Joe and his dog foil Yono the witch

Press, 11 April 1978, Page 18

Joe and his dog foil Yono the witch

Once there was a very windy day. The wind raced through the town where Joe and his mother and father lived and shook their house and flung the apples off their tree. Joe called his big dog Fergus inside and Mother shut the windows tight. “I shall take some soup and gingerbread to Granddad,” she said. “He won’t be able to go outside in this wild wind. You stay here with Fergus, Joe, and look after the house. And remember,” she added, “to watch out for the Yono. On no account must you let her inside.” The Yono was a young witch who lived in the

oak tree at the end of the street. She was full of mischief and sailed through the sky in an old pumpkin shell playing tricks on everybody. Then Mother packed a nice brown slab of gingerbread and a thermos full of hot potato soup into her basket and put on her thick coat and woolly scarf. When she had gone, Joe locked the door and sat on the window-seat with Fergus. The house was very dark and lonely and the wind whistled through the rooms. Suddenly, Fergus’s hair stood up on end and he pressed his long nose against the window. Joe

looked out too and saw something round and golden spinning above the trees. It was the Yono, sailing in her pumpkin shell boat. She steered it towards the house and grinned wickedly at him. “Let me in,” she called out. “I’m hungry and need a bite to eat.” Joe shook his head and Fergus growled. But the Yono didn’t care. She stroked the sides at her mast and chanted: “Flv high on winds, Be brave, be bold, O magic boat Of pumpkin gold.” And the boat rose up higher and higher and disappeared.

"She’s gone,” Joe sighed, thankfully. But Fergus bounded over to the chimney. There was a shuffling noise inside it, then a terrible clatter-clatter. A stream of soot flew down and the Yono rolled out with her pumpkin boat behind her. “I smell soup,” she scowled. “Gingerbread, too. Fetch me some, boy.” And she shook herself hard and scattered soot all over the room. “I’ll fix her,” Joe thought, coughing and spluttering. “Don’t stand there staring” said the Yono sharply. “Hurry, boy!” She stamped her foot angrily

and a great thistle shot through the floor boards. Joe ran into the kitchen and set a tray, but all the time he was wondering how to get rid of the Yono before his mother came home. The Yono ate greedily, and mumbled: “Good, good. This is better than living in my old tree. You shall come back with me, boy, and be my slave.” But Joe had a plan and he replied: “I must say goodbye to my dog first.” Before she could answer, he bent over to Fergus and whispered something in his ear. At once the big white dog leapt on to the pump-

kin shell boat and gripped the sail with his sharp teeth. "Return to your tree, Yono,” Joe cried. “I shall order my dog to snap this mast in two if you play tricks on me.” And he opened the window and the wild wind swept up the Yono and tossed her far away. Then Fergus let go of the sail and Joe shouted out: “Fly high on winds, Be brave, be bold, O magic boat Of pumpkin gold.” And it sailed swiftly through the window after her. But what a mess there was in the house. Joe cleaned up the soot, brushed and dusted, and Fergus dug up the great thistle and buried it in the garden. And that was the last they saw of the Yono — for three or four weeks anyway.