Carol was on her own now, though. And here was her last chance to ride on a bus. She had a bit of money left in her pocket so she struggled onto the bus with her suitcase.
"Where do you want to go?" asked the driver.
Carol didn't know what to say.
"Well?" The driver was sounding impatient now.
Carol pulled a coin out of her pocket.
"How far can I go for this?" she asked.
"Quite a long way," smiled the driver, taking the money and giving her a ticket. "That'll take you to the heath at the edge of town. Is that OK?"
That was perfect. It was in the right direction for getting home.
Carol dumped her case in the luggage area and clambered up the stairs to the top storey. The very front seats were empty. Carol plonked herself down happily on them to enjoy the ride. But it was terrifying! Every time the bus turned a corner, Cackling Carol was sure they were going to hit the cars coming towards them. The bus seemed to swing so far out! And when they approached a low bridge, Cackling Carol dived under her seat. She was convinced they were going to hit it! This was far scarier than riding Broom. Oh dear, she shouldn't have thought about Broom. A big fat tear trickled down her cheek.
Looking round for something to cheer her up, she spotted a button with 'push' on it. So Cackling Carol pushed it. A bell sounded. Carol pushed it again. Again the bell sounded.
"This is fun! thought Carol. She pressed it several more times until the driver's voice rose angrily up the stairs. "Stop pushing that bell, madam!" Carol stopped at once.
They were soon at the heath. Cackling Carol collected her case and climbed off the bus. The driver was quite relieved to see her go!
Carol set off. After walking quickly for a long, long time, Cackling Carol reached her woods again, just as dusk was falling. She dived into the woods. She pushed through bramble bushes and waded through bogs in her haste to get back home and find her friends. Her neat hair got tangled and scragged by branches. Her outfit got torn and muddy. She began to look more like a witch again. And as she battled through the undergrowth, she found that she could remember some of her spells again. She’d been too busy shopping and going to the cinema to think of them while she’d been living in the flat. She began to cheer up as she chanted some of the old magic words and phrases again. Witching was far more fun than watching films or waiting in queues at the cash till in shops.
Cackling Carol felt like a proper witch again. She turned a couple of spiders into lizards and felt even better. She spotted a tiny mouse being chased by an owl and, with a click of her fingers, made the mouse the size of a hare. The startled owl hooted in horror and streaked off. The mouse looked round in surprise but then trotted off happily enough.
Carol chuckled to herself. She was still chuckling when she reached her cavern. She stopped chuckling at once. Like Broom and Big Roddy, she was horrified to see it boarded up and abandoned.
She read the sign. “Danger, no entry. Danger indeed! How could my cosy old home be dangerous, I should like to know?”
Then she saw the hole that Big Roddy and Broom had made in one corner.
“What’s this?” she wondered. She bent to have a closer look and caught sight of what looked like a ball of fluff stuck to the edges of the broken boards. She pulled it off. She recognised the feel of it at once. It was Big Roddy’s fur! So he’d been here, and recently too. She was hot on the trail of Broom and Big Roddy.
“Hooray!” she trilled. She didn’t stop to look around her old home, not that there was anything to see anyway. Grasping the handful of Big Roddy’s fur, she recited a tracking spell. At once a glowing green path appeared, showing her where the former owner of the fur had gone. With new energy, Cackling Carol jogged along, her suitcase of bottles clanking alarmingly.
She soon saw that the path was leading to Witch Matilda’s cavern.
“Clever Broom! Clever Big Roddy,” she smiled. What a sensible thing to do, to go and see Matilda. With any luck they’d still be there. Carol started to run. The bottles clanked even more and then started to crack and splinter.
“Whoops!” exclaimed Carol, slowing down for an instant, then “Oh, who cares!” she shouted as she threw the case down. She could always get new bottles and spell books but she couldn’t get a new Broom or Big Roddy. They were far more important.
