronomo walked back to Jeronomo’s home. “But I guess to anyone as old as Mr. Dougloff most everyone must seem like a child.”
“I won’t remind Wisker that Dougloff and I went to school together and are the same age,” decided Jeronomo, as he overcame a sudden coughing attack. “He’s had a hard enough day as it is.”
Jeronomo and Wisker sat visiting, catching up on old times and talking about new in Jeronomo’s private room.
“You look like a new man,” Jeronomo told Wisker.
“I’m now ready to take on any challenges that Glendora and her crew are ready to throw at me,” answered Wisker. “I don’t just think I’m ready, I know I ‘m ready.”
Suddenly a metal hammer started pounding on the gong in the left hand corner of the further side of the room. Jeronomo yanked off his ring and held it out. The ring got bigger and bigger. “Come in,” Jeronomo called into it and two elves hopped through it into the room.
“Master!” said Fredrikk the elf, his overly large ears trembling and shaking with fear. Glendora and her monster are above us. She is sending her hole burrowers to dig deep into the sands, they will soon find us!”
“Don’t worry, I will fix it,” said Jeronomo. “It will be ok,” he told the elves, trying hard to exude confidence as he spoke. “I have plans made for this very possibility. Go now, but stay here in the castle and I will keep you safe. Tell the other elves the same thing please. Go now, and hurry to give my message.” He held out his ring and the elves jumped through and took off on a cloud of smoke.
Jeronomo grabbed up his wand and sounded the alarm and immediately the city went dark. All of the wizards through Wizard World were quickly on alert, sending out secret codes to each other.
“Sh, listen,” said Wisker suddenly.
Jeronomo froze in his tracks and listened. “It’s the hole burrowers,” he whispered as they heard the sound of loud scratching above the city. “Quickly, follow me, I have an idea.” Jeronomo sent out messages with his magic wand as he ran and all of the wizards from the youngest to the oldest gathered in the town’s center and held up their wands, trying to use their combined powers to create the most powerful force field imaginable to keep Glendora and her forces out.
“With the wand she’s acquired, Glendora just may be the most powerful wizard in the world,” said one of the older wizards. “In fact, she may be more powerful than all of us put together.”
Suddenly Glendora gave out an evil laugh, as her hole burrowers dug and dug, trying their best to break through the force field that covered Wizard World. The laugh echoed and reechoed all through the Wizard World, “You are mine, mine,” she screeched. “I am the most powerful being in the entire universe and it is mine to rule.”
She whipped her hole burrowers into a frenzy. Her army of monsters ranged from large white apes with fangs to large flying bats. There were armies of toy soldiers and thousands of monsters of every description imaginable with weapons. Glendora slashed out with her whip indiscriminately. “Dig faster, you fools, dig faster!” she screamed.
The hole burrowers burrowed deep into the sands, kicking dirt into the air in obedience to their mistress until suddenly they broke through the magic force field which surrounded Wizard World. “We’re there, we’re there,” screamed Glendora in ecstasy. “I