October 13, 2025 • 22 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The weird Witch of the willow Herb. The weird Witch
of the willow Herb lived in a pink cottage on
the top of a hill. She was merry and beautiful,
and wise and kind, and she was all dressed in
pink and green. And she had great eyes that were
sometimes filled with laughter and sometimes filled with tears, and
her round soft mouth looked as though it had done
(00:21):
nothing but smile for hundreds and hundreds of years. Her
pink cottage was the most charming place in the world
to live in. The walls were made of the flower
of the willow herb, and the roof was made of
the green leaves, and the floors were made of the
white down, and all the little lattice windows were cobwebs
spun by the spiders who live in Fairyland and make
(00:42):
the windows for the fairy queen's own palace. And no
one but a whimp or a fairy could have said
how long the weird Witch of the willow Herb had
been living in her cottage on the top of the hill.
Now any one might think that this wonderful witch was
so sweet and so wise, that all sorts of people
would become all day long to ask her to help them,
(01:03):
For of course that is what a witch is for.
But this particular witch, who lived in her pink cottage
on the top of the hill had not been living
there all that time for nothing. If I did not
keep a few spells lying about at the bottom of
the hill, I should never have a moment's peace, chuckled
the Witch of the willowerb And that is why most
of the people who came to ask her for spells
(01:25):
never got so far as the pink cottage at all,
For they found what they wanted at the bottom of
the hill, and no doubt that saved everybody a great
deal of trouble. Poor people, said the weird witch, with
her voice full of kindness. Why should I make them
climb up all this way just to see me? Sometimes, however,
it did happen that somebody got to the top of
(01:45):
the hill, or else, it is clear that this story
would never have been written. For one day, as the
witch sat on the doorstep of her pink cottage, looking
out over the world with her great eyes that saw everything,
the little princess Winsome came running up the white path
that twisted round and round and up and up. Until
it reached the cottage at the top, and she did
(02:06):
not stop running until she stood in front of the
weird Witch herself. She looked as though she must have
come a long way in a great hurry, for she
had lost one of her shoes on the way, and
there was quite an important scratch on her dimpled chin.
But of course it is difficult to walk sedately when
one is going to call on a witch. I am
Princess Winsome, she announced, as soon as she had breath
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enough to speak. To be sure you are smiled the
weird witch, who knew that before? And you have run
away from home because because I want to find the
bravest boy in the world, interrupted the princess, who never
liked to let anybody else do the talking. Are they
all cowards in your country, then asked the witch. Oh no,
answered Princess Winsome. The boys in my country are so
(02:52):
brave that it is no fun playing with them. They
stop all the games by fighting about nothing at all.
And it's dreadfully dull when you're a girl, isn't it.
Perhaps it is, smiled the witch. Then why are you
looking for the bravest boy of all? Ah? Said the
little princess. Wisely, the bravest boy of all would never
fight unless there was a reason, you see, and so
(03:13):
we should have lots of time to play. But how
am I to find him. The only way to find
him is to let him find you, said the weird witch.
And the best thing I can do for you is
to shut you up in the middle of an enchanted forest,
where no one but the bravest boy in the world
would ever come to find anyone. Now, make haste or
you won't get there on time. And the princess, with
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a scratch on her chin, must certainly have made haste,
for she had quite disappeared by the time the Witch's
next visitor came up the winding white path, And that
happened the very next minute. This time it was a
boy who came along, a tall, strong, jolly looking boy
with his hands in his pockets and his cap at
the back of his head, whistling a strange, wild tune
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that was made up of all the songs of all
the birds in the air, so that as he whistled it,
every bird for miles round stopped to listen. I'm kit
the coward, he said, pulling off his cap to the
witch to be sure you are smiled the weird witch,
who knew that too. And you have run away from
home because the other boys called you a coward, and
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you want to show them that you are as brave
as they are. Only you won't fight without a reason.
Isn't that it? Course it is, answered Kit, who liked
to have his talking done for him. But how shall
I find something worth fighting about? That is not difficult,
said the weird Witch. All you have to do is
go to the court of King Hurley Burley and ask
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him to give you something brave to do. The king
is always going to war about something, so you will
soon have as much fighting as you want. Now be
off with you, or else some one else will get
there before you. All right, said Kit, Which is the
way any way you like, laughed the weird Witch. But
in what direction? Asked Kit? It doesn't matter, laughed the
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weird Witch. So Kit made her another bow and marched
away again down the hillside, whistling the same tune as before,
And all the birds of the air came flying along
when they heard it, and they flew in front of
him to show him the way, and he followed them
over meadows and streams and orchards and cornfields, until they
brought him to the walls of King Hurley Burley's city.
