The Conceited Witch.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 165, 15 July 1939, Page 3 (Supplement)

The Conceited Witch.

(By Mary Gralnser. 2, Finch Street, Atorningslde.) "Itehi witchi titchi, oh chant against the wicked wizard, and turn him into n blazing lizard." The Uitii lips of the witch"* hideous face twisted sneeringly as she watched the bubbling cauldron, which seemed to chant the very. word-* through hearing them eo often. She mused over the brew and suddenly let out a long cackling laugh. "This." she said aloud, "will turn my enemy the wizard into a blizzard, for [ am by far possessed of more powerful magic than he." Over the hill, the kind and gentle wizard sat happily in his little cave. The fairies and gnomes had just returned home from their customary visit. They all came to him with their troubles and he always had some way in whivih to help them. He never tried in any way to beat the witch's powers, but was quite content to live in his cave and help his little friends as much as he could. The wizard stood up and walked to the entrance of the cave. He looked down the rugged path to see a little fairy hastily coining toward? him. "The witch is going to turn you into a blizzard," panted the fairy. "Thank you, little friend," replied the wizard, and he hurriedly re-entered the cave. He opened a. trap-door and descended a flight of steps, his starred and moon cloak flowing silently behind him. He crossed over to.hie rock table and picked up a bottle which contained some white sparkling powder. He tipped some of it into a fhtsk and put it over the fire on a wire rack. Then he opened his cupboard door and carefully took from it a jar labelled "Faith." Tlie wizard considered this his most precious possession, and each time his little friends the fairies and gnomes came to visit him he gave them each a particle of the magic power, and they distributed it amongst the worried mortals on the earth.

He poured a few drops of it into the powder over the fire, and a bright light came from it and lit up the cave. He left the solution over the fire, went up the stairs, closed the trap-door tightly and went to bed.

The witch felt triumphant as she sailed lightly above the etars on the way to. carry out some more of her wicked spells. "Ha, ha," ehe laughed to a group of stars as thev all crowded together when they saw her approach. "Everybody is afraid of me. and they are light, because I have great powers." While she was saying this, she was circling round and round the stare. Suddenly, she felt cold, and she thought she would return home. The next day she became colder and colder, and by nightfall she thought a ride on her broom would make her feel better. Within a short time it began to snow lightly, and the witch felt colder than ever. Suddenly she changed into a anowflake, and tumbled lightly to the ground. The fairies danced happily round the good wizard as he sat outside his cave. They were rejoicing about the witch having vanished, so they would have no more spelle cast on them. None of them noticed the wizard smiling, and he thought to himself he had never been (so hippy with his little ones before.