‘A puff of wind blew out my pipe,’ she said. ‘May I light it with a twig from your fire?’
‘Iss,’ answered Wednesday somewhat doubtfully. ‘But Mother told us we were not to let you come in, because, if we did, you would take us away as you did Monday and Tuesday.’
‘Did she?’ cackled the witch, taking a bit of stick from the fire and thrusting it into her pipe. ‘Well, I only want one of you now,’ and looking round the room, her glance fell on Wednesday, and crooking her arm round her, she carried her off to the well.
‘I have been out to Lelizzick and can’t find Tuesday,’ cried the Little Mother, coming into the cottage as the witch, with Wednesday under her arm, disappeared into the well. ‘Oh! where is Wednesday?’ looking round the room and seeing another of her children missing.
‘The old witch came in before we could shut the door, and took our little sister away,’ said the children.
‘This is wisht news, sure ‘nough,’ wailed the Little Mother, and off she rushed to the well, where the witch was sitting smoking.
‘What have you been and done with Wednesday?’ she asked angrily.
‘I gave her a bit of figgy-pudding, and sent her to Place House to ask if Squire Prideaux’s housekeeper would kindly give an old body a bottle of their good physic to cure her rheumatics.’
‘I’m going up to Place House to see if Wednesday is there,’ said the Little Mother, looking in at the window of the cottage. ‘If the witch should come to the door whilst I am away, don’t let her come in, whatever you do!’
When she had gone to Place House, an old mansion standing above Padstow Town, the old witch left the well, and before the children saw her, she had pushed open the door, and stood in the doorway, looking in.