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And they would not have left him then if he
had not pointed out to them most politely that although
it was very obliging of them to have come so
far with him, he would find it a little inconvenient
to travel any further with so many companions. So they
flew away again, and Kit marched into the city and
up to the gates of the King's palace. I have
come to fight for the king, said Kit, when the
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guards came out and asked him what he wanted, and
he looked such a fine strong fellow that they took
him in at once to the king. You have come
in the very nick of time, said King Hurley Burly,
For the commander in chief of the royal forces has
overslept himself so often that I had him be headed
this morning before he was awake. The army is, in
consequence without a head, as well as the commander in chief.
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So if you will become their general and invade the
country of my neighbor, King Topsy Turvy, I shall be
much obliged to you. Why have I got to invade
the country of King Topsy Turvy, demanded Kit. The king
pushed his crown on one side, which he always did
when he felt puzzled. Now you've come to mention it,
he said. I believe there was a reason, but for
(06:28):
the life of me, I can't remember what it was. However,
the reason is of no importance. Oh, yes, it is, interrupted, Kit,
I can't possibly fight without a reason. You know. Well,
that's awkward, said King Hurley. Burley. Perhaps the army will know,
and he sent a message round to the barracks to
ask the soldiers why they were going to war. But
although the soldiers were all ready to begin fighting, they
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had not the least idea what the war was about.
So the king's crown became more crooked than before. Won't
it do if you invent a reason, he asked Kit,
for he could not help thinking how nice it would
be to stay at home while his soldiers were being
led to war by someone else. Oh you may marry
the Princess Winsom if you come back victorious, he added
as an afterthought, But Kit only shook his head. He
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had never heard of the Princess Winsome, and he was
not going to fight anybody without a very good reason
for it. Then King Hurley Burley had a brilliant idea.
We'll go and declare a war on the enemy to
begin with, he said, and perhaps they will remember the reason.
There was certainly no harm in declaring war. So Kit
rode off at once on one of the King's fastest horses,
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and arrived the next morning at the court of King
topsy Turvy just as his majesty was sitting down to breakfast.
I have come from King Hurley Burley to declare war,
said Kit, who always went straight to the point. What for,
asked King topsy Turvy. I don't know, said Kit. That's
what I want you to tell me. The King ate
two eggs before he replied, well, he said, presently. I
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believe I said that Hurley Burley was a shocking old muddler.
I suppose that's it, all right? When do you want
to begin? I don't want to begin at all, answered Kit.
Why did you say he was a muddler? No, just
to make conversation, said King topsy Turvy, helping himself to marmalade.
Then you don't really think he is an old muddler,
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asked Kit. Dear me, no, said King topsy Turvy. I
never think. Then write that down on a piece of paper.
And there needn't be a war at all, cried Kit.
The King stroked his beard. Perhaps there needn't, he agreed.
But I never write. I do, though, said Kit, who
had learned to write while all the other boys were
making catapults. You've only got to sign your name here.
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King topsy Turvy stopped eating his breakfast just long enough
to sign the beautiful apology Kit had written on a
sheet of notepaper. And then Kit jumped on his horse
again and rode back to the palace of King Hurley.
Burley Well said, his majesty, did you discover the reason
there wasn't a and there isn't going to be a war?
Answered Kit, and he held out the beautifully written apology
(09:05):
from King topsy Turvy. What cried his majesty in alarm.
Do you mean to say you've stopped the war? Of
course I have, said Kit, and I've come back victorious
as you see. Didn't you say something about a princess,
but stammered the king. How am I to appease the army?
The army has set its heart on a war, so
(09:26):
had I, answered Kit sadly, but I can never find
anything worth fighting about. Meanwhile, where's the princess? You've not
won the princess, said King Hurley Burley, who is now
thoroughly cross. I believe you are a miserable coward. That
is what the other boys say, answered Kit, smiling. It
is not my fault that there's nothing to fight about.
(09:47):
Will you please send for the princess. The princess has
run away from home, so I can't send for her,
said the king irritably. She is shut up in an
enchanted forest and surrounded with wild beasts and magic spells
and giants. It is not at all a nice place
for a princess to be in. But how am I
to get her away? Why, exclaimed Kit, laughing. Here is
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something for your army to do. Let it go and
rescue the princess. Nothing would induce the army to go
near the place, explained the king sorrowfully. The army is
too much afraid of being bewitched. Hurrah, shouted Kit, laughing.
More than ever, at last, I have found something brave
to do. I will go and rescue the princess. So
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Kit the coward started out on his travels once more.
