SpinkyLala
12-10-2011, 01:05 PM
Bernice The Bad Witch
The Bad Witch Bernice sat back in her arm-chair with her favourite newspaper “The
Witches’ Gazette”.
On the front page was a picture of a beautiful “white witch” standing next to a king and
queen with the headline. “Morgana the Good saves castle from dragon”.
Bernice let out a sigh. She had been to Witching School with Morgana and remembered
Morgana teasing her about her rubbish spells.
Bernice turned a few pages and then put the paper down beside her. Life just wasn’t fair she
thought. Maybe someone had slipped her an unlucky potion at spell school.
She had got the name “Bernice the Bad” not because she was evil but because, when it
came to potions, she actually was “quite bad”.
She leaned back in her uncomfortable chair and started to daydream.
“One day” she thought. “One day, I will be on the front page. That will show them”.
Rebecca Visits her Uncle
Not far away from Bernice’s house was a tiny little village. There, lived a woodcutter named
Tom who worked very hard chopping logs to sell at market.
He was chopping away on a big old stump when a carriage pulled up. Out jumped a little
girl. He wiped the sweat from his head. A bag was thrown from the carriage and the driver
passed Tom a letter.
He pulled out the letter and stared at it, but Tom couldn’t read that well.
The little girl asked politely, “Would you like me to read it for you”. He nodded and passed
her the note.
The little girl read aloud.
“Dearest brother Tom, I have been unwell and will be in Hospital for a few weeks. Please
look after your little niece Rebecca. She is a good girl really. Your loving sister. Mary”
“That’s my mum” said Rebecca.
“Well well well” said Tom as he rubbed his brow. “Better get you inside and get the kettle
on.”
No place for Excitement
Tom made little Rebecca comfortable with a nice cup of tea. His house was very untidy.
Tom got up and went out to chop more wood. This was going to be the worst holiday ever
thought Rebecca. She drank her tea in silence and then started to clean up the dirty old
shack.
Rebecca worked ever so hard dusting and wiping all the surfaces. She even cleaned under
the beds. Underneath one she found a great big old trunk and pulled it out. It was locked so
she called her Uncle Tom inside.
“What’s in the trunk” she asked inquisitively.
“Well I never! That’s me and your mother’s old dressing up trunk.” A big smile spread over
his face.
He prised open the lid and lifted it up. Inside were lots and lots of fabulous costumes,
cowboy hats, fairy wings and nurses’ clothes, well just about everything. They started to pull
them all out and sort them in to piles.
Then he left Rebecca to play whilst he put on their brunch.
Bernice does the Rounds
The Bad Witch Bernice looked around her cottage. She hadn’t hung any cobwebs for a while
and the place was starting to look just a little bit tidy. She took a box of dust from the
cupboard and sprinkled it around the room. Then she picked up an old piece of mouldy
cheese from the table. She sniffed at it. It really had lost its pong. “I will have to get some
more next time I go out“ she thought to herself. Then she went into the garden, chopping
the heads off of any flowers that she came across.
Bernice then went over and checked her fairy traps. There wasn’t any point really because
the fairies all lived on the other side of the wood and never travelled, but she hung them
back out all the same. Then she checked that her gate creaked really loudly.
She looked up at her little house. She broke a piece off and gave it a chew.
It tasted delightful! If there was one thing she had passed at school with flying colours, it
was making ginger bread houses.
Rebecca Dresses up
Rebecca sifted through the costumes until she finally decided on a rather splendid gown and
a tiara. She looked at it and smiled. She quickly got changed into her new clothes. She was
now Princess Rebecca!
Rebecca checked her reflection in Uncle Tom’s bedroom mirror. She looked splendid in her
long golden gown, and it fitted so well. She placed the tiara on her head. Oh yes! It looked
fabulous. “Gosh, I do make a good Princess”.
Rebecca stepped into the yard where Tom was busy at work. He looked up and took a long
low, bow.
“Your Majesty” he said with a wave of his hand.
“I am going to inspect my kingdom”. Rebecca announced.
“Please don’t go too far, and stay out of trouble” asked Uncle Tom.
“Promise!” answered Princess Rebecca as she walked away in a majestic style.
Soon enough Rebecca spied Bernice’s cottage in the distance. She remembered what her
uncle had said but excitement took over and she walked toward the rusty old gate.
