The Little Witch
“Witches have come a long way since 1957. None will win readers’ hearts as thoroughly as this classic.”
“Now and then she worked a little magic to pass the time; she made the poker and tongs dance waltzes in the fireplace, she made the dustpan turn somersaults and the butter churn stand on its head.”
Preussler was one of the most beloved and revered children’s authors in his native Germany. A schoolteacher by trade, he reportedly did not consider himself an author so much as a storyteller. A fundamental for all fiction authors, one could argue, although a skill all too often lacking. Preussler is both an excellent storyteller and a highly successful author.
The Little Witch was first published in 1957, and it reads like a good, old-fashioned fairytale. Our protagonist, a witch, short of stature and a mere 127 years of age (young by witch standards, according to Preussler) is too young to participate in Walpurgis Night: the witch’s convention on Brocken Mountain. At this annual event witches dance all night, fly around a huge bonfire on their broomsticks and generally raise a ruckus.
The impulsive little witch, knowing that she shouldn’t, flies off to Brocken Mountain to join the festivities with her faithful sidekick, Abraxis, the talking raven. Ravens have gotten a bad rap throughout literary history, but not this one. Her punishment for breaching convention and showing up on Walpurgis Night (in addition to having her broomstick burned) is that she must be a “good witch” for a whole year. She must then return to Brocken Mountain and pass a rigorous test before she will be accepted by the group.
This little witch has a mischievous streak and enjoys using her spells for ill, believing that it’s okay to be naughty as long as you don’t get caught. So her punishment doesn’t seem too bad until Abraxis convinces her that being a “good witch” means she must start using her powers for good. Each of the ensuing chapters contains a delightful fable about the people the little witch meets and helps during her trial period.
A year passes and it’s time once again for Walpurgis Night. Was Abraxis’s definition of “good witch” correct? Will the little witch pass her test? Or will the little witch’s evil Aunt Rumpumpel ruin everything?
This charming book, illustrated with its beguiling pen and ink drawings, begs to be read aloud with children present, but you might simply want to savor it alone with your inner child. Witches have come a long way since 1957. None will win readers’ hearts as thoroughly as this classic.