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A long time ago, at the ends of the Earth, was a singular town. Ordinary folks lived there, who went about their everyday business. All would have been perfect but for a singular misfortune. This town grew amongst limitless swamps where fang-toads lived – enormous frogs with razor-sharp teeth. Their stubby legs ended in massive claws. Ugly bat-like wings sprouted from their warty backs. Fang-toads were considered to be the most dangerous creatures alive in this land.

When the cold season began, the fang-toads left for warmer lands. While flying above the town, they attacked its inhabitants and livestock. Those who didn’t have time to hide were carried off by the blood-thirsty predators. This is how things occurred every year, until a kind witch named Zardana settled there. Before every fang-toad migration, the witch fired up her enormous cauldron in the middle of the town square, using it to prepare a scary potion. Her concoction filled the streets with a pleasant aroma which the fang-toads found unbearable. Once they caught wind of it, they circumvented the town. From that moment onwards, the townspeople felt safe.

For several years, the kind witch protected the town from attack by the winged beasts. But she was powerless against time. Zardana grew older – from year to year, it became more and more difficult for her to prepare the miraculous potion.

“You should find a helper”, the townspeople told her.

The witch heeded the citizens’ advice and decided to take an apprentice under her wing, to continue her vocation in the future. She had chosen her neighbours’ daughter Faith, a bright and hard-working girl. The witch spoke with the girl’s parents and they agreed.

Faith turned out to be a skillful apprentice. She bought everything needed for the potion at the market, lit the fire, and helped Zardana prepare the enchanted concoction. Faith also grew various herbs in the garden, along with cabbage from which Zardana loved to make salads. She taught the girl various aspects of magic. She passed on all the knowledge she possessed to Faith.

One day, the elderly witch became ill – at the exact moment the fang-toads began their seasonal migration. There was no time to waste – the scary potion had to be prepared immediately! As usual, Faith went to the market to buy the required ingredients. Then she rolled the enormous cauldron to the square and lit a fire beneath it.

“All is ready, Mistress. We may begin”, the girl announced to the witch.

“My dear, you’ll have to prepare the potion on your own this year. I’m afraid I barely have enough strength to stand up”, replied Zardana.

“I can’t. I’m not a witch. I won’t be able to prepare the scary potion!” Faith was frightened.

“Fetch me a head of cabbage from my vegetable garden”, ordered Zardana.

The girl brought back the largest cabbage she had managed to find in the garden. The witch broke off a cabbage leaf and held it out to Faith. “Place this on your head – all the power of my magic will be passed on to you.”

Faith looked silly with a cabbage leaf on her head. But the witch didn’t give her time to recover. “Save the town. Prepare the potion!”, she ordered her apprentice.

Faith ran to the square as swiftly as she could. The water in the cauldron was already boiling. The girl went to work. She clearly recalled what to put in the boiling water, and in which sequence. The scary potion’s familiar odour spread throughout the town. The fang-toads passed over the town once again this year. The town was saved. The inhabitants, although they were grateful to Faith for saving them, for a long time made fun of the cabbage leaf on the young enchantress’ head. They even nicknamed her ‘Cabbage Head’.

Another year passed. It was once again time for the fang-toad migration. Zardana had not survived until then. The kind witch had left her house and garden to her apprentice. Faith began to prepare the potion by herself. She went to the market, readied the cauldron, and remembered to put her cabbage leaf on. The fang-toads passed over once more. In this manner, Faith kept the fang-toads at bay year after year. The townspeople had long ago grown accustomed to seeing their saviour with a cabbage leaf on her head. They no longer teased her, since it was now the young enchantress who saved them every year from the blood-thirsty beasts.

***

One day, Faith’s nieces Katey and Ashley came to visit her. They brought their pet pig Corky along with them. The enchantress was busy with preparations at the square. The fang-toads were about to fly over the town once again! Faith sent her nieces home – she went to fetch the magic potion ingredients at the market herself.

Finally, the young enchantress had everything ready – only the cabbage leaf was missing from her head. Returning to her house, Faith headed for the vegetable garden. But in the row where the cabbage grew, Corky was making himself at home. The pig had eaten all the cabbage, without leaving a single head intact!

“What to do now? How am I going to prepare the scary potion without Zardana’s magical powers?!”, worried Faith.

Meanwhile, fang-toads were already flying above the town. Its inhabitants were peacefully going about their business without realizing the impeding danger… fang-toads were raining down from the sky. They caught those who didn’t have time to hide and carried them off. Panic seized the town. One could hear screams and crying from every direction.

Forgetting all about the cabbage, Faith rushed to the square. Stirring the potion in the cauldron, she began to quickly throw the required ingredients into it. Wisps of vapour rose above the cauldron. The fang-toads smelled the potion’s repulsive odour and flew off. The rescued townspeople thanked Faith. No one but Katey and Ashley noticed that there was no longer a cabbage leaf on the enchantress’ head.

“Aunt Faith, you did it without your cabbage hat!”, exclaimed the girls joyfully. Around them trotted and grunted a happy Corky.

That’s when Faith understood the kind witch’s wisdom. Her magical power was not in the cabbage, but rather in the knowledge she had passed on to her apprentice. As for the cabbage leaf’s magic, she had imagined this so the girl could believe in her own strength.

Since that day, Faith continued to protect the town without a silly leaf on her head. The townspeople loved and highly respected their enchantress. They have long ago forgotten her nickname. Faith herself had forgotten it. Only many years later did she remember the cabbage hat, when the time came to pass her knowledge on to a new apprentice…

© Asa Guves, 2012

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