by Kristy JaeckelMavis the witch had clickety hips. Maude was the one with a crookety back and Mabel had two very crunkety knees. In a straight line they shuffled along, holding on tightly to their zim-zam witch frames. Then they kicked off their slippers, popped out their toes and rested their bones in their rickety chairs.
“Our brew is almost ready!” Maude exclaimed and the three cackled excitedly. An eerie mist unfurled and entangled itself onto their busy wands. “Knit one, pearl one, knit one, pearl one…” the witch coven chanted. Click-clack, click-clack… went their wands until soon a shape began to form.
Mavis uncurled out of her chair and leant over the bubbling cauldron. From inside her witches’ hat she pulled out an old broomstick and threw it in. “My first broomstick! My mother taught me to ride that when I was just a young witch. What wonderful memories- soaring through the night sky!” she said with nostalgia. Then she went back to her chair and the witches continued to chant, “Knit one, pearl one, knit one, pearl one…” Click-clack, click-clack… went their wands until a pair of translucent wings appeared.
Maude’s back creaked and cracked as she got out of her chair to stare into the vaporous pot. From her wrinkled finger she wrenched a ring with a shiny red ruby and threw it in. “A ring from my late husband! He conjured this up for me under our first full moon. We were such a mischievous pair!” she chuckled at the thought. Then she went back to her chair and the witches continued to chant, “Knit one, pearl one, knit one, pearl one…” Click-clack, click-clack… went their wands until two fiery red eyes appeared.
Mabel stumbled out of her chair, adjusted her crunkety knees and hobbled over to the mysterious potion. From inside her cloak she pulled out a leather-bound book with tarnished yellow pages and threw it in. “My faithful book of spells! Every spell I have ever cast is written in there. Ah, but my magic isn’t like it used to be…” she sighed. Then she went back to her chair and the witches continued to chant, “Knit one, pearl one, knit one, pearl one…” Click-clack, click-clack… went their wands until they heard a—ROAR!
“It’s finished! It’s finished!” they cried and the three arthritic witches almost leapt out of their chairs. Together, they waved their wands around and around in a circle until the dragon was firmly encased in a hard, mystical shell.
“Just in time!” Mavis said, hearing a loud tapping at the door. She quickly tied a bow around the egg then zipped along on her zim-zam frame to the door, shrieking with glee.
“She’s here, sisters! She’s here!” she called and the three witches encircled the bundled infant and placed their gift into her precious, magical hands.
Kristy Jaeckel is a teacher with two sons. She writes children's stories as a hobby and enjoys submitting her work to Kids' Book Review's Short Story Challenge every month.
KBR Short Stories are a way to get your work ‘out there’—and to delight our KBR readers. Stories are set to a monthly theme and entries are due in the 25th of each month. Find out more here.