Bernice gets her Wish
Bernice Heard her gate creek open.
“Nobody every calls here” she thought as she made her way over to the window. She pulled
back the dusty grey net curtain and peeped out.
What a shock she got, as there on her path she spied a beautiful Princess. Her heart leapt
and she came over quite dizzy.
Rebecca was still very much pretending to be a princess as she walked majestically up the
garden path. This was hard to do as the path was very uneven and over-grown, but she still
managed to look splendid. Bernice spied on her through a gap in the door.
“At last” thought Bernice, as she tried to think up a nasty plan.
Rebecca reached the door and knocked gently.
The witch pulled it slightly open and asked, “Who’s there?”
“It is I, Princess Rebecca,” said Rebecca in her poshest princess voice.
Bernice was so excited that she felt her head would burst.
“Well you had better come in then”. She opened the door and gestured with her hand.
Rebecca stepped forward and did a little curtsey.
“And who might you be “she asked Bernice.
“Me! Err I, well I’m Bernice. Bernice the Bad Witch”
Rebecca was so happy. The old lady was playing along with the dressing up and pretending
to be a witch. This was fun!
“Would you please eat a bit of my house,” said Bernice anxiously. “That’s what happens in
all the best gazette stories. I made it myself”.
Rebecca felt a bit uneasy as the witch broke of a bit of brick. She could smell delicious
gingerbread and was slightly confused as the witch held out a piece. Rebecca felt obliged as
she put a tiny morsel in her mouth.
“This really is quite delicious she said” and all of a sudden she fell asleep.
Bernice Makes a Call
Rebecca woke up. She felt very groggy.
She looked around. She had been placed on some cushions and made quite comfy but she
was locked in a cage. She looked across the room and there was the old lady holding a
phone to her ear.
The witch put the phone down and hurried to the cage.
Bernice shouted as she ran over to the cage. “Wake up Princess. The Gazette is sending a
reporter over. We need to decide what to turn you into.”
Rebecca burst into tears. “I’m not really a princess. Please, you have to let me go”.
Bernice’s face dropped.
“Not a princess!” She shrieked. “But the Gazette are coming, they are expecting a princess.
Oh, no. I will be a laughing stock!”
Bernice opened the cage and said, “GO.... before I change my mind”.
Rebecca ran over to the door and the bad witch started to sob.
Rebecca Makes a Plan
Rebecca heard Bernice sobbing and stopped at the door. She walked back over and put her
hand on the witches shoulder.
“Please don’t be upset. I am sure that between us we can sort this out”.
Rebecca now felt very excited, and not at all scared to be in the presence of a real witch.
The pair sat down and Bernice told Rebecca how she had always wanted to prove the other
witches wrong by getting a story in the Gazette.
And now she was to face the ultimate humiliation. The Gazette would tell the witching
world just how useless she really was.
“Don’t worry” announced Rebecca. “I have an idea!”
Rebecca stood up and said, “I think its time you met my uncle.”
Uncle Tom Dresses Up
Rebecca and Bernice hurried back to Uncle Tom. As Rebecca started to tell her story he
became very cross. He was angry with Rebecca for not listening to his warning and he was
angry with Bernice for being so nasty.
He soon started to calm down though as he realised that deep down Bernice couldn’t hurt a
fly. After a little bit of persistence from his niece, he finally agreed to help.
Rebecca told the two grown-ups a rather fancy and complicated plan. They all went
upstairs to the dressing-up trunk. Rebecca picked out some clothes. They then made their
way back to the witch’s cottage.
Bernice set to, making her cottage as dirty as she could. Rebecca took all the comfy cushions
out of the cage and replaced them with rocks. She made herself as pretty as she could and
carefully replaced her tiara and ruffled her gown.
Uncle Tom put on the clothes that Rebecca had picked out. He was not happy at all.
Both Bernice and Rebecca agreed that he very much looked the part.
Suddenly they heard the gate creek.
This was it. They all felt very nervous indeed!
Read all About it
Rebecca jumped into the cage and Tom hid around the back of the cottage. There was a
heavy knock at the door.
Bernice pulled it ajar and said in a croaky voice, “Who is it”.
“We’re from the Gazette,” came the reply. “We are here to see the princess”.
