Which Witch?
A Blending of Beloved Children’s Tales
Hansel and Gretel stood there listening to the shrieks of the witch that moments before had tried to eat them. They heard the popping sounds of the flesh of the witch getting cooked. She shrieked again several times. Hansel and Gretel were fixated on the oven.
Inside, the witch realized that these kids were no fools. She must put up a good act, yes sir. She started to dampen down her shrieks as if losing her energy and will to live, which was actually true if this continued. She ended it with a weak final gasp followed by silence.
The kids looked at each other. They waited another moment or two listening for any sign of life — nothing but stillness. Satisfied, the kids left the witch’s candy abode thankful to be alive.
The witch was aware the kids had left. She summoned what little power she had to telepathically unlock the oven. The oven door creaked open, and Rosina Lechmaul, the once fearsome witch, singed and aching, crawled out. Smoke stung her eyes, and her flesh throbbed with agonizing burns. With a trembling hand, she summoned her wand. Waves of soothing magic flowed over her, knitting skin and easing the fiery pain. “Never again,” she rasped, vowing to forsake her child-eating ways.
