Charmed Life. Diana Wynne Jones

      

      Illustrated by Tim Stevens

       Copyright

      First published by Macmillan Children’s Books 1977

      First published in hardback and paperback by Collins 2000

      This edition published by HarperCollins Children’s Books 2007 HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

       www.harpercollinschildrensbooks.co.uk www.harpercollins.com/author/cr-101414/diana-wynne-jones/

      FIRST EDITION

      Text copyright © Diana Wynne Jones 1977

      Illustrations copyright © Tim Stevens 2000

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      The author and illustrator assert the moral right to be

      identified as the author and illustrator of the work.

      Conditions of Sale

      This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

      HarperCollinsPublishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication.

      Source ISBN: 9780007255290

      Ebook Edition © JULY 2012 ISBN: 9780007393930

      Version: 2019-01-15

       Dedication

       For Claire, Nicholas and Frances

      Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

       Chapter Five

       Chapter Six

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight

       Chapter Nine

       Chapter Ten

       Chapter Eleven

       Chapter Twelve

       Chapter Thirteen

       Chapter Fourteen

       Chapter Fifteen

       Chapter Sixteen

       Beyond The Book

       Spotlight on… Diana Wynne Jones

       Have you ever wondered?

       Wizards, Witches and Enchanters

       Magicians and Illusionists

       Parallel Worlds

       Other Works

       About the Publisher

       CHAPTER ONE

      Cat Chant admired his elder sister Gwendolen. She was a witch. He admired her and he clung to her. Great changes came about in their lives and left him no one else to cling to.

      The first great change came about when their parents took them out for a day trip down the river in a paddle steamer. They set out in great style, Gwendolen and her mother in white dresses with ribbons, Cat and his father in prickly blue serge Sunday suits. It was a hot day. The steamer was crammed with