• Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Write for Australian Women Online
  • Advertise With Us
  • Horoscopes
  • Style
  • Shoe Boutique
  • eFashion
  • Weight Watchers Australia

Australian Women Online

Business, career, health and lifestyle content for women

  • Home
  • BLOG
  • BOOKS
  • BUSINESS
  • CAREER
  • COOKING
  • HEALTH
  • LIFESTYLE
    • Automotive
    • Beauty
    • Fashion
    • Pets
    • Relationships
    • Your Home
    • Your Money
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • TRAVEL
    • Discount Holidays
You are here: Home / BOOKS / Bedtime Stories / Bedtime Stories for Children: Which Wicked Witch? by Kate Willson

Bedtime Stories for Children: Which Wicked Witch? by Kate Willson

3 October 2011 by Kate Willson

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Print
  • WhatsApp

Wearing horrible hats and warts on their noses, Melody, Jake and Veronica fidget as they wait for twilight to turn into night. They are ready to go, with broomsticks and wands in one hand, pumpkin-shaped lolly buckets in the other.

Melody jerks the cord on a dusty, broken blind and peers out. Her stiff black witch’s skirt rustles like scrunching lolly wrappers as she turns to her brother and sister.

‘It’s dark enough,’ she says. ‘We can go trick or treating now.’

As they reach the end of their stony driveway, a crowd of children dressed as ghosts, witches and zombies straggle past, chattering in excited voices.

‘BOO!’ shouts a wafting white sheet at the back of the group. The others jump and scream and then laugh loudly.

Melody takes hold of Jake and Veronica’s hands, waiting for the crowd to pass.

‘Remember,’ she warns. ‘Stay close to me and don’t talk to strangers.’

She leads them up the steps of a neighbouring house and presses the doorbell.

‘Trick or treat,’ they cry as the door opens.

‘Oh dearie me,’ croaks a man with a shiny pink head and a gummy smile. ‘What wonderful costumes! Did you make them?’

‘Yes,’ replies Melody. ‘Trick or treat?’

‘Such lovely costumes deserve lots of treats,’ says the old man, pouring lollies into each of their glowing pumpkin buckets.

They thank him politely then skip across the road, swinging their pumpkin buckets and dragging their broomsticks.  At the next house, a skinny boy with a pimply face dumps three chocolate bars into their buckets.

‘You look totally creepy,’ he mumbles.

After four more houses, when it is impossible to fit one more lolly into their overflowing pumpkin buckets, Melody says it’s time to go home.

‘But nobody asked for a trick,’ whines Jake, kicking at the weeds on their driveway. Veronica sucks her thumb and drags her feet. Melody ushers them inside the house and closes their front door.

‘Great haul,’ she beams, unwrapping a lolly. ‘We have SO many lollies.’

Jake scowls.

‘Wanted to do a trick,’ he mutters, glaring at Melody.

Veronica takes her thumb out of her mouth.

‘Me too!’

Melody sighs.

‘Come on, you two. You know we are not supposed to…’ But the doorbell drowns the rest of her words. They freeze, all eyes turned to Melody.

‘Can we?’ begs Jake.

‘Pleeeaase Mellie?’ Veronica’s eyes are wide, brown and pleading like a puppy’s.

‘Oh, all right then,’ says Melody, opening the door.

‘TRICK OR TREAT,’ shout the costume-clad children on their doorstep.

Melody gives Jake and Veronica a slight nod.

‘TRICK!’ they shout back. And with a flick of their wands, the trick or treaters disappear in a fizzy, fiery flame and a puff of purple smoke. All that remains is four buckets of lollies. Melody scoops them up and ducks back inside, banging the door shut behind her.

‘Being a real witch at Halloween is just wicked,’ she cackles.

©Kate Willson 2011, photo by Luna Zhang

Bedtime Stories downloadable tales for children are an AWO initiative, run in support of the National Year of Reading 2012. We encourage you to print and read these stories with your kids, and revel in the joy a wonderful story can bring. All stories are original and have been penned by established and emerging Australian authors. Every month, we will publish four stories running to a central theme, each on a Monday morning. See here for more.

You May Also Like:

Filed Under: Bedtime Stories, Uncategorized Tagged With: National Year of Reading

Ads by Google

Comments

  1. Clare Duffy says

    14 October 2011 at 7:18 am

    Awesome story beautifully written. I loved the ending.

  2. alice says

    21 October 2011 at 12:07 pm

    Great stories. My little girl and I love it very much. But if you don’t mind the trouble, would you please make it into an illustrated picture book in the pdf form, so I can download it and print it out and then read the story and appreciate the pictures with my little girl? Thank you all the same for the great stories you provide.

    • Tania McCartney says

      26 October 2011 at 12:09 pm

      Hi Alice – so pleased you are enjoying our new Bedtime Stories initiative! It would be wonderful to have the stories fully illustrated in PDF – or indeed – even hard copy form – but of course, producing that is entire publishing production!

      We do hope you can continue to download and enjoy the tales in short-story format. Aren’t we fortunate to have such talented writers in Australia? Look out for next month’s stories – the theme is flowers and we’re getting some amazing contributions.

  3. Iwona says

    31 October 2011 at 6:38 pm

    Love the story and quite punchy unexpected ending.

  4. Dimity Powell says

    5 December 2011 at 12:41 pm

    This one got us smiling. A favourite. Beaut stories Tania!

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
BRAS N THINGS PTY LTD

New Content

  • The Hidden Processes Of Business Growth Strategising
  • The Challenges and Advantages of Women in the Business World
  • How To Handle False Assault Accusations By Your Dating Partner
  • 5 Ways to Style a Crop Top for Summer
  • Why Sending Money Abroad Is Important
  • Building a Property Investment Portfolio
  • Simple Yet Effective Ways to Manage an HVAC Business
  • 5 Tips To Keeping Your Family Covered With Medicare
  • 5 Things Your Family Should Consider Before Moving
  • The Best Barista Course Adelaide For Coffee Lovers

Popular Content

  • Moore Weekly Stars
  • Sexy and Stylish Short Hairstyles for Women Over 60
  • Top 9 Cars for Women in Australia
  • Aussie Mums open male escort agency catering exclusively to women
  • Alice McCall Floral Salvatore Pants
  • The Hidden Processes Of Business Growth Strategising
  • Advertise with Australian Women Online
  • The 10 Best Side Dishes For Ribs
  • Aussie Kids Pop Vitamins For Nutrition
  • Is There a Greater Role Model in Football than Fran Kirby?

Australian Women Online © Copyright 2007 - 2023 Deborah Robinson ABN 38 119 171 979 · All Rights Reserved

Please share your location to continue.

Check our help guide for more info.

share your location