Norman Jepkema stood peering around the brick wall near the stairs. Living just down the road from the old mansion he'd looked thru the iron gates and remembered his father's warnings not to go inside. Yet today was very different since he had reported screaming coming from inside and the county Sheriff arrived to check out the complaint.
Much to his surprise a strange man came with another creature and entered the mansion. Feeling safe that the Sheriff was there to oversee, Norman walked in and followed them downstairs.
A screaming half old woman half donkey creature and a tall middle aged man were pushed into the blue steaming tunnel and vanashed. The Sheriff and the other man left quickly!
Norman walked close to see into the blue haze.
"Before your planet cooled and life began I have stood offering travel thru the rivers of time, ask and see what interests, boomed the words from the tunnel."
Norman was like a kid in a candy store but his studies of world history were nil. He thought as the tunnel again offered the same question. Finally the tunnel said, "May I suggest the time and place which I have offered to the two who went before, as a suggestion!"
Norman peered over the edge of the blue and into a strange and beautiful world. The sight of Gertrude becoming a full fledged jenny and put in a corral with hot blooded males was a little too much.
"What is that place, asked Norman?"
"The isle of Circe a great witch in Greek history, responded the tunnel!"
"I want to see a witch of modern days, a man witch that I could talk with and learn, asked Norman?"
The haze changed and he saw a old western time drug store on a dusty street. People strolled by and some entered, but no one ever came back out.
"I wish to go there, said Norman!"
"Step into the mist and join the time and place of your desire!"
Norman did not even look back but stepped into the river of time.
Thus went his feet on the boardwalk in front of the old drug store. Norman stepped inside and looked around at shelves filled with green glass mason jars.
"How can I help you along, said an old man with graying hair. My name is Henry J. Wifflephaffer, Apothecary in residence!"
"I was told that you were a man witch of great powers and that I could learn first hand from you, spouted Norman!"
"Well I might be able to find the right spot for a bright kid like you. Tell me what type of work you did when at home, asked Henry in a sly way?"
I'm seventeen and worked for my Dad on our farm! We grow corn for feed to the dairy farms around us, said Norman."
"Do you have any background handling animals, asked Henry?"
"We had hogs, kept some steers for slaughter, and had milking goats, replied Norman!"
"Which one of those animals did you feel closer to and possible desire to own personally, asked Henry?"
"If I had a choice of the three I'd probably have to pick the milking goats, at least they were friendly, said Norman."
"I know just the place, they have a large herd of both milking and breeder goats and they asked me for a young male to leed them about, said Henry with a grin."