The Cobbler and the Witch

One dark day, the old cobbler was bringing her pet sheep for a walk in the forest. She often brought them here as they loved the greens of the forest floor and she loved the peacefulness of the calm and quiet forest. The birds sang and wildlife was plenty. She walked along after her sheep who went on ahead, exploring. ‘I think I’ll take a little rest.’ She sat by a tall grand tree and took out a flask of tea. ‘Oh lovely.’ She said after taking a sip. She looked around for a moment as the sky grew darker. ‘Oh dear, I fear it’s about to rain.’ She opened her bag and searched for her umbrella. Luckily she’d brought it. Suddenly, the sheep came running by as though they were running from something. ‘What’s the matter Ben and Daisy? It’s only a bit of rain.’ She shouted after them. As she turned back around, she saw something moving in the distance. It was dark and seemed to be floating along. It let out the most sinister laugh. ‘Ha ha ha ha.’ The old cobbler stood up to run away but as she did so, she tripped over some roots. ‘You there,’ came a voice. The cobbler sat up and turned to face the voice. She gasped, when she saw a witch on a broom. ‘OHHH’ she cried. ‘Hush now, I’m not a bad witch. I just need my shoes to be mended.’ She said. The cobbler looked at her shoes and sure enough, you could see the witch’s toes. She didn’t look much like a witch apart from the wrinkly old pointy hat. She had nice straight hair, and her dress was black with a laced corset and frills on the skirt. Her shoes were almost too worn to be part of her outfit. As she didn't feel threatened by her, she decided to help her out. 'Very well, I'll mend them. Come back to my shop now.’ Said the cobbler. ‘Great,’ said the witch. ‘Hop on.’ The old cobbler sat up on the broom and they swept away. They flew over her house where she could see that her sheep were now safe and sound in the garden eating grass happily. The scenery was beautiful from up on the broom, houses looked small and animals were like dots. The air was fresh and the cobbler smiled. When they got to the town, they swooped across chimneys and rooftops. The cobbler held on tight to the witch. There wasn't anyone outside as it was still drizzling slightly. The sound of water draining from the roof tiles into the gutters could be heard. When they got closer to the shop, the witch pulled on the end of the broom and they slowed before descending gently to the front door of the mending shop, and went inside. The witch sat by the fire and told the cobbler stories as she mended her shoes. ‘I live in the forest because people think I’m an evil witch, but you see, I cannot even do magic. My broom is the only magic I have. I live in a small wooden house and I don’t have much. But I can make dresses. I made this.’ She tugged at the dress she was wearing. ‘It’s quite beautiful,’ the cobbler said, looking over her glasses as she sewed. The clock struck 6 o'clock as she finished the second shoe. ‘Oh, they are just fabulous!’ exclaimed the witch. How can I ever repay you?' 'No payment needed my dear. The joy on your face is payment enough,' she replied, smiling warmly. The next morning, the cobbler got up, had some breakfast and went outside to set off for work. As she closed the door behind her, she saw a package on the ground. Opening it, she found the most stunning blue dress, with shoe patterns all over it. ‘Oh how gorgeous.’ She said. She went back inside and tried it on. ‘Oh it’s a perfect fit.’ As she again went outside in her new dress to set off for work, she noticed that a note had fallen from the package when she opened it. It read ‘Thank you for mending my shoes, I can now walk around more. Last night, I walked into town instead of flying, and not one person knew I was a witch. I hope you like this dress, it’s only a small thanks. Cheerio and best witches.’