And no sooner did he get outside the city gates
than he began to whistle his wonderful tune, and down
swept all the birds of the air, and hundreds, and
they flew in front of him as before, and led
him to the very edge of the enchanted forest. There
they left him, for no one can help anybody to
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go through an enchanted forest. And Kit knew fast enough
that he must find the princess by himself. He was
not a bit afraid, though, and he plunged straight into
the wood without looking back. He had not taken two
steps before he had completely lost himself. The trees were
so thick overhead that not a streak of sunshine was
able to get through, and the forest was so full
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of wild beasts that it was impossible to walk five
yards without tumbling over a lion or a bear. But
this did not frighten Kit at all, for he had
learned to talk the language of the woods all the
time that the other boys were knocking one another on
the head. And so he soon made friends with every
animal in the forest, and they told him the best
places to find apples and nuts and blackberries. And the
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bees brought him the very best honey they could make,
and he grew so happy and so contented that he
quite forgot he was enchanted, and could not escape if
he wanted to. But it is impossible to be happy
for long when one is bewitched. And one day Kit
found himself in a part of the forest that was
more horrible and more frightening than any dark passage that
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was ever invented on the way to any nursery. It
was not only dark, but it was strangely silent as well,
and a curious feeling of gloom and unhappiness suddenly crept
over Kit. If it had been a nice sort of silence,
the sort we find when we get away from the
other boys and girls into a place where it is
quiet enough to hear the real sounds of the air,
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Kit would still have been quite happy. But here there
was nothing to be heard at all, not even the
brushing of the leaves, nor the blooming of the flowers,
nor the growing of the grass. But the most frightening
thing of all was when he clapped his hands together
and stamped as hard as he could on the ground,
for not a sound did he make, And when he
tried to speak, he found he could only whisper, and
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when he burst out laughing, he made no more noise
than if he had been smiling. Still, he kept his
wits about him, for of course there was the princess
to be rescued. And at last he thought of trying
to whistle. At first he could not make a note
sound in the stillness, but he went on trying until
the wonderful tune he had learned long ago from the
birds themselves began to echo once more through the silent forest.
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He did not get an answer at once, for really
nice birds cannot be expected to go out of their
way to a place where there is no sunshine, and
the flowers cannot enter into conversation with them. But after
a while, a very fat blackbird, who certainly had impudence
enough for anything, came hopping along from branch to branch
until he landed on Kit's shoulder, And with him came
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sunshine and sound and merriment into the very heart of
the melancholy forest. For none of these things are ever
far off when a blackbird is near. Kit gave a
shout of joy and hastened after the blackbird, who was
hopping along the ground in front of him, and the
next minute he found himself standing in a blaze of
sunlight in front of a high stone wall. Beyond the wall,
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he could see the tall towers of a great castle,
but he did not trouble himself much about the other
side of the wall, for on the top of it,
with the sunshine pouring all over her, sat the most
charming little girl ever seen. She had lost one of
her shoes, and there was the faintest sign of a
scratch on her round, dimpled chin, and her long black
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hair flowed round her shoulders in a way that some
people might have called untidy. But Kit was sure, directly
he saw her that she had come straight out of Fairyland,
and he was too amazed even to make her a bow.
Dear me, what are you doing here, asked the girl,
in a tone of great surprise. Kit took a step
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nearer the wall and pulled off his cap. Her voice
reminded him that although she belonged to Fairyland, she was
still a little girl and would expect him to remember
his manners. I've come to rescue the princess, he said,
Can you tell me where she is? She lives in
the castle over there, answered the girl, What are you
going to do when you have rescued her? Well, I
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suppose I shall ask her to marry me, said Kit.
Do you think she will? Ah, she replied gravely. That
depends on whether you have my permission. Tell me who
you are to begin with. I'm Kit, the coward, he
said simply, and he stared when she broke into the
merriest peal of laughter. Imaginable, What nonsense, she cried. If
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you are a coward, you would never have got here
at all. Is that true, asked Kit eagerly. Then do
you think the princess will marry me? The girl looked
down at him for a moment, with her untidy little
head on one side. Then she bent and held out
her two hands to him. I think perhaps the princess will,
she said softly. If you will help me down from
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this enormous high wall, we will go and ask her.
So Kit lifted her down from the wall, which was
quite an easy matter, for it was, in reality no
higher than he was, and the little girl was certainly
the lightest weight he had ever held in his arms.
What are you looking for, he asked, when he had
set her on the ground, for she was kneeling down
and turning over the dry leaves in a most distressed manner.
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I'm looking for my crown, of course, she said, with
a pout. Mbled off my head just before you came,
and I was too frightened to jump all that long
way to find it. Here it is, said Kit, and
he picked up the little glittering crown and set it
gently on the top of her beautiful, rumpled hair. Then
he started back in surprise. You are the princess, he shouted.
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Of course I am, laughed Princess Winsome, putting her hand
in his. I knew that all the time. Shall we
go home now? Kit did not reply immediately, for no
one can do two things at once, and it took
him quite a long time to kiss the small, soft
hand that lay in his own big one. And as
for going home, when they did start, they did not
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get very far, for it must not be forgotten that
they were still in an enchanted forest, and it is
easier to get into an enchanted forest than to get
out of it again. However, as they had everything in
the world to talk about, they would probably have been
most annoyed if they had found their way instead of
losing it, so they just went on losing it as
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happily as until they could not walk another step because
an immense giant was occupying the whole of the roadway.