Bernice opened the door. “Come in then. Come, come”.
A tall lady with a note pad and a short man with a camera stepped in. He started taking
pictures of everything as the tall lady busily scribbled notes.
There in the corner of the room, in a cage, looking most uncomfortable was a sobbing little
princess.
“Excellent!” said the reporter.” Pictures, pictures!”
The Tall lady started asking Bernice questions so Bernice suggested they go outside.
Bernice, the reporter and the photographer sat in the garden amongst the dead flowers.
Finally the reporter asked Bernice what her plans were for the princess.
“Oh!“ Bernice said. “I have given her one of my potions. It should have worked by now. Shall
we take a look?”
They all trooped back into the house.
Inside the cage was a very angry looking beast. It was wearing a torn shirt and a loin cloth
and had long straggly hair and a beard. It shook the cage angrily.
“Brilliant, Brilliant!” exclaimed the reporter, “Pictures, pictures!”
The reporter turned to Bernice and exclaimed loudly..... “FRONT PAGE!” And with that they
left.
Never Again
A week later Bernice rushed over to Uncle Tom’s house with a copy of the latest Witches’
Gazette in her hand.
“Look, look!” She squealed with delight.
There on the front of the newspaper was a splendid picture of Bernice, with Rebecca in the
background under the headline “Evil potion turns Princess into monster”!
Rebecca grabbed the paper and spun around the room reading quotes aloud,
“Poor weeping princess....... Evil Witch Bernice........ Angry beast in cage! That’s you uncle
hahaha”
They all sat down and ate a very hearty lunch and laughed about what a splendid time they
had all had.
“Never again though,” Uncle Tom said.
Rebecca packed her bag as her mummy was now much better and she said her goodbyes to
Uncle Tom and Bernice.
She kissed them both and climbed onto the coach. “Next year” she shouted. She paused and
then continued. “I will visit. And can I bring some friends?”
Bernice’s eyes lit up,
“Imagine what stories we could do with more children” She said.
Tom turned and stared at her.
“NEVER AGAIN!” He growled, and they all burst out laughing.
THE END
I also write a blog and more stories at www.abedtimestoryforchildren.com Your constructive critiscism is greatly appreciated :)
The Bad Witch Bernice sat back in her arm-chair with her favourite newspaper “The
Witches’ Gazette”.
On the front page was a picture of a beautiful “white witch” standing next to a king and
queen with the headline. “Morgana the Good saves castle from dragon”.
Bernice let out a sigh. She had been to Witching School with Morgana and remembered
Morgana teasing her about her rubbish spells.
Bernice turned a few pages and then put the paper down beside her. Life just wasn’t fair she
thought. Maybe someone had slipped her an unlucky potion at spell school.
She had got the name “Bernice the Bad” not because she was evil but because, when it
came to potions, she actually was “quite bad”.
She leaned back in her uncomfortable chair and started to daydream.
“One day” she thought. “One day, I will be on the front page. That will show them”.
Rebecca Visits her Uncle
Not far away from Bernice’s house was a tiny little village. There, lived a woodcutter named
Tom who worked very hard chopping logs to sell at market.
He was chopping away on a big old stump when a carriage pulled up. Out jumped a little
girl. He wiped the sweat from his head. A bag was thrown from the carriage and the driver
passed Tom a letter.
He pulled out the letter and stared at it, but Tom couldn’t read that well.
The little girl asked politely, “Would you like me to read it for you”. He nodded and passed
her the note.
The little girl read aloud.
“Dearest brother Tom, I have been unwell and will be in Hospital for a few weeks. Please
look after your little niece Rebecca. She is a good girl really. Your loving sister. Mary”
“That’s my mum” said Rebecca.
“Well well well” said Tom as he rubbed his brow. “Better get you inside and get the kettle
on.”
No place for Excitement
Tom made little Rebecca comfortable with a nice cup of tea. His house was very untidy.
Tom got up and went out to chop more wood. This was going to be the worst holiday ever
thought Rebecca. She drank her tea in silence and then started to clean up the dirty old
shack.
Rebecca worked ever so hard dusting and wiping all the surfaces. She even cleaned under
the beds. Underneath one she found a great big old trunk and pulled it out. It was locked so
she called her Uncle Tom inside.
“What’s in the trunk” she asked inquisitively.
