Franklin - Warmth, light and magic reigned inside the Senator Robert E. Littell Community Center last Saturday night, while outside stars glittered and the temperature plummeted to a glacial 12 degrees. In a large room painted in sunny colors, Madeleine the Magician held the evening in her hands. The audience of some 130 children and their parents watched with rapt attention as balls and scarves, doves and coins unexpectedly appeared and disappeared, and a boy hung suspended in the air between two chairs. The strains of rhythmic tunes such “New York, New York” added to the captivating atmosphere. The adults appeared to be just as fascinated by the performance as the children were. Who is this woman who creates such magic, and where does the magic come from, the audience wondered. The petite magician, who goes only by the name Madeleine, has answers that seem as mysterious as her magic spells do. “I’m the pied piper of magic,” said Madeleine, who claimed she had been making magic for 1,000 years, and expects to continue for at least another 1,000. “I am totally self taught. The first time I picked up magic I did it as if I had done it all my life. It’s because my gift comes from the cosmos,” she explained. Madeleine said she adores what she does, and cannot imagine doing anything else. “I love to share, and my pleasure is making people happy,” she declared. Part of what makes Madeleine happy is to allow the children to pet the pink-footed white doves that are members of her “peaceable kingdom,” and appear magically in several of her more spectacular tricks. “At home, the doves land on the heads and backs of the cats, and the cats play with the fish without harming them,” Madeleine said. “My friends call me Dr Doolittle.” The doves are so gentle, the magician explained, because the first thing she does every morning is to hold and kiss each of the them. Madeleine said she has performed at all the local Border’s Books Harry Potter Events and Shows. What’s more, when the events of Sept. 11, 2001 shook the world, Madeleine gave magic shows for the New York Fire Department, the New York Police Department and the families of the 9/11 survivors. In addition, she has performed for Sarah Ferguson (The Duchess of York), Ivana Trump, The Dream Wish Team at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital, The Coalition for the Homeless and many others. “Giving back to those who are less fortunate and in need of a smile is something I hold dear,” Madeleine said. “I walk away form every show as high as the roof, and I want my audience to take away magic and a smile.”