41
Measuring up
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"Toast will burn and porridge bubble, measure this kid and save me the trouble!" shrieked witch number 2.

The incantation complete, the magic tape measure zooms around your body like a whirlwind, measuring everything from your inside leg measurement, to the distance between your nostrils, to the length of your ear lobes.

At the same time a magic biro is writing down all these measurements on a notepad.

After a few minutes, in which you are frightened to move in case the tape measure accidentally shoots up your nose, the tape neatly rolls itself up and lands on a table.

Witch number 2 looks carefully at the scribbled numbers in the notepad and counts on her fingers.

She looks up at her sister and yells: "Small!"

As witch number 1 scuttles off to get a small robe for you, your Mum, who has been standing quietly to one side clears her throat.

"Is there any chance we could do some sort of challenge or test?" your mum asks. "And get a discount of say, 100%? I'm afraid we didn't bring any wizard money..."

Snako Malboy snorts and rolls his eyes.

"A test? A challenge? No deary. What we like are wagers"

"Ok whatever. Can we do a wager and not pay anything?" your mum says.

"I wager you can't guess my age. If you can, you can keep the robe and get a free hat. If you fail you will stay in this shop for ever!"

"I'll do it" you say bravely, "but I will need a clue."

"How old are you boy?" asks the witch.

"I'm ten years old."

"Here's your clue. If you multiply your age by ten, then add nine... That's the age I will be in ten year's time. How old am I, right now?"