She rushed on and reached the thick forest where Broom had had so much trouble. Carol plunged straight in, following Big Roddy’s glowing trail. But as she got closer, she began to slow down. It wasn’t just that she was getting tired from so much walking and running. (Cackling Carol wasn’t very fit.) It was also that she was beginning to wonder if Broom and Big Roddy would be pleased to see her. Perhaps they didn’t want to come back to her.
“I wouldn’t blame them,” thought Carol sadly. “I was really rotten.”
She sat down on a sleeping badger and had a little cry. She didn’t notice what seemed to be a blue shooting star career through the sky above her. But the star noticed her.
“Now, now, this will never do,” Carol told herself firmly, blowing her nose on the sleeve of her silk blouse. “I will find Broom and Big Roddy and ask them to forgive me. And if they won’t, well, I shall have only myself to blame.”
She squared her shoulders and marched on until she came to the entrance to Witch Matilda’s cavern. It seemed very quiet although Carol could see that a fire was burning inside.
“Matilda, it’s Cackling Carol!” she called. “I’m a witch again!”
No reply. Not even a cat appeared.
“Matilda, are you there?”
Still nothing.
Cautiously Carol stepped into the cavern. She looked around. There were plates of beetle biscuits and bowls of fly jelly on the table. Obviously Matilda was planning a party. But where was everyone? Carol turned into the room where they had their meetings — and shrieked! There were all her sister witches, and their cats, but all turned to stone!
“There’s only one person can do magic this powerful,” Cackling Carol exclaimed out loud.
“Yes, me!” came a voice from behind her. Carol whirled round to see Wizard Egbert looking very pleased with himself.
Chapter 6 Cackling Carol Versus Wizard Egbert
Cackling Carol’s jaw dropped in amazement.
“Ha ha!” Egbert gloated. “You weren’t expecting to see me for another nine hundred and ninety-nine years were you? Well, surprise, surprise. Here I am now. And I was looking for you.”
“Oh?” said Carol in a very wobbly voice. She was horrified.
“Yes, and that monstrous mutt of yours. You two were responsible for me getting caught, weren’t you?” Egbert looked very threatening.
“No, it was just me. All my idea. My dog only did what I told him,” gabbled Cackling Carol. The least she could do was try keep Big Roddy out of trouble.
“Nonsense! The dog is as guilty as you are. I’ll find him, don’t you worry. I found you, didn’t I? Now, what shall I do with you. Something very nasty I think!” Egbert laughed unpleasantly and began to pace round and round Carol.
“Come on, come on, think of something, you silly witch!” Carol scolded herself. Now was the time to act, while Egbert was off guard.
Suddenly a spell plopped into her brain. Her favourite spell. It turned people into toads. It might work on wizards too. She shrieked out a few weird words and there was a fat blue toad hopping around her. But only for a few seconds. Egbert was a powerful magician. He quickly undid Carol’s spell by turning it back on her. Now Cackling Carol was the toad!
“I’ll squash you, you Cackling Toad,” grinned Egbert, trying to stamp on Cackling Carol. Carol leapt here, there and everywhere to avoid his big blue boots. As she did, she desperately croaked out a few more magic words. These made up the ‘turn into a fly’ spell.
Before her toady eyes, Egbert shrunk and turned into a fly. Carol the toad knew what to do. She shot out her tongue and wrapped it round the very blue bluebottle. But be
fore she could swallow Egbert and so destroy him for ever, he reversed the spell she had cast on him. Carol found herself stuck with a full size Egbert sitting on her tongue. It hurt!
“Now I’ve got you, puny witch,” chuckled Egbert.
“Huh! No-one calls me puny and gets away with it,” thought Carol angrily. Summoning up her magic powers, she undid the toad spell just as Egbert reached out to grab her. He ended up with a handful of curly hair. He gave it a spiteful tug.
“Ouch!” cried Carol, loudly. “You’re a rotten bully, Egbert.”
