The Washington times., 1913-01-30
For The Times Children
Just Before It's Bedtime
THE wITcH's RIDE.

Il goblins and witches, and, while
| Freddie was always glad to, lis-
ten to Q fairy story, sometimes he was
afraid after nurse left him alone In the
dark that a witch might come and carry
him of because all the witches in
nurses stories were bad witches and
stole children.
One night after he was left alone
Freddie snuggled under the bedclothes
and pulled them up over his head. for
nurse had told him IL he ddi not close
his eyes and go to bed sleep at once a
witch would surely get him on a broom
stick.
| Try as hard as he would he could not
keep his eyes closed, and he jumped
at every Httle crack the paper made on
the walls, and you know it will crack
| on cold nights and wood also. By and
by he felt drowsy, but still he vas
wide awake when he heard a very
pleasant voice say, Would you like to
take a ride, the moon is very bright to-
lnight7''I.-
l F'reddiexuncoverei MS head and there
4 beside aIis..bed was a witch; he knew
her by her hat. and, then besides that
she was on broomstick just as nurse
had described her
| Freddie was frightened, but she
smiled in such a manner that he
| thought she looked more like kind
1 grandmother than a bad witch, so he
said very .tifnidly: II think l would
| like to go, madam, II i could get back
| by morning"
"why. bless your dear little heart" "
said the witch, smiling again, ''you can
| come back at any time you wish. and
you do not have to go at all II You
do not care to. But this is such a
nice moonlight night that / thought
| that II would be good time for you
| to 60 and learn that witches are not
bad at all, as your nurse has been
! telling you, but just old women who
! fly around at night watching over little
| boys and girls to see that no harm
| comes to them while they are asleep.
"Oh. / should love TO go with You.
| dear madam WITCH" said Freddie. now
quite over his fright and anxious to
| take the ride.
"Well, hop on here in front OF me
then" said the witch. making room for
| him as she spoke. - :: :
Freddie jumped out of bed, and be-
fore he could think he found himself
sitting on the broom stick In front OF
the witch, and out OF the window they
| went into the sky. -.
Freddie looked about him and the sky
Seemed to be filled with witches carry
ing boys and girls on broomsticks, and
they all seemed to be having jolly
time and not ohiecting- in the leasttin
| being carried OF by the witches.
We will visit the man in the moon
first" said F'reddie's friend, ne always
likes to have callers.
The old man smiled a very broad
smile when he saw Freddie, and said
| to the witch: You will find plenty OF
ice cream and cake right behind me;
! let him have all he wants. ] don't be-
lieve it will hurt him bit"
The witch few In back OF the old
man. where there were banks of ice
cream and mountains of cake all
There are hundreds of spoons stick
looked until she found Freddie's name
on the handle of one. and then she
told him to help himself.
While he was eating the cream she
cut off a huge piece OF the cake noun
tain and brought IL to him.
Freddie was afraid to take 1t at first
for fear he was dreaming and would
wake I'D, but the witch seemed to know
his thoughts and told him not to be
afraid. that this was one of the real
dreams.
After saying good night to the moon
man Freddie and the witch sailed out
into the sky again. The stars seemed
very close to MIN. and Freddie reached
out to pick one. but the witch held his
hand. No" she said. that Is some
thing you must not do. every mortal
wants to pick stars. but what would
happen If they did? Don't you see that
the nights would not be so beautiful
without them, and the old moon man
10 obi
dren were gone; the stars are his chill
dren, you know.
| am taking you now to the frozen
North Pole. where the people live in a
country Of snow and wear fur clothes"
Freddie held on tight, for he felt the
wind as he flew along. and sometimes
II blew so hard he thought he would
be blown off the broomstick. but he
managed to hold on. and soon the witch
stopped and Freddie saw they were on
the top OF a mountain that looked like
glass All around he saw big cakes
OF ice and on some of them were white
bears.
The witch told him the bears were
smiling at them, but Freddie was not so
sure about that. he thought they were
showing their teeth and thinking how
much they wished he were within their
. reach. Then he saw queer looking peo-
pie wearing garments made or fur and
dogs harnessed to sleds. H..
This is a very cold mountain we are
on" said Freddie az last. II would
! rather go where II IL warmer"
We are on the top Of IN ieshsrg."