What the Witch Left (3 page)

A fat gray mouse with bright eyes and large pink ears was sitting in the doorway licking his whiskers. When he saw Nora he didn’t scurry away as the mice usually did. Instead he sat up like a squirrel, holding up his little paws in front of him.

“That was very good bacon,” said the mouse. “Is there any more?”

Nora was too surprised to answer.

The mouse shouted as if he thought she was deaf, “I said, is there any more bacon?”

“Maybe Mother put some in the other traps,” Nora said, “but don’t go near them. You’ll be killed.”

“Well, it was nice of you to give me that piece,” said the mouse. “Now I suppose I’ll have to look around next door. I don’t really like going there. That cat is a mean one.”

“You mean Henry? He looked like a nice cat to me,” Nora said.

“No cat is a nice cat,” said the mouse. “Maybe I shouldn’t go over there after all. You never know what will happen when you eat the food there.”

Nora remembered the fudge. “Is that why I can understand you, because I ate Maggie’s fudge?”

“I shouldn’t be surprised,” said the
mouse. He looked around. “Do you have anything else to eat?”

“I could get you a slice of bread,” said Nora.

“Never mind,” said the mouse. “I can usually get that for myself. Thank you anyway, and good-bye.” He dived into a crack under the baseboard in the closet. Nora was alone again.

She sat on her bed and rested her chin in her hand. “It’s the fudge, all right,” she said to herself. “One piece makes you fond of animals. Two pieces make you understand their language. I’ll have to find Skipper and talk to him. Maybe he’ll tell me what he did with my bedroom slipper.”

Nora found Skipper in the living room. He was curled up on the sofa beside Nora’s father, who was reading the newspaper.

“Skipper,” said Nora. “I want you to show me where you hid my bedroom slipper.”

Skipper rested his chin on his paws and rolled his eyes upward. “It’s not often I’m allowed on the sofa,” he said. “Don’t bother me.”

“You can come back later,” said Nora.

Nora’s father put down his paper. “I can’t think with all your jabber, Nora. Run along and leave the poor dog in peace.” He gave Skipper a pat on the head.

“Come on, Skip,” begged Nora.

Skipper didn’t move.

“Be a good dog, Skip. I’ll take you for a walk tomorrow.”

“I’m comfortable,” said Skipper.

“Nora!” said Mr. Cooper. “I told you to leave the dog alone. Do as you’re told.”

Nora went to find Tad. She met her mother coming out of the kitchen. “Where’s Tad, Mother?”

“I sent him to bed. He was giving that dog the roast beef I wanted to use for sandwiches. He said Skipper told him he was tired of dog food.” Mrs. Cooper went into the living room. Nora heard a yelp, and Skipper went racing past her with his tail between his legs. There was the sound of angry voices in the living room.

Nora put her fingers in her ears. Now her parents were quarreling. She hated this more than anything else in the world.

Nora had to do something. She slipped out the front door and ran next door to ring Maggie Brown’s bell. She was in such a rush that she forgot to take the horseshoe.

Nora held her finger on the button and rang and rang.

The door opened, and Maggie stood in the doorway. “Why, Nora,” she said, “what’s the matter?”

Nora was crying.

“Come in, dear,” said the witch. “Maybe I can help you.”

Nora went up the dark stairs. Taffy met her at the top and offered her a paw.

Nora shook the paw. She walked down the hall to the kitchen. The cat, Henry, was sitting in the middle of the floor. “Oh, it’s you again,” he said. “Where’s your brother?”

“He was sent to bed,” said Nora. “That’s part of the reason why I came back here.”

Maggie had come into the room. She bustled around, tidying up the kitchen just like a neat little housewife.

Nora was not fooled. She could see that the supper dishes were still in the sink, and the floor needed sweeping. Besides, the whole apartment smelled like a zoo.

Suddenly she wasn’t at all afraid of
this little witch. She had the feeling Maggie was almost afraid of
her
. At any rate the witch seemed to want to be friends. “Maggie,” said Nora, “please help me.”

Maggie sat down and pulled out a chair for Nora. She leaned across the kitchen table. “Did I do something wrong?” she asked. “I didn’t mean to. Don’t be angry with me, Nora.”

Nora felt sorry for the witch. Maggie looked so unhappy. Nora wasn’t angry anymore. “Maybe you didn’t mean to,” she said, “but you caused an awful lot of trouble. Tad was sent to bed for giving Skipper the roast beef Mother wanted for sandwiches, and now Daddy and Mother are fighting because Daddy let Skip sit on the sofa. And it really is all because of your fudge.”

