A Snicker of Magic

On Mama’s next day off, the family piles into the van and heads to Snapdragon Pond. Boone is uneasy with going out and about. He wants time to recover, gesturing to his heart to indicate he’s feeling heartbroken. Cleo wants Boone to bring his banjo and play for the girls, but he isn’t sure he’ll ever play again because his songs were meant for a woman. Mama comforts Boone, but Cleo gives tough love, telling Boone he needs to write a new song and “face the world again” (116). Felicity tells Boone he’ll find a better song.

Frannie chimes in to tell Boone about Felicity’s ability with words. Boone reacts positively and asks if she sees any words around him. Felicity can see words like regret and deadbeat, but she lies and tells him she sees new beginning around him. Boone thinks about these words and smiles. Felicity sees the negative words around him disappear. She realizes the words she says are just as powerful as the words she sees.

Boone explains that he used to see colors with musical chords. He still does sometimes, but only when he’s playing at his best. Felicity worries she’ll lose her power like Boone did.

When they arrive at the pond, Cleo brings out some fairy wings she sewed. Frannie wants to pretend they’re all fairies for a day. At the sight of Frannie’s potential disappointment, Boone agrees to wear the wings. At the pond, Felicity writes down her observations and words she sees in the water.

Mama wants to show Felicity something, so they venture off alone. Felicity can tell this is important to Mama. They head through the woods, up a hill, and up a tree. Mama shows Felicity the mountains in the distance. Mama used to climb this tree as a child and look out at the mountains. Felicity thinks Mama loves the view of the mountains, but Mama explains that she always felt trapped in by the mountains until one day she noticed flickers of silver traveling up and down. Felicity sees the glimmers. Mama explains that they’re cars, traveling in and out of town. Mama used to watch them and dream about setting out on her own adventure. The moment turns bittersweet for Felicity. She realizes how important it is to Mama to travel around. Felicity asks if Mama drives around the mountains while she and Frannie are at school. Mama says she does. Felicity then asks if Mama would ever drive away without her, but upon seeing Mama’s reaction, Felicity realizes the question hurt her. Mama reassures Felicity that she’d never leave without her. Felicity holds in tears and asks why Mama hates Midnight Gulch. Mama explains that she doesn’t, but she feels she’ll lose her mind if she stays still too long.

Felicity recalls when she was very young and her father still traveled with them. She assumes he left because he was tired of moving around. She holds Mama’s hand. Mama says that life is an adventure, and they have “rambling hearts” (128). Felicity knows that Mama has a rambling heart, but she doesn’t agree that she has one as well. Mama looks longingly at the interstate on the mountains. Felicity looks at the mountains and begs them to hold them in Midnight Gulch and never let go.

When they return to the pond, everyone is relaxed and enjoying themselves. However, when Day Grissom shows up, Cleo demands everyone pack up and get to the car. Day just wants to talk to Cleo, but she ignores him. Boone greets Day and the two catch up for a moment while Cleo takes things to the car. Boone gives Cleo a hard time about not being open to new beginnings.

Felicity hopes that one day, when she’s brave enough to try Blackberry Sunrise, she will remember this day when her family was united and happy, wearing fairy wings by the pond.

After school, Jonah and Felicity sit in Dr. Zook’s Dreamery Creamery. Jonah plans to take Felicity to meet another interesting person so she can collect words. He’s dedicated to helping Felicity plan for the Duel. They share a couple pints of ice cream while looking at Felicity’s blue book. She’s written down “poets and paupers” because those are the words she sees on the pie shop across the street. Jonah informs her that that’s what the shop used to be called. The owner, Ponder Waller, is related to the Smiths, whose magic had to do with cooking. During the Civil War, Nancy Smith would collect intel from soldiers and bake the information into pies. Whoever ate the pie would learn the information.