There he sat smoking a great pipe that looked like
a chimney pot that wanted sweeping. And when the princess
saw him, she was so frightened that she hid herself
behind Kit and peeped under his arm to see what
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was going to happen. Hullo, said the giant, in a
huge voice that made the grass stand on end with fright,
just as it does after a hoar frost. What's this?
You are running away with the princess? To be sure,
I am, said Kit, And if you don't let me pass,
I shall have to kill you, Oh dear, sighed the giant,
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raising a wind that made the trees shiver for miles around.
They all say that, and there's no peace for a
poor giant nowadays. When I was a boy, the prince
was always put under a spell, as well as the princess. However,
I suppose I must make an end of you if
you are determined to fight. And he laid down his
pipe and rose most unwillingly to his feet. Kit laughed
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out loud with gladness, for at last he had found
a good reason for a fight, and no one would
be able to call him a coward anymore. But before
there was time to strike a single blow, the giant
gave a loud howl of alarm, took to his heels,
and in another moment was completely out of sight. Kit
turned in amazement to his little princess, and then he
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saw what had frightened the giant. For all the animals
of the forest, all the lions and the tigers, and
the bears and the wolves, stood there and rose waiting
to help him. So there is no doubt that the
giant would have been killed by somebody if he had
not run away. Isn't it wonderful? Said the little princess
in a whisper. But Kit covered his face with his hands.
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It's no use, he said, in a disappointed tone. The
other boys will never believe that I am not a coward.
Princess Winsome came and pulled his hands away and laughed softly.
I think you're the bravest boy in the world. She said,
of course he is, chuckled a voice somewhere near How
stupid some people are to be sure. And there sat
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the weird witch under a tree, all in her pink
and green gown, with her great eyes brim full of
fun and nonsense. And as the boy and girl stood
hand in hand before her and caught the glance of
her beautiful witch's eyes, all sorts of muddles fell out
of their heads, and they began to understand everything that
had been puzzling them for years and years and years.
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That only shows what a witch can do when she
is the right sort of witch. Dear little Princess, cried, kit,
it doesn't matter whether the other boys believe me or not,
so long as you know I'm not a coward. Besides,
added Princess Winsome, we are not going to try to
make anybody believe anything. I think. We'll stay here instead,
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forever and ever and always very good idea, smiled the
weird Witch of the willow herb as she nodded at them.
Both always remain enchanted if you can. So they had
the nicest and funniest wedding possible on the spot, and
there was no time wasted in sending out invitations, for
all the guests were already waiting there, and rose with
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the exception of the singing birds, and Kit very soon
summoned them by whistling a few notes of his wonderful tune.
The princess laid her own wedding breakfast under the trees,
and the wedding guests helped her by bringing her everything
that was nice to eat in the forest, such as
roasted chestnuts and preserved fruits, and truffles and barley sugar cane,
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and lots of dewdrops and honey drops and pear drops.
And the weird witch completed the feast by turning a
piece of rock that nobody wanted into a wedding cake.
And every one will agree that it is better for
a rock to turn into a wedding cake than for
a wedding cake to turn into a rock. And all
the flowers came with their own accord and arranged them
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on the table, which they certainly did much more prettily
than anybody else could have done it for them. And
when the wedding was over, they just walked away again
instead of stopping until they were dead, which of course
is what they would have done at any other wedding.
And although the bride had lost her other shoe by
the time she was ready to be married, And although
her beautiful hair was more untidy than ever, and her
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crown had tumbled off again and had to be brought
to her by an obliging lion, Kit never noticed any
of these things, and only felt quite certain that he
was marrying somebody who had come right out of fairyland
and was not an ordinary princess at all. No doubt
it was because he was in an enchanted forest that
he made such a mistake, and no doubt it is
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because he has never been disenchanted since that he is
making the same mistake to this day. As for the
weird witch of the willow herb, she went back to
her pink cottage on the top of the hill so
as to be ready to make the next person happy
who came up the white winding path. But before she
went she took care that all the singing birds should
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fly back to KITT's home and tell the other boys
how brave he had been, which they did with the
greatest pleasure imaginable. It is said that the story became
slightly exaggerated, but when we know how much one little
bird can tell, it is not difficult to imagine the
kind of story that could be told by hundreds and
hundreds of little birds, And of the weird witch of
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the willow herb by Evelyn Sharp,
The weird Witch of the willow Herb. The weird Witch
of the willow Herb lived in a pink cottage on
the top of a hill. She was merry and beautiful,
and wise and kind, and she was all dressed in
pink and green. And she had great eyes that were
sometimes filled with laughter and sometimes filled with tears, and
her round soft mouth looked as though it had done
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nothing but smile for hundreds and hundreds of years. Her
pink cottage was the most charming place in the world
to live in. The walls were made of the flower
of the willow herb, and the roof was made of
the green leaves, and the floors were made of the
white down, and all the little lattice windows were cobwebs
spun by the spiders who live in Fairyland and make
(00:42):
the windows for the fairy queen's own palace. And no
one but a whimp or a fairy could have said
how long the weird Witch of the willow Herb had
been living in her cottage on the top of the hill.
