“The great cat slunk into the castle, and she crept upon the sleeping figure. Raised her enormous paw and swung,” said Tilly.
The cats’ mouths dropped open as they waited to hear what happened next.
“All right, you lot, time for bed. Tomorrow we have much work to do and not a lot of time to finish it,” said the witch.
“What! You’re not going to tell us what happened?” cried Sebastian.
“Of course not, the woman is a sadist, didn’t you know that?” remarked Selena.
“Please! My heart can’t take this waiting any longer. I must know if the great cat stopped the troll?” pleaded Samantha.
“Time and tide wait for no cat or witch. Now off you go to bed,” Tilly said.
Sabrina, the eldest of the four, smirked and said, “Samhan is coming. You know what I’m getting you?”
“I haven’t a clue,” replied the witch.
“Nothing,” said the cat and crawled into bed.
Tilly poured a fresh cup of tea and sat beside the fire, thinking of when she rescued the four kittens.
“He got off lightly with boils. I should have turned that man into a toad,” muttered Tilly.
Returning from mushroom hunting, Tilly passed over a bridge, where a man was tossing a burlap sack into the stream.
“You there, why was the sack moving? Is there something alive inside?” questioned the witch.
The man looked up at the witch and said, “None of your business, missy. Be off with you, nosy woman.”
It was the “nosy woman” that got Tilly’s goat. Flying down, the witch snatched the sack out of the stream and flew to the bank.
Tilly could hear meows and quickly opened the sack. Out tumbled four soggy, wide-eyed kittens. “Oh, that monster,” cried Tilly.
Scooping up the kittens, she placed them in her pack and flew after the cause of their distress.
“You there. What manner of man tosses a sack full of innocent kittens into the water?” asked the witch.
The man ignored her and kept walking. “I asked what manner of man would kill kittens?” Tilly asked.
“A man who is about to teach you some manners. Little miss,” said the brute.
“Well, I see your mother never taught you manners. It’s time for your first lesson,” Tilly said as she cast a spell.
The man cried out in agony as boils formed all over his body. “Oye, you wretched witch, I’ll get you for this,” the man said.
“For what? I see a dirty man covered in boils. Filth inside brings filth outside, didn’t you know that?” said Tilly, who then flew home with her newfound friends.
Having finished her tea, Tilly checked on her sleeping familiars. “You may be trouble to some, but you’re family to me.”
“Off to bed, go I. Sweet dreams to you, my fur balls,” said the witch as she blew out the lamp and closed her eyes.
Folksburywoods Story Blog 
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