The Princess Witch
by Luise Seeker
A February 2024 Monthly Story Challenge Winner
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Let me tell you a story of a beautiful girl
Who was special like a magical pearl.
She wore stunning dresses that sparkled and shone
And sat on a glittering imposing throne.
She was a princess in a faraway land
With a crown on her head and huge rings on her hand.
Her mother and father were queen and king,
She lived in a castle and had everything:
Her pony was white as fresh fallen snow,
She had all the toys that you could possibly know.
Her bed was huge with the softest pillows
She had her own garden with yews and willows.
You might think the princess felt really blessed
But actually, she was rather depressed.
She often heard how people complained
About their own lives that were so constrained.
She heard a father tell the sad story
Of his boy who got lost in a quarry.
People had searched for him days and nights
And the queen donated money, sent knights.
Then a woman said a scary old dude
With a crossbow mark stole all her food.
The king gave her fruit, veggies and bread
But could not find the thief who had fled.
Those people told tales of great unfairness
And each story fostered the princess’s awareness
Of the injustice everywhere on Earth.
She had so much and others not much of worth.
Her parents listened to all complaints,
And helped where they could with money or gains.
But the princess wanted so much to help, too
She ran into her garden and cried at her yew:
“Oh, magnificent tree that you are old and wise
Most beautiful tree under all the skies,
Tell me please what I can do
To be more than pretty by being helpful, too!”
She held her breath when the sky grew dark
And shadows danced over the old yew’s bark.
The wind blew wildly and tossed the tree’s crown
The princess was scared and crouched deep down.
Branches waved forwards and backwards, old and knarled.
Then a horrible voice whispered and snarled:
“A princess is pretty but can you be strong?
Can you hold power to fix the wrong?”
The princess swallowed and mustered the strength
To stand up straight and show her whole length.
She nodded, her fists firmly held by her side
“I’m ready,” She said, her eyes were wide.
The wind swooped her up into the air
Around her body flew her dress and her hair
Power entered her from everywhere
Then all turned dark and nothing was there.
Since that day our princess had powers
That kept her awake in the small hours.
While her mother and father slept in their bed
The princess through the castle crept.
She changed sparkling shoes and her glittering gown
Her sceptre and her diamond-set crown
For tight black trousers and sensible shoes,
A great big hat and a wand she could use.
In the cellars, she kept cauldrons and glasses
Filled with frog eyes, snake hides and so many gasses.
She ground bones, old teeth and shiny shells,
She read old books and practised her spells.
But what she loved more than anything
Was a truly amazing, extraordinary thing:
A broomstick that looked old and weird
But made her feel free like a bird.
On that broom she flew through the night
While her wand sent out fountains of light.
She flew to the quarry and found the lost boy,
Who was skinny and dirty but full of joy.
She waved her wand and wished for some food
And thought some water would do him good.
Then she brought him home to his parents
And turned around for some other errands.
One night she flew over deep dark woods
And found a convoy that transported goods.
She was ready to leave but then saw in the dark
A scary old man with a crossbow mark.
He lingered near the wagons with his band
Who all held weapons in their hands
Their jaws were set, their eyes looked hard
Their faces were scary and deeply scarred.
The princess gulped and flew to the ground
She ran around and made a terrible sound
In seconds everyone was bright awake
And the robbers all fled down to the lake.
The convoy of goods was safe for now,
But the princess could feel from her toes to her brow
That the robbers would soon return
She had to go after them and be stern!
She cornered the man with the crossbow mark
Who grinned at her wickedly like a shark.
He stretched his hands and wanted to get her
But she flung her wand and he choked on fur.
A big fat rat climbed from between his lips
She said: “Stop that!” with her hands on her hips.
“From this day onwards, every time
This will happen when you think of a crime!”
The old scary man searched for his knife
But the princess did not fear for her life
Before his fingers touched the hilt,
A second rat out of the robber’s mouth spilled.
It took the man some more attempts
And it was clear rats were not his friends.
But before the sun rose over the horizon
The man sat at the princess’s feet bitterly crying.
He promised sincerely to steal never again
And she listened and struck a bargain.
She pledged to get the robber and his men
Honest work, enough food and a home in the glen.
The princess-witch was wise you must know
She understood that everyone needs some cash flow.
Everyone needs warmth, friends and good food.
Without all this, life is not good.
Well-fed and with purpose one can be content
Especially when you have enough time on your hand
To socialise and meet some friends
Smell flowers, fresh air before the day ends.
The princess-witch lived a happy life
As a princess, a queen, a mother, a wife.
All her life the nights were her own
And she loved her broomstick more than her throne.
Photo by Ksenia Chernaya