Now any one might think that this wonderful witch was
so sweet and so wise, that all sorts of people
would become all day long to ask her to help them,
(01:03):
For of course that is what a witch is for.
But this particular witch, who lived in her pink cottage
on the top of the hill had not been living
there all that time for nothing. If I did not
keep a few spells lying about at the bottom of
the hill, I should never have a moment's peace, chuckled
the Witch of the willowerb And that is why most
of the people who came to ask her for spells
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never got so far as the pink cottage at all,
For they found what they wanted at the bottom of
the hill, and no doubt that saved everybody a great
deal of trouble. Poor people, said the weird witch, with
her voice full of kindness. Why should I make them
climb up all this way just to see me? Sometimes, however,
it did happen that somebody got to the top of
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the hill, or else, it is clear that this story
would never have been written. For one day, as the
witch sat on the doorstep of her pink cottage, looking
out over the world with her great eyes that saw everything,
the little princess Winsome came running up the white path
that twisted round and round and up and up. Until
it reached the cottage at the top, and she did
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not stop running until she stood in front of the
weird Witch herself. She looked as though she must have
come a long way in a great hurry, for she
had lost one of her shoes on the way, and
there was quite an important scratch on her dimpled chin.
But of course it is difficult to walk sedately when
one is going to call on a witch. I am
Princess Winsome, she announced, as soon as she had breath
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enough to speak. To be sure you are smiled the
weird witch, who knew that before? And you have run
away from home because because I want to find the
bravest boy in the world, interrupted the princess, who never
liked to let anybody else do the talking. Are they
all cowards in your country, then asked the witch. Oh no,
answered Princess Winsome. The boys in my country are so
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brave that it is no fun playing with them. They
stop all the games by fighting about nothing at all.
And it's dreadfully dull when you're a girl, isn't it.
Perhaps it is, smiled the witch. Then why are you
looking for the bravest boy of all? Ah? Said the
little princess. Wisely, the bravest boy of all would never
fight unless there was a reason, you see, and so
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we should have lots of time to play. But how
am I to find him. The only way to find
him is to let him find you, said the weird witch.
And the best thing I can do for you is
to shut you up in the middle of an enchanted forest,
where no one but the bravest boy in the world
would ever come to find anyone. Now, make haste or
you won't get there on time. And the princess, with
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a scratch on her chin, must certainly have made haste,
for she had quite disappeared by the time the Witch's
next visitor came up the winding white path, And that
happened the very next minute. This time it was a
boy who came along, a tall, strong, jolly looking boy
with his hands in his pockets and his cap at
the back of his head, whistling a strange, wild tune
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that was made up of all the songs of all
the birds in the air, so that as he whistled it,
every bird for miles round stopped to listen. I'm kit
the coward, he said, pulling off his cap to the
witch to be sure you are smiled the weird witch,
who knew that too. And you have run away from
home because the other boys called you a coward, and
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you want to show them that you are as brave
as they are. Only you won't fight without a reason.
Isn't that it? Course it is, answered Kit, who liked
to have his talking done for him. But how shall
I find something worth fighting about? That is not difficult,
said the weird Witch. All you have to do is
go to the court of King Hurley Burley and ask
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him to give you something brave to do. The king
is always going to war about something, so you will
soon have as much fighting as you want. Now be
off with you, or else some one else will get
there before you. All right, said Kit, Which is the
way any way you like, laughed the weird Witch. But
in what direction? Asked Kit? It doesn't matter, laughed the
(05:00):
weird Witch. So Kit made her another bow and marched
away again down the hillside, whistling the same tune as before,
And all the birds of the air came flying along
when they heard it, and they flew in front of
him to show him the way, and he followed them
over meadows and streams and orchards and cornfields, until they
brought him to the walls of King Hurley Burley's city.
(05:21):
And they would not have left him then if he
had not pointed out to them most politely that although
it was very obliging of them to have come so
far with him, he would find it a little inconvenient
to travel any further with so many companions. So they
flew away again, and Kit marched into the city and
up to the gates of the King's palace. I have
come to fight for the king, said Kit, when the
(05:44):
guards came out and asked him what he wanted, and
he looked such a fine strong fellow that they took
him in at once to the king. You have come
in the very nick of time, said King Hurley Burly,
For the commander in chief of the royal forces has
overslept himself so often that I had him be headed
this morning before he was awake. The army is, in
consequence without a head, as well as the commander in chief.
