THE SAND WITCH

Lizzie Bumble was a Sand Witch. In fact, she was THE Sand Witch. The last of her kind – at least, since her old Mum Bella Bumble, the Queen of the Sand Witches, had disappeared unaccountably when Lizzie was just 200 years old, Lizzie had never to this day met another sand witch; she had seen all sorts of other witches in her travels, but as far as she could see, there were none left like her. So there she sat day after day, ruminating sadly on the sand dunes, wondering what she could do with her life. She was only qualified to be a Sand Witch, and there didn’t seem to be much call for that particular profession.

Sometimes she would go off to another beach for a change; in fact she had spent time on just about every bit of sand in the world at some time or another; but no Sand Witches did she encounter; so back she would come to her usual spot on the sand dunes at the Witterings in Seldom-Sunny-Sussex; boring, but it was home, and at least there was still plenty of sand here, unlike many other beaches in the area, which were now just mile upon mile of hard stones.

One sunny day she lay back amongst the soft warm dunes, chewing on a piece of long sea-grass, wondering what to do for the rest of the century, and watching the little boats coming ashore from the yachts moored further out in the harbour.

Her eyes closed, she turned her face towards the warm sun, composing new spells in her head, which was quite difficult as she didn’t really know what sort of spells a Sand Witch should be composing.

Just as she was drifting off into a comfortable doze, she felt a little tickle on her bare toes. Frowning, she drew her leg up to brush away the fly that she imagined was causing the irritation; But to her very great surprise, she heard what sounded like a shout of ‘Hey! Watch out!’. Looking closer, she saw it was a very small person clinging on to her little toe. However, he was so small that she had to try to remember one of her long-forgotten spells, chanting it over and over again until the speck on her toe grew enough for her to see that it was in fact a Pixie, covered in sand and looking both scared and annoyed.

‘That’s enough’, he shouted. ‘You’re making my bones ache!’

‘Sorry Pixie,’ said Lizzie, ‘I’m a bit out of practice with this Spelling lark!’

‘Well maybe you can improve your skills by helping me’ he replied.

‘I’ll certainly try,’ smiled Lizzie, ‘but you haven’t told me yet what your problem is, nor even who you are and where you come from!’

The Pixie smiled back. ‘My name is Paul, and I am a Puddle Pixie. I come from New Puddlington, in the kingdom of Puddledom. You may have heard of it.’

The sand witch looked slightly puzzled, but nodded politely nevertheless, for it was good to have someone new to talk to. So she replied:

‘I would love to hear more of your life, Paul Puddle Pixie’.

Paul grinned. ‘First’, he said cheekily, ‘I am rather hungry. What are you having for lunch?’

Lizzie looked surprised. ‘I usually just get some shellfish from the shore, or pick some fruit – anything I can find in fact. I am not that bothered about food.’

Paul frowned. ‘I don’t much like the sound of that. Why don’t you just whip up a spell and magic us some lunch? Just a few sandwiches would do. After all, you are a SAND WITCH!’ and he rolled on the sand, laughing so much at his own joke that tears rolled down his chubby cheeks. ‘Get it?...SANDWICH..’ he spluttered.

Lizzie did eventually get the joke, and smiled. ‘I suppose I could try; my Mum always said Spelling's all in the mind!’, and frowning in deep concentration she tried out a few lines.

Come you fairy cooks to me
Bring us food beside the sea!
Bring us sandwiches and fruit
And any kind of drink would suit!’

Paul looked on with interest as a thin wisp of smoke crept upwards from the sand dune, twisted and turned a couple of times, then disappeared, leaving no trace, not even one little sandwich. Lizzie tried again. This time she shut her eyes, and waved an interesting looking piece of driftwood as if it were a magic wand.

Fairies, pixies, lend a hand
Bring to us upon the sand
Fresh sandwiches for us to eat
And fruit to finish off the treat!

This time, not only did a column of smoke appear, but there was a flash of light and a shower of sparks. Pixie and Witch both stepped back in surprise, coughing a little as the smoke cleared.

There on the sand in front of them was a large picnic basket. Paul smiled, and opened the lid in anticipation of a lovely feast. But – it was empty! Disappointed, he closed the lid and turned to Lizzie, who was already working on a new spell, muttering under her breath and shaking her head from time to time, startling several passing seagulls, as her long hair whipped their legs, almost knocking them out of the sky.

After a while, Lizzie stopped pacing up and down, and came back to where Paul stood waiting patiently near the basket.

‘Now, stand back’ she cried. As Paul moved quickly to the next sand dune, she began to recite yet another spell.

Listen to my magic spell
Come food and fruit and drinks as well
Spread the word across the beach
All hungry people within reach
May come and join us on the sand –
As now I wave my magic hand!

And as she waved her hand to and fro in the air, a cloud of twinkling magic dust formed in the air, and floated down to rest on the basket.

Of course, this strange occurrence had not gone unnoticed, and by the time the dust had cleared and Paul was opening the basket, a huge crowd had gathered on the dunes.

As promised, the basket was full of every possible kind of sandwich, with fruit from all over the world. Lizzie invited everyone to help themselves, which rather worried Paul as he was quite hungry by now and was a bit concerned that there would not be enough to go round, but of course he had forgotten that this was MAGIC. When everyone had eaten their fill, the basket was still full to bursting.

‘Whatever are we going to do with all this food?’ said Paul. The Sand Witch looked thoughtful. ‘I know!’ she cried. ‘I know what I should do! But first, I think we’d better get you home, Paul’. And, taking his hand, she stood by the basket, and cast yet another magic spell, which seemed to be getting easier with all the practice.

This Puddle Pixie’s lost his way
Help me take him home today.
New Puddlington is where he’s from
So take us back to PUDDLEDOM!

At once there was a flash of light so bright that Paul needed to close his eyes. When he opened them, he was standing near his home on the banks of the Fairpuddle, with the puddle pixies who had been anchoring their puddaloes watching them curiously.

Paul’s Mum stepped forward. ‘Where have you been all this time?’ she said crossly. ‘You have missed your lunch, and now it’s almost tea-time!’.

Paul explained how he had been having a little nap by the side of the Fairpuddle, when it suddenly began to rain heavily, and before he knew it, he had been washed away down one of the channels, all the way to the sea where he had met the Sand Witch.

Lizzie smiled. ‘Yes indeed, and now we are friends. Would all the Puddle Pixies like to share this food?’

Soon word got round, and before long all the Pixies in New Puddlington were quite full up with the delicious picnic.

Paul’s Mum was most surprised to see the basket still full. ‘What are you going to do with the rest of the feast?’ she asked Lizzie, who replied with a smile: ‘I have decided to spend my time going round the wide wide world and the universe and beyond, feeding those who need it. When I need a change, I will come back to my sand dune in Seldom-Sunny-Sussex and set up a stall on Wittering beach, where I will sell picnics to the wealthy folk who come ashore from the yachts. Then I can give the money to the needy as well as food!’

‘What a wonderful idea’ said Paul’s Mum. ‘And don’t forget to come and visit us again!’

‘I certainly will’ said Lizzie, as she waved her hand and said a secret spell to set her off on her journey. A cloud of sparkling stardust surround her and lifted her into the air. The Pixies watched her and her basket rise higher and higher, until she was just a speck on the horizon; but they could just hear her calling happily ‘At last I know what a Sand Witch is for’!

And with that, she disappeared.