by Isabelle Nadeau
Once upon a time, there were two sisters living together in an old farmhouse. Both these sisters were vile, and the people in the nearby village called them witches. A few times a month, a child in the village disappeared. They were said to have run away because the parents of those children were abusive, but no one knew the truth. The truth, in fact, was darker and more upsetting; the witches had taken them. The sisters, Wilma and Ezmeralda, forced these children to work on their farm as slaves, and none of them were happy.
One day, Ezmeralda walked to the nearby river to catch some frogs for her potion. Behind the bulrushes, she spied a pair of eyes timidly peering at her. Quick as a flash, the witch reached into the bulrushes and pulled out a girl by her pigtails, the girl screamed.
“Ah ha!” cried the witch, “Trying to get away, are we? What’s your name?”
“Tiffanny,” said the girl, whimpering. Ezmeralda was angry, she didn’t like it when her captives tried to escape.
“Where did you think you were going? Wilma and I do not tolerate escapees!”
“Well,” said Tiffanny, “I was trying to learn.”
“Learn what?” Asked the witch. “I want to learn how to be a witch, just like you! I admire what you do.” Ezmeralda was stunned, she wasn’t used to flattery or admiration.
“Oh,” she said, “Maybe I could teach you a few things.”
“That would be fantastic!” said the girl. The witch let go of her pigtails and gestured toward the river.
“I’m just gathering the ingredients for a potion, care to help?”
“Of course!” Said Tiffanny.
The rest of the afternoon, they caught frogs in the water, and at dusk, they headed home. All night, they brewed their potion, working until Ezmeralda collapsed on the sofa in the living room.
“Ezmeralda?” Said Tiffanny.
“Yes?” The witch answered.
“What does the potion do?”
“Good question,” came a response, “It can turn people into goats. Impressive, right?”
“Oh, yes!” The girl said. “You look exhausted! How about I make some tea?”
“Good idea,” said Ezmeralda, “Make some for Wilma too. Wilma!” She shouted, “Come down and have some tea!”
“Coming!” Boomed Wilma from upstairs. The stairs shook as the witch descended.
Tiffanny reappeared with cups of tea and served the two sisters. The witches drank greedily. Suddenly, their hands and feet grew into hooves, and their noses became snouts. They had transformed into goats! The ex-witches ran around the house making angry bleating noises. Finally, they ran out the house and were never seen again. The children then took over the farm and lived happily ever after.
The End.