(06:06):
So if you will become their general and invade the
country of my neighbor, King Topsy Turvy, I shall be
much obliged to you. Why have I got to invade
the country of King Topsy Turvy, demanded Kit. The king
pushed his crown on one side, which he always did
when he felt puzzled. Now you've come to mention it,
he said. I believe there was a reason, but for
(06:28):
the life of me, I can't remember what it was. However,
the reason is of no importance. Oh, yes, it is, interrupted, Kit,
I can't possibly fight without a reason. You know. Well,
that's awkward, said King Hurley. Burley. Perhaps the army will know,
and he sent a message round to the barracks to
ask the soldiers why they were going to war. But
although the soldiers were all ready to begin fighting, they
(06:51):
had not the least idea what the war was about.
So the king's crown became more crooked than before. Won't
it do if you invent a reason, he asked Kit,
for he could not help thinking how nice it would
be to stay at home while his soldiers were being
led to war by someone else. Oh you may marry
the Princess Winsom if you come back victorious, he added
as an afterthought, But Kit only shook his head. He
(07:14):
had never heard of the Princess Winsome, and he was
not going to fight anybody without a very good reason
for it. Then King Hurley Burley had a brilliant idea.
We'll go and declare a war on the enemy to
begin with, he said, and perhaps they will remember the reason.
There was certainly no harm in declaring war. So Kit
rode off at once on one of the King's fastest horses,
(07:35):
and arrived the next morning at the court of King
topsy Turvy just as his majesty was sitting down to breakfast.
I have come from King Hurley Burley to declare war,
said Kit, who always went straight to the point. What for,
asked King topsy Turvy. I don't know, said Kit. That's
what I want you to tell me. The King ate
two eggs before he replied, well, he said, presently. I
(07:59):
believe I said that Hurley Burley was a shocking old muddler.
I suppose that's it, all right? When do you want
to begin? I don't want to begin at all, answered Kit.
Why did you say he was a muddler? No, just
to make conversation, said King topsy Turvy, helping himself to marmalade.
Then you don't really think he is an old muddler,
(08:19):
asked Kit. Dear me, no, said King topsy Turvy. I
never think. Then write that down on a piece of paper.
And there needn't be a war at all, cried Kit.
The King stroked his beard. Perhaps there needn't, he agreed.
But I never write. I do, though, said Kit, who
had learned to write while all the other boys were
making catapults. You've only got to sign your name here.
(08:42):
King topsy Turvy stopped eating his breakfast just long enough
to sign the beautiful apology Kit had written on a
sheet of notepaper. And then Kit jumped on his horse
again and rode back to the palace of King Hurley.
Burley Well said, his majesty, did you discover the reason
there wasn't a and there isn't going to be a war?
Answered Kit, and he held out the beautifully written apology
(09:05):
from King topsy Turvy. What cried his majesty in alarm.
Do you mean to say you've stopped the war? Of
course I have, said Kit, and I've come back victorious
as you see. Didn't you say something about a princess,
but stammered the king. How am I to appease the army?
The army has set its heart on a war, so
(09:26):
had I, answered Kit sadly, but I can never find
anything worth fighting about. Meanwhile, where's the princess? You've not
won the princess, said King Hurley Burley, who is now
thoroughly cross. I believe you are a miserable coward. That
is what the other boys say, answered Kit, smiling. It
is not my fault that there's nothing to fight about.
(09:47):
Will you please send for the princess. The princess has
run away from home, so I can't send for her,
said the king irritably. She is shut up in an
enchanted forest and surrounded with wild beasts and magic spells
and giants. It is not at all a nice place
for a princess to be in. But how am I
to get her away? Why, exclaimed Kit, laughing. Here is
(10:09):
something for your army to do. Let it go and
rescue the princess. Nothing would induce the army to go
near the place, explained the king sorrowfully. The army is
too much afraid of being bewitched. Hurrah, shouted Kit, laughing.
More than ever, at last, I have found something brave
to do. I will go and rescue the princess. So
(10:29):
Kit the coward started out on his travels once more.
