The rules of combat 3/10

"Good morning," she said.

"Hello deary," said the little old lady, "would you like to buy one of my juicy red apples?"

"No thanks I've only just had breakfast."

"Well then my dear, can I tempt you with a nice piece of ginger bread, I'm sure I can find some very near here."

"No and I'm not going to prick my finger on a spinning wheel spindle either," said Jennifer Jane with a laugh. "Really you're not very convincing you know, everyone in this world knows all those old stories."

"I see and who might you be young clever clogs?"

"I'm an apprentice witch and I think you ought to go back through your door and leave us alone."

"Oh you're a witch are you?" the little old lady cackled rather nastily. "Well dear I tell you what, I'll race you to that tree and back and then we'll see who's a proper witch."

Jennifer Jane nodded and took a step towards the tree, which was about fifty yards away. The old witch ran off like lightning, her legs were going so fast that she seemed to fly across the ground. Jennifer Jane just stood still and waited. The other witch ran round the tree and was half way back before she realised that Jennifer Jane was in front of her.

"Here how did you manage that?" she panted as she arrived.

"Easy, I'm so fast you can't even see a movement. I just disappeared, went round the tree and came back here in an instant."

"You can't fool me,” said the old lady crossly, "you didn't move at all. I don't think you're even a witch, go on prove it."

Jennifer Jane did the only bit of magic she was really sure of, she twiddled her fingers and produced a chocolate swiss roll.

"That's not magic, that's just advanced conjuring," said the wicked witch.

Jennifer Jane decided to take a chance. "If I reactivate your door, then do you promise to go back to your own world and never come here again?"

The wicked witch nodded with a sly grin.

"Manual of Witchcraft, Rules of Engagement paragraph seven, clauses two and three," said Jennifer Jane.

The other witch suddenly didn't look quite so sure of herself. "You're an uppity little kid aren't you, I've a jolly good mind..."

"Not until we've settled our differences as agreed," said Jennifer Jane desperately trying to remember the finger twiddle she'd used with Esmerelda and Dulcibella to activate their door.

She faced the door frame the witch had left in place, closed her eyes and thought hard to visualise the piece of paper with the old spell. Then she twiddled her fingers. Happily the door crackled into life and the other witch went back through.

"You wait my girl, if I ever see you in my world you'll be in trouble, just you see."

The door stopped crackling and disappeared.

Jennifer Jane heaved a sigh of relief and went off to the giant's pool to see if she could get a ride to the Witches' Home with Barnacle Bill.