Alice Hale Burnett

“ From under her cape she now took a small paper bag and poured the
contents into the pot before her, then standing up she hobbled around it
three times, waving her arms and humming a queer little tune. Soon a
dull red light glowed from within the pot, getting brighter and
brighter.
"It's magic," whispered Toad to Hopie Smith.
The old witch now sat down again and took from beneath her cape a small
pad, a long quill pen and a queer little bottle filled with milky white
fluid.
"If you drink any of that you'll get as small as a flea," said Fat in a
low voice. ”

“ Presently she raised her head and handed him the paper.
"Bend low thine ear," she said, and Herbie obeyed.
"Keep this until I am gone," she added, "then hold it over yonder candle
light, for thy fortune is written there."
Each boy was now called in turn and received a slip of paper. Then the
old witch arose.
"To those who obey my commands, good luck; to those who disobey, ill
fortune," she cried, shaking her stick in the air, and in another moment
she had quickly hobbled from the room.
Chuck now turned on the lights and Linn exclaimed:
"Where on earth did she ever come from?" ”

“ THE WITCH TELLS FORTUNES
"Come in," invited Father and the boys, standing in a group watching the
knob of the door turn slowly. As it opened silently they saw standing on
the threshold a little, old woman, all bent over, a long black cape and
hood covering her from head to foot. ”