Akira went over to the witch’s house and knocked on the door. Would she really meet a witch, she wondered. After a few moments, the door opened. An old woman peered down at her. She was thin, with flaming pink spectacles and white hair. She wore a tattered blue dress with many stains on it. Not a very witch-y appearance, Akira thought.
“Go away!” cried the woman hoarsely. “Is it not enough that there are rumours about me in the village?” The lady’s outburst surprised Akira. “I’m very sorry if I disturbed you,” she said politely. “I came to see if those rumours were true.”
“Well, I can assure you, they aren’t!” screeched the old woman. “Was it my fault that those annoying little children went exploring without a map?” At this piece of news, Akira realised there might more to the story. Seeing that she had an interested audience, the old lady began to narrate her story. “These kids,” began the old lady. “They were out in the woods exploring without a map. I had told them that they needed a map to find their way back and even offered to lend them one. But they said no; they said they were big kids and didn’t need help from grown ups. So, they ignored me and went on their way. The youngest boy stayed behind. The others got lost. And the little boy went and told his parents that I had cursed his friends to get lost without a map. And since then, everyone believed I was a witch.” The old lady finished her tale sadly. Akira felt sorry for the old woman. She decided to tell everybody the truth.
“You should move to the village. That would help”, she said to the old woman. However, the old woman refused. “My house is an old family property,” she told Akira. “I can’t leave.”
Akira understood, but she promised the old woman that she would tell everyone the truth. And she kept her promise. From then on, people explored the woods freely, and sometimes visited the old lady. She too came to the village from time to time.
SANDHYA SRINIVASAN, IV, Oberoi International School, Mumbai
Published - December 31, 2015 06:24 pm IST
