Short Story: Wykanininch

Short Story: Wykanininch

Once upon a time there lived a little witch who was so tiny that she could have slept in a walnut shell, which indeed she did, but she had set up home in an old leather boot, which she loved and had made very comfortable indeed, thank you very much. And there she lived happily for many years until one day she came home and found it gone and all her contents strewn around on the grass. With a cry of despair she set off on her broomstick searching for her beloved boot. She didn’t have to go far before she found the thief, who was happily sat by a campfire in the nearby woods, warming his hands.

She flew down beside him and stamped her tiny foot.

“You thief, you stole my house.”

Startled, the young man looked around him and at first he couldn’t see where the tiny voice was coming from – and then it blasted him in the ear as she flew up onto his shoulder and shouted into it.

“You’ve stolen my house. Give it back this instant.” She demanded, stamping on his shoulder.

He clamped his hands over his battered eardrum and sent her flying down to the ground. In amazement, he looked down at the tiny woman now looking up at him from flat on her back. Her eyes glittered like tiny golden nuggets.

Quickly she jumped to her feet, dusted herself down and glared accusingly at him with hands on her hips.

"Stolen your house. Indeed I have not,” he declared indignantly, for he was an honest young man and had never stolen anything in his life. She’s mad, he thought. “Can you see a house around here? He swept his arm in search. “Can you?” he demanded.

She folded her arms in front of her and tapped her toe impatiently. “And just what is that?” she asked, pointing at his foot.

“Why, it’s a boot of course.”

“IT’S MY HOUSE, you baffoon. My House!”

“Ummmm…..I……your house?”

The young man stared in amazement at the big leather boot that seemed to fit his foot just perfectly. He looked at his other foot, which was a very sad affair indeed, covered only in leaves and bound and wrapped with an old sack.

He couldn’t believe his luck when he’d come across this fine looking boot. True, it had been filled with a debris of stuff and he thought perhaps a squirrel had been making his nest in it but he had tipped it up and shaken everything out and with a great deal of relief had put it upon his sore and aching foot. He had thought himself the most fortunate of people because now he only needed to find another boot and he would be set up. To be sure, it didn’t even have to be another boot, a shoe would do or even a sandal. He wasn’t proud and would be grateful for anything, such had been his bad luck lately. He sighed for he had taken the finding of the boot as a sign that his luck was changing for the better. By the look on the little woman’s face, he realised this was far from the case and that he was now in BIG trouble.

"Take it of, you….you…oaf,” she demanded.

“Okay, okay,” he rapidly untied the laces and eased the boot of his foot. “I’m really sorry, honestly. I had no idea this was your home.” He brushed it off and placed it beside her with a sigh of regret at its loss.

As he took it off she could see the state of his poor foot, which was covered in blisters and cuts and sores. She looked at his other foot, wrapped up in whatever the forest had to offer and surmised that it would be in a similar state.

“Where do you come from?” she asked curiously.

“Ralisto.”

“Where are you going?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“What do you do?”

“Lady, you sure do ask a lot of questions for a little bitty woman.”

“Well, I’m curious about the man who would steal another’s house from under their noses,” she said, jutting her chin out at him.

He shook his head. “I’m sorry Ma’am. I’m a carpenter. My house burnt down and all my belongings were lost. I couldn’t pay my bills because all my tools were destroyed. I’m searching for work but can’t find any. Still, the forest is pretty and I have seen some wonderful sights. Perhaps I’ll keep travelling for a while – and hope I can find a pair of boots on the way.” He said longingly, looking down at his poor feet and sighing.

She looked at him thoughtfully. She liked his stormy grey eyes. He seemed liked an honest young man – and a good-looking one at that. She felt the anger leaving her.

“That’s a fine hat you have on your head.” She said, changing the subject.

He looked up at it, going slightly cross-eyed at the angle.

“It was my father’s.” And indeed it was a fine hat, made of good sturdy tweed woven into a fetching tartan, complete with a jaunty red pom-pom.

“I too am in the mood for travel. I shall go with you.” She declared.

She flew up to his hat and with a quick flick of her wand made an opening and promptly got inside.

“Yes, this will suit me just fine,” she declared.

“What are you doing?” he asked as he tried to look up at her. He raised a hand to take the hat off his head and received a sharp smack on the wrist from her wand for his trouble.

“Ouch! ”

“You may keep my boot until such time as you find something to replace it. In the meantime I shall set up home here. My name is Wykanininch,” she declared, looking out from her new window.

“Uh….mine’s Jake,” he replied bemusedly, eyes crossed. "Jake Tuffly".

And so together they set off on their travels.

For many months they roamed and saw some wonderful sights.

