The Crow preened hastily. Then it hopped a little closer on its bent-wire talons.

Seren pulled her knees up and hugged them. Tomos sat cross-legged on a cushion.

They waited.

‘Right,’ the Crow said. ‘So. Yes. I’d better start, then.’

It hopped a few times, restlessly. Then it took a breath, and cocked its head on one side. ‘Just remind me. Have I ever actually told you the unfortunate story of how I came to be trapped in this horrible body of a Crow…?’

‘Several times,’ Seren said sternly. ‘And every time it was different.’

‘Ah…’

‘First you told us you were a prince and that a witch magicked you into it because you wouldn’t give her your jewels and your horse and your crown…’

‘Hmmm. That’s not a bad story…’

‘And unless you gave up the one thing that meant most to you, you would never get back to human shape.’

The Crow sighed. ‘It’s not exactly true.’

‘No.’ Seren settled herself more comfortably. ‘We know that. The second time you said you were a professor who wanted to learn to fly so you read out a spell from an old book, and it went horribly wrong.’

The Crow squirmed. ‘Did I? I don’t remember that one…’

Seren waved a bee away from her nose. ‘I’m not surprised. So maybe it would be best if you just told us the truth.’

‘The truth?’

‘What really happened.’

The Crow looked nervous. It hopped from foot to foot. Then it scratched itself so hard dust flew out. ‘Goodness. I … er … well!’

‘You see,’ Tomos said, balancing a croquet mallet between his fingers, ‘we think you did something bad and you’re ashamed and you don’t want to tell us about it. But we won’t laugh or anything, honestly.’

The Crow stared at him with its jewel-bright eyes. ‘What a relief!’ it said acidly. ‘Two foolish children who know absolutely nothing about anything won’t laugh at me! I’m so happy! I’m so DELIGHTED! I could…’

‘Stop wasting time,’ Seren said kindly. ‘You’ll feel much better when you’ve owned up, you know. That’s what people always tell me, and it’s true. Well, a bit.’

The Crow was still for so long she wondered if its clockwork had run down.

‘Do you need winding up…?’

‘No.’ The Crow lifted its head. Suddenly it began to speak quickly, as if to get it over with.

‘I wasn’t a prince or a professor. I was a schoolteacher. I lived in a small village in a valley not far from here. It was about … two hundred years ago.’

‘TWO HUNDRED!’ Tomos stared.

‘About. And that’s one of the problems about the unspelling … I have to be careful I don’t just turn into a pile of dust … anyway, stop interrupting. Let me get on.’

‘I didn’t…’

The Crow silenced him with a glare. ‘So, I admit I was not the most handsome of men. A little lean, a little hook-nosed. But I had a sort of … dark dignity. I was respected. People looked up to me.’ It preened a feather, smoothing the barbs very carefully.