She turned him into a cat. Egbert turned her into a mouse. Quickly Carol turned Egbert into a piece of cheese. Egbert turned Carol into a mousetrap. And so it went on, each of them turning the other one into lots of different things.
“This could be a long fight,” thought Carol to herself wearily.
Chapter 7 Broom and Big Roddy to the Rescue
Broom and Big Roddy weren’t far away. They were hiding near Matilda’s cave, hoping that Egbert wouldn’t find them. They huddled together.
Suddenly Big Roddy sat upright, pricking his big floppy ears as much as he could.
“Get down!” hissed Broom. “Egbert will see us!”
But Big Roddy wouldn’t. He began to whimper excitedly.
“What is it, Big Roddy?” asked Broom. “What can you hear?”
Big Roddy had heard Cackling Carol say ‘ouch’ as Egbert pulled her hair. He was sure it was Cackling Carol. He hoped it was Carol. No, he was positive it was Carol.
He stood up to find his mistress.
“Where are you going?” gasped Broom, grabbing Big Roddy's tail to stop him. Had Big Roddy gone nuts? Why did he want to risk getting caught by Egbert? Broom himself would only risk such a thing for Cackling Carol but …
“Good gracious!” cried Broom, suddenly understanding. “You heard Cackling Carol didn’t you? Clever dog. Come on, let’s find her — before Egbert does, if we can.”
Big Roddy charged off towards Witch Matilda’s cave again, closely followed by Broom. They arrived at the doorway in time to see a blue octopus turning a seahorse into a crab. Both fishy creatures turned to stare at the dog and the broom. In an instant the octopus became a wizard and the crab became Cackling Carol. There was delight on Carol’s face for a moment but it quickly changed into concern.
“Run, Big Roddy! Fly, Broom! Get away from here!” she cried in warning.
“Too late!” chirped Egbert gleefully conjuring up a blue brick wall to block the entrance to the cave. “No-one’s going anywhere!”
Cackling Carol began to try and magic the wall away, but Egbert’s sorcery was much stronger than her magic.
“I’ve got the lot of you,” smirked Egbert. “Who shall I dispose of first, I wonder? Oh, silly me, how could I forget. Ladies first! No messing around this time, my dear. Say goodbye to your doggy and your floor cleaner.”
He drew back his arm to cast a dreadful spell but Broom threw himself at the wizard and began bashing him about the head.
“Leave Cackling Carol alone,” he yelled.
There was a blue flash. Broom disappeared. In his place sat a floor-cloth.
Big Roddy leapt into the fray. With a piercing howl he jumped at the wizard and knocked him to the ground. But the next moment, Egbert picked himself up and threw a small toy dog to the ground beside him. The toy dog had a tiny witch’s hat.
Carol watched in dismay. Her dear friends, the one she’d betrayed so terribly, had tried to save her. They hadn’t thought of themselves at all. They were brave and noble. They were friends indeed. And Egbert had defeated and humiliated them. She felt tears in her eyes. But at the same time, anger boiled up inside her.
With every shred of her magic powers she screamed the most powerful spell she knew at the smug wizard. She wasn’t sure it would work but it was worth a try. Egbert was caught completely by surprise. Next instant, instead of a blue wizard there was a blue desktop computer, complete with screen and printer, in front of her. And because there was no electricity in the cavern, the computer couldn’t work. And because it couldn’t work, Egbert couldn’t do anything. Carol had done it! She’d beaten Egbert!
But at a cost. She was drained. She sank to her knees. Her magic was almost all gone. She just had a little bit left.
First she turned Broom back from a floor-cloth. He zoomed to her side and Carol gave him a weak hug.
“Dear Broom,” she croaked. “Dear friend.”
Broom sniffed and wiped his eyes. “Oh Mistress, thank goodness you’re safe!”