Jonah says Ponder’s pies still have “a snicker of magic” (134), which he explains means leftover magic. Jonah believes his know-how and Felicity’s word collecting are also snickers of magic. Felicity doesn’t think her ability is magic. Jonah speculates that the Brothers Threadbare might have felt the same way until they saw how they affected the town. Felicity hasn’t been able to get the words of the curse out of her head since speaking with Oliver Weatherly.

Felicity says thinking about the Duel is making her crazy. She confesses to having no poems written. Jonah is surprised because the Duel is less than a week away. He tells Felicity that the Duel will bring good and assures her that her words are a talent. Felicity believes that no matter what happens at the Duel, Mama is still going to make her leave town. Jonah suggests Felicity write down observations to get inspiration.

While Jonah scouts the newspaper for people who need the Beedle, Felicity wonders if anyone else can see words or if it really is a snicker of magic. She writes down facts about herself, about the town, and about Jonah. She is happy that agreeing to do the Duel has led to more time with Jonah. Jonah asks if Boone is staying with them now too. Felicity says Cleo keeps tripping over Boone because he’s sleeping on the floor in the hall. Jonah gives Felicity some banjo strings to give to Boone. Inspired by the story of Eldee Mae, Jonah thinks Felicity would be a good Beedle accomplice, so he encourages her to write a note from the Beedle to attach to the banjo strings.

Felicity hears the wind chimes again. Jonah tells her it’s time to go. They travel to the Gallery, where a woman, Florentine, sits against the wall. Words like magnolia and dragon hover around her. Jonah presents her with a pint of Blackberry Sunrise. She asks how he knew she’d need company. He responds that the Beedle knows. She replies that Felicity must be special to know his Beedle secret. Jonah introduces Felicity as his best friend, which makes Felicity happy. He’s brought Felicity to meet Florentine because Florentine is a poet. Jonah says Felicity is a poet too, but Felicity denies it. Florentine says that she’ll know soon enough because stories have a way of getting told.

Hearing the wind chimes once more, Felicity recalls how Oliver mentioned that the brothers fought over someone. She tells herself that it has nothing to do with her, but her heart disagrees. Florentine also seems to react to the wind chimes. Thunder rolls in the distance, and Felicity’s heart beats yes. Florentine tells them to get comfortable for a story.

Florentine tells her story. She was born in Georgia and grew up in a small farmhouse with only her granny Opal as family. One night, a terrible storm blew through, and tornadoes destroyed a lot of the town. Florentine wondered why their farmhouse wasn’t touched. Opal explained that there was magic she kept locked in a cupboard in the house, but the magic was dark, strange, and full of burdens. She warned Florentine never to open the cupboard. 

Florentine takes bites of Blackberry Sunrise to remember her story. Florentine explains how she used to not speak very well. Granny Opal was kind to her, but everyone else made fun of her for it. Florentine spent a lot of time in a tree reading books. She liked how the words always came out of the pages just fine. She believes there’s magic in books, and the stories she read took her many places. Felicity agrees with this sentiment. Florentine loved other people’s stories, but never wanted to share her own.

Felicity comments that Florentine speaks well now. Florentine wishes Granny Opal had gotten to hear her speak well. Granny Opal advised Florentine to go out and create her own story. Eventually, Florentine decided that her story wasn’t in the town she grew up in. On the day she left, she packed her bag full of books. She remembered how the magic in the cupboard kept her family safe, so she put the contents of the cupboard into her bag. It was heavy, sad, and full of burdens. Granny caught Florentine on the way out and reminded her of the sorrows the magic carries. Florentine has been carrying the burdens for 10 years.

She eventually met a man named Waylon while working in the fishing industry off the coast. She never spoke to him, but he didn’t mind her lack of words. He sang to her, and she wrote poems in the sand. Eventually, she spoke her first words to Waylon to tell him she loved him. Felicity asks what happened to Waylon. Florentine says her burdens got in the way and pats the bag next to her. Florentine believes she’ll eventually find a way to leave her burdens behind, and when she does, she’ll return to the coast.

