The great wizard sat still. So very very still. Not even the tip of his long white beard moved, stillness seeped out from him into everything and everybody that were within sight. The castle was in shock, not a single candle could be found, all had been lost in a store room fire. Christ’s mass was due to start in 2 hours time and Merlin needed stillness to conjure up his magic. The Kings of all the lands were due to attend the mass and they all had families and retainers; all of these people expected a feast to follow the festival. What sort of feast would they have without light to see by? What sort of mess and chaos would result from five hundred people, at rough wooden tables, all eating with fingers and in darkness?

Merlin pondered then lifted his head and smiled, the attending courtiers allowed themselves to breath and the new ones even smiled. The older hands did not. Merlin’s solutions always seemed to involve them in lots of very hard work. This was no exception. The moon light was bright out side, reflected back by the pure snow that covered all the hills and vales around the great castle. The oiled goats skins were pulled back from the largest opening in the walls; Merlin had not got round to glass yet, that was for ages yet to come; the courtiers had to make mounds of snow that reflected the moon light in through the openings. Yet more servants toiled at a great polished metal shield, cleaning and buffing till this was a good as any mirror in the kingdoms. 

Now the problem was the probability of the ravens coming in with the reflected moon light. The queen and her ladies would probably be complaining all night if even one raven landed on the tables. How to make the opening Raven proof in less than twenty minutes.

Merlin went back to his chamber with four strong men to help and collected a very heavy dull metal oblong box; he placed this under the opening in the wall and pulled off the metal top half from the magnet. This is what the box was; a huge magnet, or more precisely two magnets. These were the most powerful magnets the world, let alone the kingdom, had ever seen.  One magnet was lashed to the top of the opening the other to the bottom, strong ropes were used. Spears clunked into place the metal points and bases fitting between the poles and held in place by Merlin’s magic. The festival was saved.