The Witch Who Was Frightened of Halloween

http://storynory.com/2007/10/14/the-witch-who-was-frightened-of-halloween/

As every kid knows, Halloween is both spooky andsweet. It’s spooky because there are witches andwizards about, and it’s sweet because children goin search of treats.

This story is about a little girl who is a witch, andit’s fair to say that it’s more sweet than spooky.Her name is Katie, and her school mates think sheis rather odd, and don’t really believe that she cando magic. She’s afraid of Halloween, because shethinks they will tease her more than usual, but infact she has quite a few useful tricks and treats upher sleeve.

C.A.: 1x (part 1! 53’’ 6’03’’)

C.A. & C.L. (53’)

Once upon a time, there was a girl called Katie.Katie was seven. And she lived in a nice house withher mum and dad, and her little brother Joey, and adog called Muffin. And it was all quite normal really.Except for one thing. They were witches. Well,except for her Dad, who was a wizard. And thedog, Muffin, who was a D-witch, which is a dog whocasts spells. Anyway being a witch wasn’t so bad.Mum would just twitch her nose and all the cleaningwould get done. Dad would wave his stick, and thelawn would cut itself. Muffin would click his paws,and a few dog treats would tumble out of the sky.They’d even taught Katie some magic.

She knew how to make her homework do itself. Andher room got tidied just by twitching her ear. Butthere was just one thing Katie really didn’t like.Halloween. Once a year, when the leaves werefalling off the trees, and the nights were gettinglonger, all the children in her school and along herstreet would get terribly excited about Halloween.They made costumes of horrible looking witches.With long pointy noses, and spots, and nasty blackhats, and broomsticks. And Katie said in school:“Witches aren’t like that, really. My mum looks quitenice.” And all the other girls fell about laughing.“Katie thinks she’s a witch,” they laughed. “She’sugly and horrible, just like a witch.”

And when Katie went home that day, she was reallyupset. She cried and cried and cried. And when hermum asked her what the matter was, she said:“Everyone hates witches. And they especially hatethem at Halloween.” And her mum tried to explainthat although some people didn’t like witches, it wasalso quite useful sometimes, like when the washingup got done all by itself. “I don’t ever want to haveanything to do with witchcraft again,” said Katieangrily. But on Halloween night, all the girls fromher school were organising a trick or treat tour of thestreet. And Katie didn’t want to go, because she’ddecided she didn’t want to have anything to dowith witchcraft. Never, never, never…. But her mumsaid she had to. Because a witch can hardly stay inon Halloween.

And she whispered something in Katie’s ear.Do you know what it was? Well, I’ll tell you ina minute. Anyway, Katie went to join theother girls. And some of them startedlaughing at her. “Katie doesn’t have to dressup, because she’s already a witch,” theylaughed. And Katie felt cross. Andembarrassed. And she decided to saynothing. At the first house, they got loads ofsherbet lemons. At the second, a jumbo packof sweeties. At the third, loads and loads ofcrisps. And at the fourth, a giant packet ofchocolate biscuits.

But at the fifth house, there lived a man called MrBones. And Mr Bones didn’t like children. Hecertainly didn’t see why he should give them anytreats. “Buzz off, you stupid kids,” he said whenthey knocked on the door. “Trick or treat, trick, ortreat…” cried the girls. “Yes, well, I think I’ll takethe trick, if it’s all the same to you,” said Mr Bones.And a horrible smile creased up his face. “Becauseyou’re just a bunch of stupid little girls, and youdon’t scare me.” “But one of us is a real witch,”said Amelia, the biggest of the girls. “Yes, yes,Katie’s a real witch,” they all cried. But Mr Bonesjust laughed and laughed. “That’s the stupidestthing I’ve ever heard,” he said. “Go on, Katie,” saidAmelia. “Let’s see if you really are a witch.”….

Writing exercise

Try to imagine what’s going to happen next…

You can work in pairs

And so Katie stepped forwards. “You don’tlook scary to me,” said Mr Bones. “You’re justa stupid little girl.” But Katie rememberedwhat her mum had whispered in her ear. Doyou know what it was? A special spell. Soright then, Katie recited the magic words. Andshe wriggled her ear. And all the girls gaspedin amazement. Because suddenly Mr Boneswasn’t Mr Bones anymore. He was a littlebrown, fluffy hamster. Inside a cage. Runningaround and around on a wheel. All the girlslaughed and laughed.

Katie leaned into the cage. “Is it fun being ahamster?” The little creature squeaked and shook itshead. And Katie spun the wheel, so that he had torun faster and faster. And then she recited the magicwords and Mr Bones was turned back into a managain. “I’ll get you some treats, girls,” he said veryquickly and nervously. And he came back with tonsof chocolate bars, fizzy drinks, biscuits, and even anew Barbie DVD for each girl. “Please come backagain next year girls,” he said. “I’ll have even betterstuff for you.” And he went back inside, looking verynervous. And as they went down the rest of thestreet, everyone had heard that there was a real witchout trick and treating that night, so they all gave thegirls even more sweets and biscuits than usual, andeven some toys. And Katie was the most popular girlin her class.“You know, maybe it’s not so bad being awitch after all,” she said when she got home. “And Ithink I’m going to enjoy Halloween from now on.”