The Little Leftover Witch by Florence Laughlin

Author:Florence Laughlin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

8

Christmas Is Coming!

Thanksgiving Day was cold, crisp, and beautiful. Mrs. Doon stuffed the huge turkey that Grandfather Doon bought. She made two golden pumpkin pies and a great bowl of sparkling red cranberry sauce.

Lucinda and Felina straightened the house and set the table and made place cards for everyone. They colored orange pumpkin faces and put names on them.

They even made one for Itchabody and put it by his dish on the porch. And old Itchabody just stood around waiting and whining hungrily, while the turkey simmered merrily away in the kitchen oven.

Felina ate some of everything. She ate turkey and sweet potatoes and cranberries and pie. She ate until she was stuffed and not once did she mention jibbers’ gizzards or black-bat soup.

It was a truly wonderful Turkey Day, and when Grandfather Doon said grace, he added under his breath, “And thank you, dear Lord, for sending us this little witch to love. She certainly makes life interesting. Amen.”

When Thanksgiving was over and Itchabody had gobbled the last scrap of leftover turkey, the Doon family began to get ready for Christmas, the biggest day of the year.

Mr. Doon made things in his shop in the garage and kept the door locked. Mrs. Doon made things in the sewing room and warned everyone not to peek. Lucinda and Felina made things at school. They colored Santas and painted Christmas trees on cards.

Soon the house was filled with wonderful smells of fruitcakes baking in the oven. Lucinda and Felina helped cut up fruit and crack nuts. They cut out dozens and dozens of tiny cookies shaped like trees and stars and bells.

Grandfather took them both on his lap and told them the beautiful story of Christmas and the Christ Child.

The whole family went out into the woods and gathered great boughs of evergreens. They gathered red berries to decorate the house. And they made a holly wreath to put on the front door.

Right in the middle of the wreath was a bright red ribbon with a row of silver sleigh bells. It made a lovely jingle-bell sound when friends came to see the family.

Oh, it was an exciting time! And with the happiness and the good food that she ate, Felina’s sharp little face began to fill out. She became plump and rosy and looked more and more like a normal little girl and less and less like a witch.

But one day something happened to change everything.

Lucinda had gone up the street for her piano lesson. Miss Gregg, the piano teacher, didn’t like Felina to come. She declared that the funny little hat made her so nervous that she skipped a note now and then.

Mrs. Doon was busy in her sewing room. Mr. Doon was down at the newspaper office. And Grandfather Doon had gone to town on a very secret Christmas errand.

So Felina and Itchabody were all alone. They had climbed up in the mulberry tree to think about Christmas.

As they sat there dreaming, Clarence Brown, the big boy who lived next door, chanced to wander through the yard.

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