And no sooner did he get outside the city gates
than he began to whistle his wonderful tune, and down
swept all the birds of the air, and hundreds, and
they flew in front of him as before, and led
him to the very edge of the enchanted forest. There
they left him, for no one can help anybody to
(10:49):
go through an enchanted forest. And Kit knew fast enough
that he must find the princess by himself. He was
not a bit afraid, though, and he plunged straight into
the wood without looking back. He had not taken two
steps before he had completely lost himself. The trees were
so thick overhead that not a streak of sunshine was
able to get through, and the forest was so full
(11:11):
of wild beasts that it was impossible to walk five
yards without tumbling over a lion or a bear. But
this did not frighten Kit at all, for he had
learned to talk the language of the woods all the
time that the other boys were knocking one another on
the head. And so he soon made friends with every
animal in the forest, and they told him the best
places to find apples and nuts and blackberries. And the
(11:34):
bees brought him the very best honey they could make,
and he grew so happy and so contented that he
quite forgot he was enchanted, and could not escape if
he wanted to. But it is impossible to be happy
for long when one is bewitched. And one day Kit
found himself in a part of the forest that was
more horrible and more frightening than any dark passage that
(11:54):
was ever invented on the way to any nursery. It
was not only dark, but it was strangely silent as well,
and a curious feeling of gloom and unhappiness suddenly crept
over Kit. If it had been a nice sort of silence,
the sort we find when we get away from the
other boys and girls into a place where it is
quiet enough to hear the real sounds of the air,
(12:16):
Kit would still have been quite happy. But here there
was nothing to be heard at all, not even the
brushing of the leaves, nor the blooming of the flowers,
nor the growing of the grass. But the most frightening
thing of all was when he clapped his hands together
and stamped as hard as he could on the ground,
for not a sound did he make, And when he
tried to speak, he found he could only whisper, and
(12:39):
when he burst out laughing, he made no more noise
than if he had been smiling. Still, he kept his
wits about him, for of course there was the princess
to be rescued. And at last he thought of trying
to whistle. At first he could not make a note
sound in the stillness, but he went on trying until
the wonderful tune he had learned long ago from the
birds themselves began to echo once more through the silent forest.
(13:03):
He did not get an answer at once, for really
nice birds cannot be expected to go out of their
way to a place where there is no sunshine, and
the flowers cannot enter into conversation with them. But after
a while, a very fat blackbird, who certainly had impudence
enough for anything, came hopping along from branch to branch
until he landed on Kit's shoulder, And with him came
(13:25):
sunshine and sound and merriment into the very heart of
the melancholy forest. For none of these things are ever
far off when a blackbird is near. Kit gave a
shout of joy and hastened after the blackbird, who was
hopping along the ground in front of him, and the
next minute he found himself standing in a blaze of
sunlight in front of a high stone wall. Beyond the wall,
(13:47):
he could see the tall towers of a great castle,
but he did not trouble himself much about the other
side of the wall, for on the top of it,
with the sunshine pouring all over her, sat the most
charming little girl ever seen. She had lost one of
her shoes, and there was the faintest sign of a
scratch on her round, dimpled chin, and her long black
(14:07):
hair flowed round her shoulders in a way that some
people might have called untidy. But Kit was sure, directly
he saw her that she had come straight out of Fairyland,
and he was too amazed even to make her a bow.
Dear me, what are you doing here, asked the girl,
in a tone of great surprise. Kit took a step
(14:28):
nearer the wall and pulled off his cap. Her voice
reminded him that although she belonged to Fairyland, she was
still a little girl and would expect him to remember
his manners. I've come to rescue the princess, he said,
Can you tell me where she is? She lives in
the castle over there, answered the girl, What are you
going to do when you have rescued her? Well, I
(14:50):
suppose I shall ask her to marry me, said Kit.
Do you think she will? Ah, she replied gravely. That
depends on whether you have my permission. Tell me who
you are to begin with. I'm Kit, the coward, he
said simply, and he stared when she broke into the
merriest peal of laughter. Imaginable, What nonsense, she cried. If
(15:11):
you are a coward, you would never have got here
at all. Is that true, asked Kit eagerly. Then do
you think the princess will marry me? The girl looked
down at him for a moment, with her untidy little
head on one side. Then she bent and held out
her two hands to him. I think perhaps the princess will,
she said softly. If you will help me down from
(15:33):
this enormous high wall, we will go and ask her.
So Kit lifted her down from the wall, which was
quite an easy matter, for it was, in reality no
higher than he was, and the little girl was certainly
the lightest weight he had ever held in his arms.
What are you looking for, he asked, when he had
set her on the ground, for she was kneeling down
and turning over the dry leaves in a most distressed manner.
(15:56):
I'm looking for my crown, of course, she said, with
a pout. Mbled off my head just before you came,
and I was too frightened to jump all that long
way to find it. Here it is, said Kit, and
he picked up the little glittering crown and set it
gently on the top of her beautiful, rumpled hair. Then
he started back in surprise. You are the princess, he shouted.
(16:18):
Of course I am, laughed Princess Winsome, putting her hand
in his. I knew that all the time. Shall we
go home now? Kit did not reply immediately, for no
one can do two things at once, and it took
him quite a long time to kiss the small, soft
hand that lay in his own big one. And as
for going home, when they did start, they did not
(16:38):
get very far, for it must not be forgotten that
they were still in an enchanted forest, and it is
easier to get into an enchanted forest than to get
out of it again. However, as they had everything in
the world to talk about, they would probably have been
most annoyed if they had found their way instead of
losing it, so they just went on losing it as
(16:59):
happily as until they could not walk another step because
an immense giant was occupying the whole of the roadway.
