The Witch Family by Eleanor Estes

Author:Eleanor Estes [Estes, Eleanor]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0152026045
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Published: 2012-10-09T07:52:26+00:00

"On to the painting field!" she screeched. She liked this rallying cry and repeated it again and again.

Old Witch got her powerful old weather-beaten broomstick from behind the door. She rode around the room on it saying, "Heh-heh!" and causing Little Witch Girl and Weeny Witchie to laugh miniature wicked "heh-hehs." Then she uttered the following abracadabra:

"Abracadabra

A B C

What is it that I do see?

Hotch

Cotch

In the Potch

Rabbits, rabbits

for wicked ME."

Then she said, "Tcluck-tluck," to her broomstick and she screeched, "Oh, the hurly-burly!" Old Tom leaped on the broomstick, and whee-ee! off they flew.

Though it was early April, a terrible, cold wind sprang up. Black clouds darkened the sky, thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed. Down below in the painting field, at these awful manifestations, signs, and portents, the rabbits pricked up their long antennae ears. Their alarm was furthered, their fears confirmed by the arrival of Malachi, the bumblebee, who had shot down from the glass hill like a streak of neon light, preceding Old Witch by minutes only and buzzing loudly as he came.

"WICKED OLD WITCH BE ON THE WAY. THUS SHE DISOBEYS THE RULES OF AMY! SHE COMES! MY BITES SHE HEEDS NOT! MY WARNINGS SHE HEEDS NOT! I PROPHESY YOUR EXTINCTION IF YOU DO NOT ACT SWIFTLY. TO YOUR POSTS, RABBITS. I WILL TO MINE. I MUST NOT LONG LEAVE LITTLE WITCH GIRL OR WEENY WITCH."

Since Malachi spelled all these words as he frenziedly darted here and there, and since this was a much longer speech than he ordinarily gave, the rabbits recognized their dire need for action. Buzzing a final portentous warning in Headman Rabbit's ear, "RABBITS, BEWARE!" Malachi flew back, a long streak of golden light against the blackened sky, to his camouflage place on the witch's porch.

Rabbits are very clever animals. They knew that Old Witch was their worst enemy. They knew how much she liked to catch rabbits and pop them into her old black shawl, to make into a stew, if not to eat them whole as they were! And also, they knew she liked to make use of them in abracadabras and incantations, all of which were horrible for rabbits. Rabbits are not interested in being charms for princes, however much in danger the princes may be. Nor do they like to have one of their paws hanging from someone's key ring. They like to lead their own life, whatever it may be. In this case it was painting Easter eggs.

Not long ago, Head Easter Rabbit had had a message from Amy saying that Old Witch was good now and that the rabbits need not worry about her except, possibly, on Halloween. Halloween was the only time that Old Witch was going to be allowed to be the wicked old witch, and Amy advised all rabbits to hide then, just plain hide. Still, Head Rabbit worried anyway. He rightfully knew Old Witch too well to take any chances, and he had warned all rabbits to be on guard against her at all times.

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