Page:The Princess of Cozytown.pdf/84

 the last witch in the world with her forty cats lives safe from the heartless witch-burning folks of today. When Tonto reached this island, he raised his giant head out of the water and called, "Come out, good mother, I beg," and the witch who had not had a visitor for one hundred years, stuck her black head out of her little hut to see what it all might mean. Tonto in great excitement began to tell her all about the dimpled Princess, but so lusty was his voice that at the first word the little old woman was blown into the sea. Now a witch likes water just about as much as a cat, and when Tonto set her on dry land again she scolded him roundly. Swimming off a few strokes he began in his gentlest giant voice all over again, ending with the statement that he no longer wished to be a giant.

Then the old witch began shaking her head from side to side and pulling her hat down over her nose, which is the way all witches think, I am told. Finally she called shrilly, "It can be done, it can be done!! But what will you give me," and coming down to the water's edge she fixed her red eyes greedily on the last giant. "Anything—anything at all," whispered Tonto, for fear of blowing her away again. "A lock of your hair," screamed the witch, "a lock of your hair," and hobbling into the hut she returned with a pair of witch's shears.

Tonto swam close to the shore and she cut off one of his curly locks, and croaking with joy hobbled back to her hut. She was going to make herself a switch, I fancy. Soon from the chimney of the house smoke began to curl upward and the forty cats set up a terrible howling and yowling. Soon after this the witch came down to Tonto and handed him a huge green sponge. "When you come to the shore," said she, "swallow this sponge. You will immediately shrink. But let me warn you that while it will shrink your body it cannot shrink your gigantic strength nor your gigantic temper. The first time that you lose your temper you will shoot up into a giant; so beware!"