The Abby and the Twenty-six Witches ---- a Story Retold

Once upon a time, on clear full moons, twenty-six witches flew on their brooms gliding high over the village making horrible sounds. The village people wanted to see the full moon, but they couldn't, and they hid under their beds. But, on rainy full moons, the witches did not come.

One night, an old woman and her husband couldn't stand it, suffering under their beds. They went to see the Abby. The old woman told the Abby, "Can you get rid of the witches?" The Abby nodded his head and replied, "I'll try."

The Abby held a meeting of the village. He thought for a moment and asked for twenty-five of the bravest men in the village to get their white robes and keep them in a tight clay pot, and wear some rain coats on October 31st.

When October 31st came, the Abby met the men at the entrance of the mountains. They all wore black raincoats and they carried their clay pots with their robes inside. The Abby and the brave men hiked up and down mountains and hills but they finally got to the witches' cave. (Some say the Abby looked scared in the front.)

The Abby and the twenty-five men heard wicked laughter from inside the cave. Many men shivered. The Abby explained he would go in first and if he whistled once, they will put on the white robes in the clay pots. If he whistled twice, that means they run into the room and grab a witch and dance.

The Abby set his plan to work. He walked into the cave wearing his dry, white robe. One of the witches asked, "Are you a witch?" The Abby said, as he tried to sound like a witch, "Yes, I am!" Another witch asked, "how did you get here without getting wet?" "I walked between the raindrops!" he announced, "and I will make twenty-six men, including me, dance with you." He whistled once, and whistled twice, and twenty-five men ran into the room in their white robes and grabbed a witch and the Abby grabbed a witch himself.

They all danced for a while and the witches cried out, "I haven't danced in twenty-six years!" Then they had a big feast. The Abby and twenty-five men announced, "We will teach you how to dance between the raindrops," and they all grabbed a witch again and led them outside the cave. The Abby and the men let go of the witches and they began to shrink. "You tricked us!" the witches shrieked. And the witches were never heard from again.

Now on full moon nights, people can go out and enjoy the Moon.

THE END