There he sat smoking a great pipe that looked like
a chimney pot that wanted sweeping. And when the princess
saw him, she was so frightened that she hid herself
behind Kit and peeped under his arm to see what
(17:19):
was going to happen. Hullo, said the giant, in a
huge voice that made the grass stand on end with fright,
just as it does after a hoar frost. What's this?
You are running away with the princess? To be sure,
I am, said Kit, And if you don't let me pass,
I shall have to kill you, Oh dear, sighed the giant,
(17:41):
raising a wind that made the trees shiver for miles around.
They all say that, and there's no peace for a
poor giant nowadays. When I was a boy, the prince
was always put under a spell, as well as the princess. However,
I suppose I must make an end of you if
you are determined to fight. And he laid down his
pipe and rose most unwillingly to his feet. Kit laughed
(18:05):
out loud with gladness, for at last he had found
a good reason for a fight, and no one would
be able to call him a coward anymore. But before
there was time to strike a single blow, the giant
gave a loud howl of alarm, took to his heels,
and in another moment was completely out of sight. Kit
turned in amazement to his little princess, and then he
(18:27):
saw what had frightened the giant. For all the animals
of the forest, all the lions and the tigers, and
the bears and the wolves, stood there and rose waiting
to help him. So there is no doubt that the
giant would have been killed by somebody if he had
not run away. Isn't it wonderful? Said the little princess
in a whisper. But Kit covered his face with his hands.
(18:50):
It's no use, he said, in a disappointed tone. The
other boys will never believe that I am not a coward.
Princess Winsome came and pulled his hands away and laughed softly.
I think you're the bravest boy in the world. She said,
of course he is, chuckled a voice somewhere near How
stupid some people are to be sure. And there sat
(19:13):
the weird witch under a tree, all in her pink
and green gown, with her great eyes brim full of
fun and nonsense. And as the boy and girl stood
hand in hand before her and caught the glance of
her beautiful witch's eyes, all sorts of muddles fell out
of their heads, and they began to understand everything that
had been puzzling them for years and years and years.
(19:36):
That only shows what a witch can do when she
is the right sort of witch. Dear little Princess, cried, kit,
it doesn't matter whether the other boys believe me or not,
so long as you know I'm not a coward. Besides,
added Princess Winsome, we are not going to try to
make anybody believe anything. I think. We'll stay here instead,
(19:58):
forever and ever and always very good idea, smiled the
weird Witch of the willow herb as she nodded at them.
Both always remain enchanted if you can. So they had
the nicest and funniest wedding possible on the spot, and
there was no time wasted in sending out invitations, for
all the guests were already waiting there, and rose with
(20:19):
the exception of the singing birds, and Kit very soon
summoned them by whistling a few notes of his wonderful tune.
The princess laid her own wedding breakfast under the trees,
and the wedding guests helped her by bringing her everything
that was nice to eat in the forest, such as
roasted chestnuts and preserved fruits, and truffles and barley sugar cane,
(20:39):
and lots of dewdrops and honey drops and pear drops.
And the weird witch completed the feast by turning a
piece of rock that nobody wanted into a wedding cake.
And every one will agree that it is better for
a rock to turn into a wedding cake than for
a wedding cake to turn into a rock. And all
the flowers came with their own accord and arranged them
(21:00):
on the table, which they certainly did much more prettily
than anybody else could have done it for them. And
when the wedding was over, they just walked away again
instead of stopping until they were dead, which of course
is what they would have done at any other wedding.
And although the bride had lost her other shoe by
the time she was ready to be married, And although
her beautiful hair was more untidy than ever, and her
(21:23):
crown had tumbled off again and had to be brought
to her by an obliging lion, Kit never noticed any
of these things, and only felt quite certain that he
was marrying somebody who had come right out of fairyland
and was not an ordinary princess at all. No doubt
it was because he was in an enchanted forest that
he made such a mistake, and no doubt it is
(21:44):
because he has never been disenchanted since that he is
making the same mistake to this day. As for the
weird witch of the willow herb, she went back to
her pink cottage on the top of the hill so
as to be ready to make the next person happy
who came up the white winding path. But before she
went she took care that all the singing birds should
(22:05):
fly back to KITT's home and tell the other boys
how brave he had been, which they did with the
greatest pleasure imaginable. It is said that the story became
slightly exaggerated, but when we know how much one little
bird can tell, it is not difficult to imagine the
kind of story that could be told by hundreds and
hundreds of little birds, And of the weird witch of
(22:28):
the willow herb by Evelyn Sharp,
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