title: The Staff of the Winds (The Wizard of South Corner) (Volume 1)
author: William Meighan
description: William Meighan was born and raised in Spokane, Washington. Educated by the Jesuits, he earned degrees in Physics and Applied Statistics. He served as an officer in the US Air Force during the early development days of drones and stealth, then later worked as a Program and Quality Systems Manager and Consultant with advanced electronics firms in the US, Europe, South America and Asia. He is now retired on a small ranch in the Mountain West of the US with his wife, two dogs (his), three horses, a pounce of barn and house cats, and a goat (all hers), where she keeps him busy hauling hay, and building and maintaining barns and fences. At every opportunity, he disappears into their library for hours at a time to write.
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  ##### www.blackmask.com
  
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  A Village Stradivarius
  
  
    
    
  Chapter I  
    
  Chapter II  
    
  Chapter III  
    
  Chapter IV  
    
  Chapter V  
    
  Chapter VI
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This page copyright © 2001 Blackmask Online.
  
  
  
  
  
  http://www.blackmask.com
  
  
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  # A Village Stradivarius
  
  
  ### Kate Douglas Wiggin
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### CHAPTER I
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "Goodfellow, Puck and goblins,
  
  
  Know more than any book.
  
  
  Down with your doleful problems,
  
  
  And court the sunny brook.
  
  
  The south-winds are quick-witted,
  
  
  The schools are sad and slow,
  
  
  The masters quite omitted
  
  
  The lore we care to know."
  
  
  EMERSON'S April.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "Find the three hundred and seventeenth page, Davy, and begin at the
  
  
  top of the right-hand column."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The boy turned the leaves of the old instruction book obediently, and
  
  
  then began to read in a sing-song, monotonous tone:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "'One of Pag-pag'" -
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "Pag-a-ni-ni's"
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "'One of Paggernyner's' (I wish all the fellers in yo