“It’s not my fault,” said Maggie. “I told you not to eat more than one piece, but it sounds as if somebody had two. And
I don’t know what your father has to do with it.”

“He took one of Tad’s,” said Nora. “And you gave Tad a piece earlier in the day.” She didn’t tell the witch that she herself had eaten two pieces.

“Did I?” said the witch. “Oh, yes, that was because he said he didn’t like cats, and Henry did so want to make friends. I hoped it would have worn off before he ate the next piece.”

“Worn off!” said Nora. “What do you mean?”

“The magic of the fudge lasts only a couple of hours.”

“You mean that by tomorrow we’ll all be just the way we were before we ate the fudge?”

“Yes,” said Maggie. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

The kitchen door squeaked, and the big ugly lizard walked into the room. Nora
thought he looked sad. She stood up and went over to him. And then the lizard stuck out his forked tongue and said, “Do I make you think of a snake? I can’t help it. I wish I looked like a rabbit, or a bird, or anything people want for a pet.”

“I bought him from Gimbel’s pet shop,” said Maggie. “Poor thing, no one else wanted him.”

Nora stroked the lizard’s smooth side.

“You won’t like me once the fudge wears off,” said the lizard.

“What’s your name?” asked Nora.

“Lucifer,” he answered.

“I’m going to call you Lew for short,” Nora said. She patted him again. Then she turned to Maggie. “I’d better go before Mother starts to look for me.”

Maggie took her downstairs and let her out by the front door.

The next day, Saturday, Nora still couldn’t find her bedroom slipper. Skipper was sitting just inside the back door, waiting to be let out. “Where’s my slipper?” Nora asked him. The dog just whined and scratched at the door as if he didn’t understand.

The magic has worn off, Nora thought. She opened the door for Skipper and went to find Tad. He was in his room, looking in a box of nuts and bolts.

“Tad,” Nora asked, “did Skipper really talk to you last night?”

Tad found the screw he was looking for. “I thought he did,” he said slowly. “Now I’m not sure. But I don’t know why
I gave him the roast beef. I sure got in trouble for that.”

“Remember the fudge?” said Nora. “I thought it was enchanted, and I was right. One piece makes you like animals. Two make you understand their language.”

“Then why can’t I understand Skipper this morning?”

“The magic only lasts a few hours. It’s worn off.”

“How do you know all this?” Tad asked.

Nora told Tad all that had happened the night before. “I never did get Skip to tell me what he did with my bedroom slipper,” she finished.

“Let’s go get some more fudge from Maggie,” Tad said.

Nora shook her head. “You can’t just
ask
for it.”

“Why not?” asked Tad.

“Because it’s rude,” Nora said.

“Well, I’ll act as if I don’t like her cat, and she’ll give me some. I’ll pretend to eat it. But I’ll save it till later. Henry’s an OK cat. I don’t need magic to like him.”

“Maybe I can work the same trick with that lizard,” Nora said.

Tad put away the box of nuts and bolts. “Let’s go next door.”

They went downstairs and were about to go out when their mother stopped them. “Where are you going?”

“To see Mrs. Brown,” said Nora.

“You know I don’t like you bothering the neighbors,” Mrs. Cooper said.

Tad held up the screw. “I promised to fix Maggie’s birdcage.”

“
Mrs. Brown!
Not
Maggie
, Tad,” said his mother. “Well, run along then, but don’t stay longer than you need to.”

Tad and Nora went next door to ring the bell.

There was no answer. Tad rang again.
Still no one came to the door. The children turned to go. They met Mrs. Hastings coming up the steps with a bag of groceries. Mrs. Hastings owned the house. She lived on the ground floor.

“We’re looking for Mrs. Brown,” said Tad.

Mrs. Hastings put her shopping bag on the stoop. “She’s not in,” she said. “She goes out early every morning to take care of her cat-service customers. She feeds the cats when their owners are out of town. She won’t be home until this afternoon.”

“Can I help carry your groceries, Mrs. Hastings?” asked Nora.

“Thank you, Nora. Would you put them on the kitchen table, please.” Mrs. Hastings opened the door and led the children through the house to the kitchen. The house was dark and neat. Mrs. Hastings lived alone. She looked out of her kitchen window into the backyard.

Suddenly she rapped on the kitchen window. “Scat, scat!” said Mrs. Hastings. “Lately the yard is always full of cats,” she said in an angry voice.

Tad and Nora looked out to see two cats sitting on the grass in Mrs. Hastings’ yard. One was black and white and one had gray stripes. Both cats were looking up at Maggie Brown’s window. Mrs. Hastings banged on her window again. The cats did not move. She took a broom and went out the back door.