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Storys Of Reincarnation1


Hanging A Witch2

A large crowd was gathered on the town square,a whisper through the crowd, Hanging a witch there.The bodys were packed, smelled soiled, dirty and sourI was with my sister, a most likely to get into trouble pair.We couldn’t see from the ground, a roof top we found.Mayor had sent his jesting clown, acting the fool all around.Women in long dresses, and funny hats, men in silk breeches some in spats. Children chasing dogs, dogs chasing cats.All the noise stirring up the Church steeple bats.From where we could see there would be no hangingno noose or frame, no one would be swinging.Dry straw and limbs a boy was bringing, the Church bell started ringing. Out came the Priest his robes red as flames Climbed up on a stile, read out some names.Three men were beheaded for tedious things, one had stolenhis mistress’s gold rings,an other had been caught writing names.3

A witch was going up in flames, out she came, bound in chains.If she is a witch why doesn’t she cast a spell,she could call down the devils of Hell,take the Mayor up and stick him in a well. I told my sister hush before we got put in the jail, Mama would be mad if I had to tell. Wished we had brought something we could sell.The place was getting hot and was going to smell. The woman was tied to the post in the ground,she spat and cursed at all round, then she spat upon the bear ground,there came from the place a rumbling sound that moved the ground, people moved back all way
around.From the earth a creature jumped up and down, hands waving,yelling a sound, words not yet he had found, but they came when he settled down. 4

He was a giant of a man, beside the woman he did stand. His hair was black as a ravens feathers, his claws undone the woman’s fetters. On the ground he drew some letters, they blazed and crackled just as the fire would have done, had the burning begun.The woman wasn’t so old, she looked at the Mayor cold and bold.The giant took her hand to hold, she spat at the Mayor, his coat got a burning hole. She could have burned him had it been her goal.The giant took her away from the town,the Mayor gave orders for the guards to run them down.The guards were afraid , they couldn’t be found.5

The Mayor made a pledge of one hundred pound.His offer was met by all with a frown.My sister and I looked all around,oh what Mama could do with that hundred pound. We made a vow it would be by we if she was found. The excitement over we got out of that town. Ran all the way home, ran until we had to sit down. How will we find her? We ask each other,we knew we could never tell our brother,from our lips it would go no further.We roamed the hill and the dales, looked in barns and threw rocks in wells, even followed the ringing of the sheep’s bell.The sheep were grazing on a far away hill. We roamed the streets and the alley ways,we looked and looked for days and days, began to think there was no way, but we wanted to give that gold to Mama for pay.6

We came upon them one wintery day, in a shack a mile away.Listening from a window we could hear what they had to say.A plan we had to put into play, before we were caught and melted away.The man was a warlock my sister said, I didn’t believe her,thought them all dead. Learned that in a pamphlet I read.While looking through the window we saw a strange sight,the giant and the woman went to bed for the night,and it was still light, the witch was fetching in the glow of the candle light,buck naked she was a sight. They got in the bed and blew out the light,inside it was dark, out side it was light. We couldn’t see what they did, but they were not quiet.They went to sleep in the middle of the night. Before day the man left, being very quiet .We could see in the room, he had built a fire, there was a pile of jewels and gold in there.7

We looked at each other and thought a prayer ,hoped we would not end up on a burning brier, get fire set to our hair. So quietly we slipped in there.What ever they did must have made her very tired,we made no noise, she never stirred. I made an apron out of my dress tail,we filled it up, what we got no one could tell, The gold and jewels were real they would sale. We got out of there quicker than hell, quicker than that bell weather could shake his old tail. We run up the hill and down the dale, passed by the barns and the well,it was raining, hadn’t rained in a spell.I slipped in the grass almost fell.Getting home so Mam we could tell, where would she take the jewels to sell?Mama was no witch , which every one could tell,she was a widow and brought her children up well,even taught us to count and to spell, every time I hear that bell wethers bell Ithik we will be found dead in a ditch.Followed by The Witch.8