Wykanininch by this time was perfectly happy in her new home – it had such a wonderful view that changed each day. And Jake found the boot most comfortable. He still limped along as he had yet to make another lucky find for his other foot.

One day they heard a dreadful howling and found a dog, hanging on for dear life to a tree stump on the bank of the river. They thought him in danger of being dragged down the river but when they got closer saw that he had a rope tied around his neck and there was a heavy stone at the other end. Someone had tried to drown him.

Jake quickly dropped all his belongings, jumped in and rescued him.

The dog licked his face with glee and gratitude, turning around in excited circles on the spot. And so the two became three and the dog declared that his name was Dog, which made everything quite simple.

The three roamed happily until one day they came upon a clearing and there, gleaming in the sunshine was the finest pair of leather boots Jake had ever seen. With a cry of delight, he pulled off his boot, tore off the old wrappings from his other foot and didn’t hear - or chose to ignore - Wykanininch’s cry of warning. He pulled the boots on and stood up to stamp on them and admire them. They came right up to his knees and fitted him as if they’d been made for him and were exceedingly handsome. He looked admiringly at them and thought himself the bees knees.

POOF!

An old haggard witch suddenly appeared before him, cackling with glee.

“You are mine….” she screamed in delight as her wand flashed and sparked. “…..Mine!”

Jake’s feet suddenly seemed rooted to the ground. He looked around to warn Wykanininch and Dog but both had disappeared. He tried to run away but whilst his body turned in one direction, his legs, encased in the wonderful leather boots, refused to budge. It is as if he was encased in stone.

“No point trying to get away. Can’t be done. Follow me.” She ordered and walked away, cackling.

And thus the ordered the boots fell into a high marching step behind her. Jake made one final effort and managed to reach down, grab his old boot and tie it to his belt.

The old witch dragged him to her cottage where he became her slave, doing whatever she asked of him as the boots would allow him to do no other. Chopping wood, cleaning, cooking, making fires. He never stopped working. And every day, the witch appeared a little less haggard until one day she stood before him - as beautiful a woman as he had every seen in his life.

“You shall stay with me forever and be mine,” she says, seductively, confidant that he would not, could not, refuse her.

“I cannot,” he declared, awe struck as he was by her beauty.

She screamed at him in fury. “Why not?”

“I love another and my heart belongs to her.” And with a puff of smoke there before him was Wykanininch.

She looked so tiny against the other witch.

“Who are you?” the witch demanded, squinting down to see her properly. But when she looked back up at Jake she could see from the look in his eyes that here was his true love.

She cried in fury and cast spell after spell at Wykanininch to try and destroy her but the little witch was more powerful than she realised and blocked each one until finally, the Witch was spent and collapsed on the ground.

On her knees in defeat she asked in amazement “Who are you?”

“I am Wykanininch.”

The old witch, now as haggard as she had been when Jake had first seen her, quivered and quaked in fear.

“You are Wykanininch?” For in her world, Wykanininch was held to be the most powerful of her kind.

“You shall do no more harm, you old hag.” And Wykanininch took all her powers away from her so that she was just an old woman, living in a cottage.

Jake looked at Wykanininch in wonder.

“You’re okay. I thought she had killed you at the river.”

She smiled gently. “No, I felt it prudent to make myself scarce to see where she took you.” She looked at his waist. “You still have my boot, I see.”

“And your hat.” He said, taking it off and sweeping it low in a graceful salute.

“Careful,” she cried. “You’ll shake all my stuff about. Well, shall we go?” she asked, with a smile on her beautiful face.

“Where’s Dog?” he asked, looking around in concern. He heard a bark and Dog leapt out of the bushes jumped up and licked Jake’s face all over with a slobbery tongue.

“Let’s go home,” he declared in delight.

“Where is home, Jake?” she asked quietly, hopefully.

“Anywhere you are,” he replied simply. “I had no idea that you were so powerful a witch. Although, you’ve certainly cast a spell over me.”

“No, I truly haven’t,” she cried in alarm.

“Not a witch’s spell but one that touches and holds my heart,” he said. “Can you do great magic?” he asked. “Can you make people bigger or smaller?”

“Yes.” she answered honestly, suddenly fearing what he was about to ask of her. For by the look in his eyes she knew that he’d ask her to become a full sized woman and, whilst she did love him, she would have to give up all her powers to do so. She sighed and smiled. Well, for him she would do it.

“What is it you would ask of me?”

“Make me smaller,” he said.

Laughing in delight she swirled around. Sparks flew from her wand encompassing him in their magic until he stood before her - a little taller than her but still not much more than an inch high.

His face lit up with joy and his laughter joined hers as he at last took her in her arms.

Above them, Dog barked in despair and sniffed at them and before you could say POOF! he too joined them in their little world.

And the hat and the boot became their home and there they live until this day, happily ever after.