“Don’t take shortcuts,” the elders always say. “If it were easy or safe, everyone would do it, and it would be the norm, not a shortcut.”

Some shortcuts are good, like passing through a few small streets to avoid the bustle of the main road, but others…

When you’re new to both the world of magic and the world of domestic chores, don’t try to mix the two too soon. That charm you thought would speed things up might not do as intended, as Noel found out the hard way. Another wash like that and the clothes might fit my tiny frame. (Which, if I may say so myself, I think might suit me terribly well.)

Why is it always the favourite things that disasters happen to?