“Well I never! That’s me and your mother’s old dressing up trunk.” A big smile spread over
his face.
He prised open the lid and lifted it up. Inside were lots and lots of fabulous costumes,
cowboy hats, fairy wings and nurses’ clothes, well just about everything. They started to pull
them all out and sort them in to piles.
Then he left Rebecca to play whilst he put on their brunch.
Bernice does the Rounds
The Bad Witch Bernice looked around her cottage. She hadn’t hung any cobwebs for a while
and the place was starting to look just a little bit tidy. She took a box of dust from the
cupboard and sprinkled it around the room. Then she picked up an old piece of mouldy
cheese from the table. She sniffed at it. It really had lost its pong. “I will have to get some
more next time I go out“ she thought to herself. Then she went into the garden, chopping
the heads off of any flowers that she came across.
Bernice then went over and checked her fairy traps. There wasn’t any point really because
the fairies all lived on the other side of the wood and never travelled, but she hung them
back out all the same. Then she checked that her gate creaked really loudly.
She looked up at her little house. She broke a piece off and gave it a chew.
It tasted delightful! If there was one thing she had passed at school with flying colours, it
was making ginger bread houses.
Rebecca Dresses up
Rebecca sifted through the costumes until she finally decided on a rather splendid gown and
a tiara. She looked at it and smiled. She quickly got changed into her new clothes. She was
now Princess Rebecca!
Rebecca checked her reflection in Uncle Tom’s bedroom mirror. She looked splendid in her
long golden gown, and it fitted so well. She placed the tiara on her head. Oh yes! It looked
fabulous. “Gosh, I do make a good Princess”.
Rebecca stepped into the yard where Tom was busy at work. He looked up and took a long
low, bow.
“Your Majesty” he said with a wave of his hand.
“I am going to inspect my kingdom”. Rebecca announced.
“Please don’t go too far, and stay out of trouble” asked Uncle Tom.
“Promise!” answered Princess Rebecca as she walked away in a majestic style.
Soon enough Rebecca spied Bernice’s cottage in the distance. She remembered what her
uncle had said but excitement took over and she walked toward the rusty old gate.
Bernice gets her Wish
Bernice Heard her gate creek open.
“Nobody every calls here” she thought as she made her way over to the window. She pulled
back the dusty grey net curtain and peeped out.
What a shock she got, as there on her path she spied a beautiful Princess. Her heart leapt
and she came over quite dizzy.
Rebecca was still very much pretending to be a princess as she walked majestically up the
garden path. This was hard to do as the path was very uneven and over-grown, but she still
managed to look splendid. Bernice spied on her through a gap in the door.
“At last” thought Bernice, as she tried to think up a nasty plan.
Rebecca reached the door and knocked gently.
The witch pulled it slightly open and asked, “Who’s there?”
“It is I, Princess Rebecca,” said Rebecca in her poshest princess voice.
Bernice was so excited that she felt her head would burst.
“Well you had better come in then”. She opened the door and gestured with her hand.
Rebecca stepped forward and did a little curtsey.
“And who might you be “she asked Bernice.
“Me! Err I, well I’m Bernice. Bernice the Bad Witch”
Rebecca was so happy. The old lady was playing along with the dressing up and pretending
to be a witch. This was fun!
“Would you please eat a bit of my house,” said Bernice anxiously. “That’s what happens in
all the best gazette stories. I made it myself”.
Rebecca felt a bit uneasy as the witch broke of a bit of brick. She could smell delicious
gingerbread and was slightly confused as the witch held out a piece. Rebecca felt obliged as
she put a tiny morsel in her mouth.
“This really is quite delicious she said” and all of a sudden she fell asleep.
Bernice Makes a Call
Rebecca woke up. She felt very groggy.
She looked around. She had been placed on some cushions and made quite comfy but she
was locked in a cage. She looked across the room and there was the old lady holding a
phone to her ear.
The witch put the phone down and hurried to the cage.
Bernice shouted as she ran over to the cage. “Wake up Princess. The Gazette is sending a
reporter over. We need to decide what to turn you into.”
Rebecca burst into tears. “I’m not really a princess. Please, you have to let me go”.
Bernice’s face dropped.
“Not a princess!” She shrieked. “But the Gazette are coming, they are expecting a princess.
