Paphos People

WHICH WITCH?

In medieval times if any village or small town had a suspicion that one person was responsible for all ills that befell the community they would blame one individual. That unfortunate person either had physical or behavioural peculiarities and was blamed for any disaster and probably branded a witch.
The witch was feared by all, but an angry mob could pluck up the courage to capture the witch and try her in a kangaroo court. The sentence was usually a no win situation for the poor accused witch, maybe a ducking stool or burning at the stake. Either way if the creature survived, she was declared to be a witch and killed. If she died she was pronounced innocent. The villagers were satisfied that they had got a fair result and witches had a very bad press.

In more modern times witches were tolerated and ridiculed by most people as cranks and weirdo’s. They combined into an organised body and held regular local meetings and an annual international coven. They gathered from all four corners of the planet every year on Halloween Night.
The majority of them were very tall thin old ladies with long noses, bony fingers and if they had warts as well all the better. They all dressed in black robes and tall pointy hats and converged on a huge venue in America for the latest coven.
The theme for debate was “Witches and witchcraft why the bad press and what shall we do about it?”
“We’re only evil when it’s strictly necessary” Meghan the Ugly said cackling with glee “Its people that stir things up for me so I cast a spell and with a twitch of my nose I make them suffer.”
The Grandmother of the coven looked down on her with her good eye, the other one was her evil eye. That was reserved for black looks.
“While I respect your right to dress and behave as a witch I feel that there may be a halfway point where you could maybe wear civvies when you go out and try to blend in.”
“Impossible!” hissed Megan “You know that we can only cast spells when in full witch’s regalia!”

A waving hand went up requesting to speak but nobody noticed because it belonged to Titch the witch who was unusually short for a witch. She had a normal size nose, a plump shape and podgy little fingers. Unable to attract any attention, she climbed up on top of the desk and shouted her message to the whole assembly.
They all looked to see who or what was making the disturbance.

“Why do we have to be so nasty all the time?” said Titch

“Because that is our purpose” spat Meghan cackling as she spoke.

“Maybe five or six hundred years ago, but now we are not so effective in this day and age. Most people know how our tricks and mischiefs are carried out. I think it’s time to update the whole movement and make it more acceptable.”
Having stated her case, Titch said “I’m just saying”
She gave a self conscious smile and sat down behind the desk disappearing from view again.
But down below the desk she was hatching a plan to banish the black raiment that enabled the evil spells to be cast. What if the witches dressed in bright clothing, maybe it would brighten up their attitude and so improve the bad image of witch craft.
She prepared her spell, cast it and waited for the result.

Which witch in a single twitch
Left the coven without a stitch
It was Titch the witch no longer small
Smiling and pretty over five foot tall

The influence of the black robes was no longer active,
The witches’ appearance became more attractive.
Warts disappeared long noses were shrinking
Fingers filled out, foul breath wasn’t stinking

Teeth were corrected all straight and white.
Magically clothed colourful and bright
Fashionable wear and very revealing,
Close fitting, attractive and very appealing.

So it was the next year came
The coven was called under a different name
With lavish surroundings the curtains unfurled
Under the modern day title ‘Miss World’