What's For Dinner?

Deep in the woods lived a very old witch. Her companions were a warty toad and a very skinny cat with silky black fur and green eyes. She had no friends because any time someone came to visit they were never heard from again. But one day someone did come.

A pretty little girl with red curly hair and freckles the color of cinnamon that sprinkled her face was lost in the woods. She had followed a creek looking for watercress that lead her near the witch's cottage. Once the little girl spotted the cottage with smoke coming from the chimney, she ran to the front door to knock and ask if someone could help her find the way back home.

Just as she was about to knock, the smell of roast potatoes filled the air and made her hungry. She put down the basket in her hand that held the watercress she collected. She then straightened her dress and buffed her shoes to wipe off any smudge before she knocked at the door.

There was no answer and she thought that she might knock harder when she noticed the door had an iron knocker in the shape of a pig's snout. So the little girl raised the knocker and let it go to announce that someone was there. Soon the witch came to the door and opened it.

The old witch looked down at the girl and then to the right and left to see if anyone was with her. "Dear, dear," said the old witch, "Have you lost your way?"

"Yes," said the little girl. "I was picking watercress for my mother, but now I can't find my way back home."

The witch chuckled with a crackly voice and said, "Oh my. How terrible!"and rubbed her twisted hands together. "Won't you come in dearie, I have some potatoes in the oven and they're just about done."

The little girl smelled a whiff of the potatoes and her stomach growled with hunger. "All right, I'm so hungry."

"Why don't you have something to eat then before I show you the way back?" Asked the witch.

"All right," and then she stepped over the threshold into the witches cottage.

The little girl looked at the simple cottage with a table and chairs near the stove where the smell of potatoes came from. On the floor, near one of the chairs at the table sat a cat and next to the cat was a toad.

"Oh," said the girl, "Are they your pets?"

"Pets? Oh, no they are more than that. They are my friends for I'm all alone here in the woods."

The witch walked over to the two and pointed at the cat. "This is Matelda." She then pointed to the toad, "And this is Quirk. He's a toad you know."

"Yes said the girl, he looks very much like a toad." She then walked over to them both and extended her hand. "How do you do? My name is Thimble."

Matelda placed her paw in Thimble's hand and meowed. Then Quirk hopped next to her and put his tiny webbed hand in hers and croaked.

"Oh, they are delightful! Are they having potatoes too?"

"Yes dear they are. But you know Quirk has been eying that delicious watercress in your basket, do you think he could have some?"

The little girl giggled before she took from the basket a handful of watercress and placed it in the hand of the toad.

"Oh no," said the witch, "We have to sit down first."

So the witch arranged the chairs around the table while the cat and toad retrieved platters, forks and knives and put them by the plates. Then the witch went to the oven and pulled out a pan of potatoes. She placed the hot spuds next to the watercress the girl had for the toad.

"Sit down dearie," said the witch and pointed to where Thimble was to sit. Once the little girl sat down, the cat and toad took their seats and the witch hers.

"Now lets make a wish before we eat," said the witch. "Who ever eats the potato with a worm has their wish come true."

The little girl was aghast at the thought of eating a worm even though she wanted her wish to come true, and that was to get home to her mother. She wondered if she would get a potato with a worm.

The witch passed the plate of potatoes to Thimble and said to her, "Go on, dearie you pick first."

Thimble looked carefully at the potatoes and saw one that was absolutely perfect with no worm holes at all and took that. Then the witch handed her a plate of watercress to go with the potato and Thimble took some watercress too. After Thimble was served the plates were passed around and each took a potato with some watercress.

When everyone had eaten, Thimble wondered who would have their wish granted because she knew that she didn't eat a worm and waited to see what would happen.

When the last potato and piece of watercress was eaten, the witch reached in a pocket of her dress, took out a wand and waved it in the air.

Thimble felt a tingling feeling all through her body as she transformed into a bird with bright red feathers. She looked at her hands that were now wings and her feet that were now bird legs and chirped.

"I know dear, but now you'll eat worms when they are offered to you next time." The witch then placed Thimble in a bird cage for her to sing for the toad and cat.