THE PUFFING WITCH

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 26, 30 July 1938, Page 20

THE PUFFING WITCH

(A believe-it-or-not story for little people.)

.«\ ■ ■, AN old witch, who had a wooden leg, lived on the shore of a I^ab, a great big lake, that ships could sail on. One day a sailor came akrttg, ."Sailor, sailor!" cried the" witch, as she inet;liim pxv the lakerside, "come home with me. Sailors are useful people, and 1 want somebody to work * for me." . . ■

"I can't do that, Ma'am," answered the sailor politely. "I am going to live with my old mother across the lake, who,, beside me, has neither chick nor child, but she has forty-two lily-white ducks, and fifty-six geese_with brown tails; and I am going to look.after them all for her." .' \ "Oh! are you?" said the witch, " bt^t I don't choose that you shall. I want you to-work in my house." , . .„_"_

"That I'll;neyer do!" replied the sailor. "Leave my.poor old mother to serve a witch? Get out of my way!" * "- ■ But the witch didn't move, and just then the sailor saw, a b'oat ; which was coining to take him adross to the other side of the lake. "Here,lsp," said he. "Oh, do you?" cried the witch. So, before the boat could, come Tip to the shore she ran into her house and brought out her puff-bellows, an^t'she blew artd blew so hard with them that the boat could not get near:-——

The sailor did not like to do any harm to the witch, because she was an old woman, and sailors know that they must be kind to women, but he went about till he found an. old fishing-net - that nobody wanted, because it we* torn; so he mended the holes nicely and hung it up bejkween two trees, as a hammock to sleep in, for he knew that no other boat would- come iiil morning and it was getting dark. ' " '

Next morning, when the witch saw what a clever thing the sailor .had don« she was madder than ever. -*"' "If you do not make me a. hut on'the shore where I can si*- and '.watch th* water," she said to hi*, "I will put my magic on you, and tun** you into a rat or a toad, and then your mother will never see you, aiid-wouldn't knovf * you if she did." -

So the poor sailor built her. a hut of branches and she gat .there all day with her bellows, while the sailor 'did her work, and' every tfmfr she saw a boat coming she puffed and blew ; it away, till the poor'man began to think he should never get home; and if he had not been a sailor He would have been starved, too, but sailors and soldiers never starve. So. he-.waited and waited, and kept up his courage as best he could. ' \r:i: "I will soon turn you into a toad," threatened the witch, "as soon as eve* you are tired of trying to get away." •:''"' But the sailor just kept on waiting. " ' "-"'- *" • , At last a rather large ship came sailing along the lake and the old witch found that with all her puffing and blowing it came'nearer and nearer; so she puffed and blew so hard that she burst her puff-bellows. Then she grew angry, and afraid the ship would come and take the sailor away before she could turn him into a toad. So she puffed with her mouth, in > such a hurry that her breath stopped, and she fell down dead, but she fhad T»lown tha ship away from the land.

When the sailor found that the witch was dead, he bipke up her hut and built a boat for himself out of the pieces. He set off across the lake to his mother's house and got there quite safely. There they live-together to this day, and the sailor looks after the forty-two lily-white ducks and the fifty-six geese with brown tails, and is very useful. , - .;

OUR OWN 1 CLOCKS. (Original.) 'My watch—it's the daintiest One you know, . But sometimes it happens That it won't go. Clocks are of silver, Of brass and tin, . And if "they are dropped ' There's a "terrible din. The. old , grandfather clock. It goes tick-a-tock; ■ . ■ The clock in the hall You can't hear it at all. Now you may wonder . '. ~ How that can be, - But it's an electric One, you see. "JOYCIKIKS" (11). Miramar. < WHICH WAY DOES THE WIND BLOW? (Original.) -. Which way does the wind blow? And where does he go? He rides o'er the waters, - He rides o'er the snow. He blows and he tosses \ - ' - • The leaves from each tree, Ab you look upwards You plainly can see From which place he comes. To which place h« goes, There's no one can tell you, There's no one who knows.' y • "TINBIBS" (11). Levin. SEASONS. (Original.) Winter is a cold and rainy season, Summer is hot, but I like it for a reason; Autumn Is coloured .and gay, Spring I like, 'cause I can play. . ."FAIRY GODMOTHER" (10). Karorl. . ■ '

THE GRANDFATHER CLOOK. , (Orl|lial.) V,' Tick-todc/tick-'tockt'sings!the bid grandfather clock, - > .- . • • -',• ■ ,'.v He lives-downstairs, in tiie-h^U, . With his bafek. up aSajnst tbc- wall. • , He's very old'and h<J's going 'to be soM To Mr. • Brown who Hvet - down town. I don't' think we should sell,him though It'll be such -% shame to Me'hbn go. He hasn't, been moved for ninety years, / And I'm going- -to sh«d. o,>o many tears, But nothing worries the grandfather cloclfc He Just keeps- singing ,tlck-tock, tlck-tocfc "MdON MIST" (10). city." • . •■/„■! ■: v '. i -_^ ; 1 the- f"»t Violet, ". , ', (Ofiila'ai.) v • You. are',■very; jvery. Welcome, Little herald of the Spring, I For you help us to remember, | All- the joys that sh« will bring. With your petal* all of blue. And • leaves of silky green. Welcome, swefet * newcomer, - You're,,tha first this year I've seen. "SILTJB: BNAWXSS" (ll|Masterton. THE FRIGHTENED FAIRY. (Orl B ln«l.) I saw a frightened fairy Upon ray mother's bed. And when I went to. get .her,. . . She flew above my head. ■' *•'. ■■' Her dress was,-made .of petals, , V Ahd her shoes' "were made, of pearly Her wand;'Was^ira#-;and. silver, ' And she h«td> long /golden .curts^ "--^'winter.s^bw" an.

Kelbum.