From acorn to sapling 1/13

Jennifer Jane was rather surprised when she arrived for her usual lesson at the Witches’ Home, only to find that Abigail was no longer going to teach her.

“I thought it was time that you started learning a rather different sort of magic,” Abigail told her when she asked what she was supposed to do for the day. “For the next few weeks I’ve arranged for Esmerelda to give you an intensive course in potions and everyday magic. Now that Ermintrude is working there, Esme can spare some time to teach you, it’ll do you good to see how the other half live,” she said with a smile.

It hardly seemed worth while getting her scooter for the short trip across to the woods outside the Witches’ Home, so she walked over and reported herself to Ermintrude, who was serving a customer at the shop’s counter. Ermintrude waved her through to the back room, where Esme and Dulce made up their potions and put the resultant mixture into jars.

Esme looked up as she came in. “Ah we’ve been expecting you; come to learn some real magic at last? It’s all very well learning all those pretty finger twiddles your lot do over at the Gate, they have the entire power of Mother Nature behind them and if you do ‘em right it has to work. Proper magic is knowing what ingredients to get and when to get them, then learning the right way to make a spell to control their use and finally getting the result into a form that’s useful. Isn’t that right Dulce?”

“Ho yers,” replied Dulce, “we always makes our spells wet, so you can put it in ‘em or on ‘em.”

“Blowed if I’m going to break my jaw, calling you by your full name every time I want to say something,” continued Esme, “you’re Jane, you know Dulce and me and the one outside’s Erm! Now then stir the pot and let’s see how you get on.”

Jennifer Jane did as she was asked and carefully stirred the bubbling cauldron seven times widdershins. “Now take one of them empty pots off the shelf and fill it,” ordered Esme.

She pointed to a row of small pots lined up neatly on a shelf just to the left of the fireplace. Each one was as big as a jam jar and had a thick lip round the top edge. Jennifer Jane took a quick look at the finished pots waiting to be put on the shelves in the shop.

Each one was full to the brim and covered with what appeared to be a piece of greaseproof paper, tied just under the lip with a thin string.

There didn’t seem to be a ladle or any other tool to use and she wondered how to fill one without burning her fingers. Esme and Dulce were both watching her with big grins, this was obviously some sort of test and she was determined to do well.

For a moment she thought of using her T.K. to fill the pot. She was quite sure she could lift one, even when it was full, but somehow she didn’t think that the two witches would approve.

Then she spotted a large pair of wooden tongs hanging from a nail on the right hand side of the fire. It looked a bit wet and sticky round the open ends and she guessed this was where it had been dipped into the boiling mixture while holding a pot.

She made up her mind and holding the tongs in one hand, put a pot in place and scooped it full of the mixture from the cauldron.

Esme and Dulce clapped enthusiastically, as she put the brimming pot carefully on a table with the other finished pots. Dulce slapped a circular piece of waxy paper on top and secured it in place with a well-practised flick of the wrist and a length of twine.

“Next question,” said Esme, “what’s in the cauldron and what are we making?”

Dulce grinned expectantly, while Jennifer Jane thought carefully. She had to be honest, after all she was there to learn.

“I guess the cauldron’s mostly full of water, but what else is in there and what it supposed to be used for, I’ve no idea.”

Esme smiled, “Six out of ten young Jane, not bad for a beginner. Actually it’s one of our best selling lines. It’s a headache cure that we sell to the George and Dragons. The villagers drink a lot of it after a long night out at the pub, so they can do their work properly the next day. Now then, you and Erm can take this lot to the pub on her broom. She can show you what to do, and don’t forget to collect the money this time,” she shouted at Ermintrude, as she came into the room.