Oh, no. I will be a laughing stock!”
Bernice opened the cage and said, “GO.... before I change my mind”.
Rebecca ran over to the door and the bad witch started to sob.
Rebecca Makes a Plan
Rebecca heard Bernice sobbing and stopped at the door. She walked back over and put her
hand on the witches shoulder.
“Please don’t be upset. I am sure that between us we can sort this out”.
Rebecca now felt very excited, and not at all scared to be in the presence of a real witch.
The pair sat down and Bernice told Rebecca how she had always wanted to prove the other
witches wrong by getting a story in the Gazette.
And now she was to face the ultimate humiliation. The Gazette would tell the witching
world just how useless she really was.
“Don’t worry” announced Rebecca. “I have an idea!”
Rebecca stood up and said, “I think its time you met my uncle.”
Uncle Tom Dresses Up
Rebecca and Bernice hurried back to Uncle Tom. As Rebecca started to tell her story he
became very cross. He was angry with Rebecca for not listening to his warning and he was
angry with Bernice for being so nasty.
He soon started to calm down though as he realised that deep down Bernice couldn’t hurt a
fly. After a little bit of persistence from his niece, he finally agreed to help.
Rebecca told the two grown-ups a rather fancy and complicated plan. They all went
upstairs to the dressing-up trunk. Rebecca picked out some clothes. They then made their
way back to the witch’s cottage.
Bernice set to, making her cottage as dirty as she could. Rebecca took all the comfy cushions
out of the cage and replaced them with rocks. She made herself as pretty as she could and
carefully replaced her tiara and ruffled her gown.
Uncle Tom put on the clothes that Rebecca had picked out. He was not happy at all.
Both Bernice and Rebecca agreed that he very much looked the part.
Suddenly they heard the gate creek.
This was it. They all felt very nervous indeed!
Read all About it
Rebecca jumped into the cage and Tom hid around the back of the cottage. There was a
heavy knock at the door.
Bernice pulled it ajar and said in a croaky voice, “Who is it”.
“We’re from the Gazette,” came the reply. “We are here to see the princess”.
Bernice opened the door. “Come in then. Come, come”.
A tall lady with a note pad and a short man with a camera stepped in. He started taking
pictures of everything as the tall lady busily scribbled notes.
There in the corner of the room, in a cage, looking most uncomfortable was a sobbing little
princess.
“Excellent!” said the reporter.” Pictures, pictures!”
The Tall lady started asking Bernice questions so Bernice suggested they go outside.
Bernice, the reporter and the photographer sat in the garden amongst the dead flowers.
Finally the reporter asked Bernice what her plans were for the princess.
“Oh!“ Bernice said. “I have given her one of my potions. It should have worked by now. Shall
we take a look?”
They all trooped back into the house.
Inside the cage was a very angry looking beast. It was wearing a torn shirt and a loin cloth
and had long straggly hair and a beard. It shook the cage angrily.
“Brilliant, Brilliant!” exclaimed the reporter, “Pictures, pictures!”
The reporter turned to Bernice and exclaimed loudly..... “FRONT PAGE!” And with that they
left.
Never Again
A week later Bernice rushed over to Uncle Tom’s house with a copy of the latest Witches’
Gazette in her hand.
“Look, look!” She squealed with delight.
There on the front of the newspaper was a splendid picture of Bernice, with Rebecca in the
background under the headline “Evil potion turns Princess into monster”!
Rebecca grabbed the paper and spun around the room reading quotes aloud,
“Poor weeping princess....... Evil Witch Bernice........ Angry beast in cage! That’s you uncle
hahaha”
They all sat down and ate a very hearty lunch and laughed about what a splendid time they
had all had.
“Never again though,” Uncle Tom said.
Rebecca packed her bag as her mummy was now much better and she said her goodbyes to
Uncle Tom and Bernice.
She kissed them both and climbed onto the coach. “Next year” she shouted. She paused and
then continued. “I will visit. And can I bring some friends?”
Bernice’s eyes lit up,
“Imagine what stories we could do with more children” She said.
Tom turned and stared at her.
“NEVER AGAIN!” He growled, and they all burst out laughing.
THE END
I also write a blog and more stories at www.abedtimestoryforchildren.com Your constructive critiscism is greatly appreciated :)