Then she turned to Big Roddy. She opened her mouth to say the spell to transform him, but before she could do so, a shimmering pink haze filled the cave around her. It was the Witch Spirit. Cackling Carol had only ever seen the Witch Spirit once before, when she first became a witch. The Witch Spirit was the source of every witch’s magic. She only appeared at times of great importance.
The pink haze took the form of a hooded face.
“Cackling Carol,” said the figure.
“Yes, oh great Witch Spirit?” whispered Cackling Carol.
“Carol, my child, your powers are almost gone. Battling with the great wizard has used up all your magic.”
“I know,” nodded Cackling Carol.
“If you cast your next spell, you will exhaust your powers completely. You will never do magic again.” The Witch Spirit sounded grave but kind. “So what will you do, my child?”
Carol didn’t hesitate. “I must cast the spell, Witch Spirit. I have to.”
“I understand,” sighed the Witch Spirit. “And I will help you. But this will be your last spell.” With that, the Witch Spirit vanished.
Cackling Carol didn’t care. Big Roddy was worth losing her magic for. There was no contest — Big Roddy meant all the magic in the world to her.
She uttered the spell. The toy dog became a big, slobbering bundle of fur with a witch’s hat. He bounded over to Carol and licked her joyously. She clung to him with her remaining strength.
“I’m sorry, boys,” she whispered to him and Broom. “Will you forgive me?”
“I think they already have!” came a voice. Carol looked up. It was Witch Matilda. When Carol had broken Egbert’s spell over Roddy, the Witch Spirit had broken his enchantment of the witches too. They were statues no longer and they had a lot to say.
“Carol, you’re back!”
“We’ve missed you, dear.”
“My, my, look at those horrible clean nails.”
“Whatever are you wearing?”
“You’ve done for Egbert this time. Well done!”
“Yes, Egbert the computer will make a very nice foot stool for Matilda. Such a nice shade of blue.”
“I hope he catches some nasty computer viruses.”
The witches helped Cackling Carol to Matilda’s bed. Broom and Big Roddy stuck very close. Carol was very, very weak. Matilda fetched some nourishing frog soup and stinging nettle tea, with extra stings in.
“So the Witch Spirit appeared, did she?” she asked when she returned with a loaded tray.
Cackling Carol nodded. “I shall have to leave your coven now, I suppose. I have no magic left at all,” she croaked sadly.
“Well, I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” replied Witch Matilda, winking. “I know a trick or two. With a little luck, we should be able to get some of your powers restored, but probably not for a couple of hundred years. Still, there’s no hurry is there?”
Cackling Carol brightened up. That was something to look forward to! But for now all she wanted was to be with Broom and Big Roddy again. When she was strong again, they’d find a new, hidden cavern somewhere where not even the most determined do-gooder could find them and take her away again. She'd get by quite happily without magic so long as she had her friends with her.
“Back together again,” smiled Cackling Carol. “And that’s where we all belong.”
A note from the author
I hope you enjoyed this story about Ca
ckling Carol, Big Roddy and Broom. Did you read the other two - The Witch’s Dog and De-Witched - as well?
I’ve always loved writing. I wrote my first stories when I was about 7, all about Apple and Carrot! English was my favourite subject at school and I went on to study it at Oxford University. I did a postgrad degree in Publishing Studies and Stirling University and then began working as a desk editor. I took a few years out to be an accountant, but when we moved to Ireland from England in 1992, I set myself up as a freelance editor and indexer, and I’ve been doing that ever since. I’m married to Chris, have three children - Benjamin, Caitlin and Ruadhri - and since 2006 we’ve all lived in France on a 75 acre farm. We run a gite and carp and farm llamas, and also edit ebooks.
My first books were published in 1996. I have around 30 to my name now and I’m moving into adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as carrying on writing for children and young adults.
Follow my blog about our life as expats, which is never dull, at https://www.bloginfrance.com and find out about my other books at https://www.booksarecool.com. Follow me on Twitter too: https://www.twitter.com/@booksarecool23
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