Week 5 storytelling The Woman and the Witch

The Woman and the Witch

In a small village lived a sweet, loving mother and her four children. They lived in a cottage on the outskirts of town, just over the bridge. The mother prepared to go to the market, and before she left she asked her children if they would like anything.
"I'll take some bread," one child said.
"Me as well," spoke another.
"We'll take some flowers," chimed her two daughters.
With her list in hand, she headed out for her goods.
"Before I forget," she said, "Lock the door, and only open when you hear my special knock."
"Yes, mother," said three of the four children.
The fourth child was in the backroom playing with the dog.

After a brief time, a knock approached on the door. It was not the knock the mother had created, but the fourth child who was not aware of the special knock opened the door anyway. A witch came through and snatched all of the children. She took them away to her home, leaving nothing but the stray straws from her broom.

When the mother returned she panicked as she saw that her children were missing. She saw the straw on the ground and knew immediately that the witch has taken her children. She rushed to the witch's house and banged on the door.
"I know you have them, give me my children!" She screamed.
"You must cut off your legs if you ever want your children back," the witch said back.
"Fine," said the mother.

Quickly thinking she left the cottage where the witch lived. She went back to the market and bought a large dress, when she was close to the witch's house, she knelt down onto her knees and covered her legs with the dress.
"I have cut off my legs, not I want my children back!"
The witch, being true to her word, gave the mother back her children. She hobbled off until the witch could no longer see, and then she stood up and hugged her children. They went home and ate the bread and smelled the beautiful flowers that the mother had brought for them.

THE WITCH AND CHILDREN

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Author's Note: This story comes from the original story of the wold and the goat. The wolf steals the goat's children, and the goat must out smart the wolf to get them back. In my story, however, the characters are people, and the woman out smarts the witch in very different ways. I wanted to keep the same concept of the original story, but add my own twist.

Persian Tales, translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer and illustrated by Hilda Roberts (1919).