FOR YOUNG FOLKS.

Waipa Post, Volume VII, Issue 327, 30 June 1914, Page 6

FOR YOUNG FOLKS.

THE WITCH'S SPELL

Once upon a time there livsd an old woman who v. as so cross and disagreeable that people called her Grandmother CroJSpatc'n, and declared she was a iviicli. She lived alone in a cottage, and her only companion was a black cat. The country people all around v. ere noted for their butter and cream and' milk and eggs, and they used to take thcin regularly into the market town to sell. There were two different ways of getting into the town, and the shortest and best way lay past the old woman's garden, but the people were very afraid of taking this road, as if anyone walked past her garden old Mother Crosspatch came out and frightened them, and the farmers declared she cast spells on them, and turned their milk and cream sour, so that they were unable to sell it when they reached the market-place. On market days the black cat sat on the garden wall, and if anyone came in sight it would "meeow" very loudly three times; then old Mother Crosspatch came out with her birch broom and beat the people back .again down the hill. The consequence was the farmers and their wives and daughters had to get up much earlier in the morning on market days, and take the longest road to market, which was quite seven miles further, to avoid Mother Crosspatch and her cat.

But one day a farmer's wife overslept herself on a market morning, and she knew, if she wanted to get to town in time to sell her goods, she would have to take the road past the witch's house. People warned her that the witch and her cat would turn her milk and cream sour, but she decided to chance it.

"I know what I will do," she said to herself. "I will take a little saucer with me, and offer that cat a saucerful of my best cream, and perhaps it will let me pass. It will be so busydrinking the cream that I shall be able to get by before it cries out."

So the farmer's wife started off up the hill, and when she came within sight of the cottage she filled the saucer with cream and held it out in front of her. As soon as the cat saw her it hunched up its back and puffed out its tail and was just opening its mouth to call out to its mistress when it sniffed the air and the nice, fresh cream. It started to purr and lick its lips, so the farmer's wife placed the saucer of cream on the garden wall and hurried off as quickly as she could. The cat lapped up the cream and did not give one "meeow," so the farmer's wife saved enough cream to fill the saucer on her return, and returned the same way quite successfully. The people were delighted when they heard of her success, and they all followed her plan, and so were able to take the shortest road to town, and the black cat, instead of "mecowing" when it saw people coming up the hill, began to smile at the sight of the saucers held out towards it. And foi quite a long time the farmers and their wives and daughters were able to pass the witch's house in peace, and pet to market and back again before sundown. And the more cream the cat drank the broader grew the smile on its face, and people declared it was a pity that they could not make the witch smile as well. For a long time Mother Crosspatch could not understand why her cat smiled so amicably, but at last she happened to be in one of her upstairs rooms one day sorting out her money and her treasures, when she happened to look out of the window and see all the market people filling up the saucers with cream. "What is this?" she screamed at the cat. "You traitor!' and she hurried downstairs into the garden. When the people saw her they ran off as quickly as they could, and left the saucers behind them. Mother Crosspatch was so angry with the cat when she discovered how it had been allowing the people to pass up the hill, that she went back to the house to consult her spell-book, for she declared no ordinary spell would be sufficient punishment for the disobedient cat. After a time she reappeared with her birch broom, and in the special voice she used for casting spells, Old Mother Crosspatch cried:

"One, two three, if you please, Now and for ever shall turn into cheese."

And with her broom she swept saucers of cream, cat and all, clown the hill to the village. The people were very alarmed when they saw the saucers of cream turned into curious round yellow' things; but the cat soon showed them that cheese was just as good to eat as cream. The cat lived happy ever after with the farmer's wife, and soon after ;i law was passed to do away with all witches. But. ever since farmers' wives have made cheese from sour milk and cream. Mother Crosspatch little finessed her spell would invent such a nice food, and that people would find'cheese so good to eat.