Wizard in Training

The following information is Top Secret, but I had to share. If you are reading this, you are now sworn to secrecy. Don't get me in trouble now. ;)

My little neice informs me she is a wizard-in-training. She has been one since Santa left the magic for her this past Christmas. The other day she allowed me to see her wand. Not touch it, mind you, but look at it. Apparently I am not wizard material so touching the wand is forbidden. She promises to make me my own wand at some point, but for now, it's "look don't touch."

She has been working very hard at coming up with spells to make objects disappear, like her bunk bed, but so far the needed spell has not surfaced. It's something she needs to figure out on her own, without the help of a grown up, she tells me. As I questioned her about her top secret training she stopped me mid-sentence and announced there are certain rules to be followed. In fact, there are a lot of rules. Most she can't remember. There are some, however, that she recalls because they relate to her current disappearing spell dilemna. They are fairly easy to remember if you ever find yourself in a similar situation .. with a magic wand at your disposal .. wondering what items are appropriate to wave it at.

The Rules of Magic for a Wizard-in-Training

1. You can not make the whole world disappear. If you did, everything would be all white and very boring.
2. You can not make people disappear. (What if you couldn't get them back again?)
3. You can not make live animals disappear. Never point your wand at a live animal in case you accidentally make it disappear.
4. You can not make boats disappear.
5. If a person is in a boat and the boat is tipping over, then you can use your magic on the boat to make the boat go upright or to make the boat float up in the air.

Those are the rules.

When I mentioned that rule #5 was scary (I wouldn't care to be a person inside the boat now floating in the air), I was told it's better to be floating in the air than spilled out into the ocean. I'd have to agree. ;)