Florentine isn’t sure what’s in the bag, and she doesn’t know how she’ll be rid of the burdens. She suspects that one day the answer will find her. She’ll wait until then, and then she’ll return to the coast. Felicity says her family is full of drifters too. Florentine asks about her family. Felicity tells of her family names, Pickle and Harness. Florentine asks if Felicity knows about her family history, but Felicity doesn’t. Florentine recommends that Felicity find out because she won’t be able to create her own story if she doesn’t know her family’s story.

Florentine tells Felicity that if she is who Florentine thinks she is, then Felicity has magic in her veins and a story worth telling.

While they wash dishes together, Felicity tells Aunt Cleo what Florentine said. The storm rages outside. Felicity asks if their family has magic. Cleo doesn’t answer, so Felicity asks Boone. Boone tunes his banjo with his new strings from the Beedle. He sings about the magic in their veins but then admits that he doesn’t believe it because magic would have made them lucky. Cleo protests that she promised Mama she wouldn’t talk about these stories. Boone and Felicity only become more intrigued. Cleo says they’re just folktales but doesn’t sound fully convinced. Felicity begs Cleo to tell her. Cleo relents and fetches the photo of the man with the hot-air balloon.

Cleo reveals that the man, Stone Weatherly, is Felicity’s great-great-grandfather. Felicity celebrates, confirming that they do have magic in their veins. Frannie joins in. Cleo counters that Stone lost the duel, so the only magic they still carry is the curse bestowed by a witch. Felicity never heard the part about the witch. The power flickers, so Cleo leads them to a closet where she digs out the flashlights. She emphasizes how restless Stone Weatherly was, never settling down and never seeing his wife or children. Cleo says Stone was “cursed with a restless soul” (160), which Felicity remarks is “like Mama” (160). Cleo and Boone stay silent, but Felicity’s heart beats yes. Cleo explains that Stone flew a hot-air balloon because it’s the only way he could feel peace. Felicity states that the Harnesses and the Pickles are now cursed too. Cleo says it’s only a story.

Boone studies the picture of Stone Weatherly and asks if he’s holding a banjo. Cleo corrects him: Stone played the guitar; Berry played the banjo. Then Cleo says that Boone has Berry Weatherly’s banjo. Boone asks why. Cleo tries to change the subject, but Boone insists on answers.

Cleo tells a story from when she was young, before Boone and Holly (Felicity’s mother) were born. A man in a nice car showed up at their home in Virginia. The man was old and shaky. He was looking for Stone Weatherly. Cleo’s mother informed the man that Stone had stepped into a hot-air balloon and was never seen again. The man introduced himself as Berry Weatherly and told their mother about the witch woman who cursed the family. He also gave their mother his banjo, hoping it would eventually find its way to Stone but asking that she find a good home for it if she never saw Stone again. Cleo digs out a locket from a junk box and tells them how Berry gave that to them as well, but no one could open it. Something rattles inside when she shakes the locket. Felicity tries unsuccessfully to open it. Cleo says Felicity can keep it, and Felicity puts it around her neck.

Felicity asks if Cleo knows about their relation to Oliver Weatherly, who is Berry’s grandson. Cleo knows, but she doesn’t want to talk about the brothers with him or anyone. She declares that she’ll answer no more questions. Felicity begs for Cleo to just recite the curse for them, and Cleo relents. The curse tells of the brothers being overcome with greed and being cursed to wander, which only amends and having “cords align” will reverse. Cleo explains that the curse means Stone will wander forever and fail at everything, but she misspeaks and says “we” instead of “he” at first. Cleo and Boone agree to drop the subject. Felicity has more burning questions and worries that she and Frannie Jo will be cursed with failure and wandering too.

Mama enters moments later, having been let off her shift early because of a tornado warning. The family piles into the bathroom. Felicity grabs her blue book and Mama’s paintbrushes before taking shelter. They wait, huddled together, while Boone plays his banjo in the dark.

After the storm, Felicity and Frannie Jo go to bed. Felicity thinks about the curse and fiddles with the locket. She notices the wind-chime sound coming from inside.