Fern's Lost Gift

 

Auntie Millie here with a tale about Franny the hedgewitch and her magical cat Izba's adventure to the Carpathian Mountains. When Franny's dear friend becomes seriously ill, Franny, Izba, and the stone golem, Muzhichek, hurry to find a cure before Griselda, the wood witch, fades into a pile of sticks. 

I hope you enjoy this tale and will stop by soon to visit your old auntie.

Cheers, Love.

One Spring morning, Miss Franny, the hedgewitch, decided it was time to clean her cottage. With a great deal of zest, Franny began setting things properly.

A short time later, Franny stormed into where Izba was sleeping and blurted out, "I have searched the entire cottage and can't find Fern's birthday gift. Have you seen it?"

Izba, the magical cat, raised his head and asked, "Where did you last leave it?"

"If I knew where I left it, I wouldn't need to ask you now, would I?" snapped the witch. Izba lowered his head and returned to sleep, hoping to avoid a war of words with an angry witch.

After rummaging through boxes and wrappings, Franny finally collapsed in despair. "NO USE!" she exclaimed. Then she got an idea.

Rushing to the front room, Franny loudly proclaimed, "We are going on an adventure, Izba! Let's be off."

"Where are we going on this delightfully sleepy day?" asked Izba.

"I need dragon lilies for Fern's gift, so we're going to see Muzhichek in the Carpathian Mountains," she explained.

"And why does your sister need dragon lilies?" asked the cat.

"A marsh wizard must care for the sick beasties. Recently, Fern has run out of fire water to treat under-the-weather trolls," said Franny.

"But it's scary there, and Muzhichek's breath always smells of elderflower juice. I hate that," grumbled Izba.

"Regardless of your preference in drinks, we are leaving now," commanded the hedgewitch as she stormed out the door.

"No escape," mumbled Izba. He met Miss Franny at the Fabulous Flying Chair. 

"Let's be off; it's a fair bit to Muzhichek's, and I want to be there before lunch," remarked the witch.

Miss Franny clapped her hands twice, saying, "Chair, be off sooner rather than later." Whoosh, the Chair went. 

"Now, let's see. Ah yes, here it is," said Franny, pulling a wrinkled piece of parchment from her pocket.

"To Romania, fly like the wind. Our friend awaits this journey's end," instructed the witch, who clapped three times to seal the spell.

The Carpathian Mountains appeared on the horizon just as they finished their second cup of tea. "Time to clear up, Izba," said the witch.

Having sensed Franny's approach, Muzhichek greeted his friends warmly, which is remarkable for a stone golem. "So, my little witch, what brings you so far from home?" the golem asked.

"We have come for dragon lilies and a hot cup of your adder's tail tea," replied Franny.

"Then, my friends, you shall have both," said Muzhichek as he guided his guests to his forest home.

While sipping tea, the hedgewitch was stunned to learn that a dear friend had fallen gravely ill.

"Yes, it came upon her quickly, and none of us know what to do. Perhaps you could offer some thoughts," said Muzhichek.

Franny proclaimed, "This will not do at all!" She scribbled a list of plant names on a torn piece of paper.

"Muzhichek, you and Izba fetch these herbs as fast as possible. I will prepare a remedy for the old girl," said Franny.

Within minutes, Miss Franny had retrieved her apothecary tools from the bottomless storage box under the seat cushion of her Fabulous Chair.

With a fire burning and the kettle bubbling, Izba added the herbs to the greenish liquid. Then, reaching up under his fez, he retrieved two flower petals and dropped them in.

The potion was completed with a pop, poof, and psst. Franny poured the pungent solution into a clay bowl and retrieved a black bird's feather from her waistcoat. 

"Now we'll see about fixing her proper like," proclaimed the witch as the three companions headed deep into the wood.

Griselda lay under a tree. You could have mistaken her for a pile of weather-worn sticks if it weren't for her eyes, which glowed brightly.

"Hello, Pet. What mischief brings you to this neck of the woods?" whispered the guardian.

"I have had word that a stubborn old forest guardian refuses to carry out her duties. The birds are quite upset about it," admonished Franny.

A gentle smile spread across the forest matron's face. "Have you come to cure me or varnish me for a lamppost? What a foul smell you've got there," muttered the matron.

The hedgewitch signaled Muzhichek. "Give me a hand and sit her up so I can apply this to her back," said Franny in a firm tone.

Griselda's back had already grown into the soil beneath, causing Muzhichek to strain as he lifted the otherwise light Woodling. "I see all this lounging about has added a few pounds to your girlish figure," the golem joked.

Almost at once, the dark stain across the guardian's back began to fade as Franny applied the solution with the feather. "It's Beelzebub's Blight, and you have it worse than most," stated the hedgewitch.

Griselda's strength began to return rapidly, and soon, she could stand on her own. They managed to get the guardian back to Muzhichek's. Miss Franny applied a second dose of the potion and served tea and biscuits.

"We thought we might lose you. This blight is unknown to us, and we were at odds about how to help," said Muzhichek to his friend.

"Twas not your fault, Love. Twas some dark ooze I removed from the stream near Sandy Hollow," said Griselda warmly. 

"Best to use a branch or dried limb; you never know what nasties are growing in the water these days," suggested the witch. 

After ensuring the guardian was fit to care for herself, Franny and Izba gathered dragon lilies and placed them under the seat cushion with her apothecary supplies.

Waving goodbye to Muzhichek, the two climbed into the Chair and commanded it to take them home, where the girls awaited them. 

"Don't keep a hen waiting for her dinner, or you'll never hear the end of it," Miss Franny often says.

Gliding over the countryside, Franny reflected on how her decision to replace Fern's gift saved her from losing a rarer gift, her friendship with Griselda.