The Naughty Magic Wand

Once, a crow was sent a piece of cheese by God! No, not quite… One day, a parrot grabbed a bun in its beak. Now that sounds believable. That’s where it all started. Stepanida Kozlova was eating lunch at the country house of the Montini family. Suddenly, out of nowhere, something big and colorful swooped in, grabbed the bun, and flew off. The thief turned out to be the neighbor’s parrot. Soon came the shocking news: having tasted the forbidden fruit, the parrot dropped dead— and right after it, the neighbor’s old woman Varvara also kicked the bucket. She had finished the bun that, thanks to her natural greed, had been eaten after the parrot. The worst part is that two years ago, after eating a similar bun, Nina—the young bride of the Montini family—died. In both cases, the dessert was clearly poisoned.

So wait! Who are these cursed buns that someone keeps sneaking there? Hold on to the chair! Stepa. The favorite of fortune, Stepanida Kozlova. And now she’s the main suspect…