BY SHAIRYL SRIVASTAVA
In a high mountain where no one dared to climb, there stood an old castle. Many people believed that there was a hideous, mean witch in the castle. The witch was terrifying and horrible. Occasionally in the old castle, a voice smeared by the cracked windows- “I am a joker,” said the witch. (Maybe not quiet terrifying).
One day, the guards of the king’s accessories were chasing a thief. The thief was well known amongst people for crimes. The thief hid behind a bush and driven the guards away. Suddenly, the thief started hearing some buzzing noises under the bush. He found himself in a bee’s nest. He struggled out of the bush and ran. He climbed the bushiest tree but the bees found him. He hid under water while breathing with a bamboo stick that popped out of the surface of the clean water. The bees were really smart for that thief. The bees formed an arrow shape and zoomed into the bamboo stick. The thief boomed out of the water while opening his mouth.
The thief climbed up the mountain to the castle for protection from the bees. (Obviously, he did not hear the rumor about the creepy witch). The thief went to the castle door while huffing and puffing. He knocked on the door but there was no answer. Then the door creaked open. The thief entered the castle. The furniture was ancient history and the place was misty, dusty and dark. Suddenly, the lamps started to lit magically. The thief got scared and tried to turn around then the door slammed shut. The thief dropped the king’s accessories and ran to open the door but no use. Abruptly, the castle started to shake and the thief started shaking in his boots. All of a sudden, a witch appeared. She came closer to the thief and said, “Scratch my back, please.” Terrified thief scratched the witch while making faces.
“Okay, that’s good,” said the witch.
The witch turned around to the thief and said,
“What are you doing here? Never mind that, where are you from?”
The thief did not say a single word. The witch stared in his eyes and said, “If you take me to the city as a friend of yours, then I will let you go,” said the witch.
“No I can’t take you to the city because the people of this city are not happy with me,” said the thief.
“Then you will be trapped in my castle as a servant” announced the witch.
The thief agreed and thought living here would be better rather than to live in a jail. The witch told the thief that chores would occur tomorrow.
The witch gave the thief a lamp and said, “Your room is in the basement”
Therefore, the thief started looking for the stairs that lead to the basement while holding the lamp in his hand. While he was going, he stumbled about on some slippery stairs consequently, he tumbled down the stairs and the lamp followed him and banged over his head.
“Owwwwwwwwww! What a day?”, cried the thief.
He did not find any bed so he had to sleep on the table. Suddenly a ferocious storm took over and a loud thunder cracked out of the sky so the thief tumbled down the table with shock.
Next morning the thief climbed up the stairs and in front of him, there stood the hideous witch.
She asked, “How was the night?”
“Tumbling,” answered the thief while rubbing his painful head.
“Just scratch my back again, pleases, oh, ooo, ooo” said the witch with pain.
The thief scratched the witch one more time. The witch came closer to the thief and opened her (hold your noses boys and girls) stinky old mouth. The thief was nearly unconscious. The witch told the thief that it was time for breakfast. The thief sat down on the ancient chair and a plate slid to him. The thief was astounded about what he saw for breakfast, it was a loaf of grass.
The witch said, “Finish this and I will whip something else”
The thief made faces about eating the food and unexpectedly, a big, hairy spider swung in front of him. The thief was frightened as a result; he tossed the table over himself so the food hopped down to the basement. Thief arranged the table and waited for the witch. Thief was happy because he did not have to eat that grass.
“Finished already! You must really like my food, I will give you something else” said the witch while holding plate on a hand.
“That won’t be necessary,” argued the thief.
“Oh well, let us move on to the chores,” said the witch while scratching her arm.
The witch rolled out an 3 meter paper and said,
“Here are the chores, deal it.”
“What is first?” said the thief.
“It is somewhere in the middle” said the witch.
He found the first job - BROOOM D FLOOOR IN D ATTIK. Therefore, he went to the attic and started looking for a broom. He found a hanger in the corner. He went closer to the hanger and picked up a broom. Suddenly, the thief remembered stories about witches that could fly on a broom. Therefore, he placed the broom between his leg and in a flash he started flying while the tail of the broom swung on the floor, he went left to right again and again, as soon as the witch
heard the racket she went up to the attic and found the thief smashed and stuck in the wall. The witch turned left and saw that the attic floor looked like a shiny penny. “Good job boy, I could not shine the floor such clean and so fast.” Said the witch while scratching her leg. The thief realized that he could not survive here due to bad food and lot of work. He had an idea to take the witch to the city and run away from her.
The thief straightens himself and said, “Okay, I will take you to the city.”
“Really, then let us go” said the elated witch.
The thief went out of the castle, climbed down the mountain with the witch. As they came down, the thief and witch headed towards the city and obviously, the witch was scratching.
When they reached the city, she rushed into the crowded road while pushing everyone. As usual, the witch started to itch and asked the thief to scratch but this time he had not spotted the right place to scratch,
“A little bit left, no! no! no! a little bit right ah! ooo! ooo!” said the witch with relief.
It was a bad day for this thief because guards saw him. They arrested and took him to the prison . The witch had been left alone therefore, she ran back to her old castle in fear.
The thief implored the guards that he wanted to see the king. After several requests, they brought him to the king and stood by.
“Where are the stolen goods, citizen or shall I say thief?” asked the king
“I will give you the loot, if you promise me to help me out,” said the thief.
“You are brave but you must assure that you won’t steel ever again,” said the king.
“I promise,” agreed the thief.
“What is your request thief?” asked the king.
“You should send people to the castle up in the mountain. There lives a nice witch but she is in trouble. You should help her and your stolen goods are also remaining there,” King was happy to see the thief had been changed. He sent people with him to help the witch. Some people mopped the floor and some even scratched the witch but later they found that witch was dirty. She never took bath as a result she was infected with germs carried by fleas. The people insisted the witch to take bath. She agreed and went to the shower. As she entered the bathtub miraculously, water changed her into a beautiful woman. Thief was amazed to see this wonder. Later, he married her and lived happily thereafter.
