Be True to the Broom.

"Oh, No!" Another potion flop!" Witch La Boo stood in her Magic Kitchen, aiming to conjure up a love charm, as well as her good luck talisman. She tossed her neon pink hair over her shoulder, reading again the unwelcome letter the postal delivery had brought her.

"Important Notice! All witches in Wonder Woods must qualify to renew their Witch License. Expect Inspectors!" Below it, she had been allocated to Professor Plumpy, a really hard marker.

Witch La Boo really dreamt of being rewarded the supreme registration, to be forever and day the next famous Witch of the Woods. But she had a very hostile rival, Pippy. The other Little Miss Witchcraft was practically perfect, and only lived in the same Cobblestone Lane, winding through the magical realm of Wonder Woods. Witch La Boo realised that the Inspector would naturally compare her to that neat and tidy clean freak.

She put her two failed charms aside, there to gather yet more dust amid the piles of pots and pans. Turning to the cosy nook by the flickering orange glow of the fireplace, the Witch said, "Time to wake up, Broom. We need flying practice."

The Broom opened one bleary red eye, looking around at the latest cooking disaster.

"Oh, wonderful. Another swamp water spill. Shall I lay down a dirty red carpet for this inspector?"

"We need to go flying. It is time to wake up. It is only two pm. The sunshine is sparkling for once."

"I am The Broom, not a magic taxi for reckless amateurs. Why don't you bake a cake while you're on a roll for failing?"

"When I want your catty opinions, I shall ask for them, okay?"

Just then, Witch La Boo's other companion opened her large, bulging yellow eyes, and attempted to snap a fly that had been brave enough to enter the Witch's Crooked Cottage. Griselda, the warts and all ugly toad needed feeding only three times per week. That was Witch La Boo's best job, catching shiny beetles for her pet.

"Your best pink socks are swimming in the toad bowl in the corner. Your shoes are floating above the fireplace, best rescue them. If you want to fly, put your clothes on. I am not appearing in the woods with you half-dressed. The very idea!"

Witch La Boo loved her two companions dearly, but The Broom was a very sarcastic, old bunch of twigs. She strapped her pointy hat to her head, but it kept sliding over her left eye. She blew a strand of bright pink hair from the face.

As they were elevating, a few dry twigs fell onto the grey slates on the floor.

"Oh, yet more wonders," The grumpy Broom muttered, his voice sounding like raspy sandpaper. "Another glorious day ahead. I love waking up at this hour to go flying with a Witch with bare feet."

"I am fully clothed now, I'll have you know. Lift off, we're already late for flight practice.

Griselda was sitting on the windowsill. She let out a low, wet croak. She was alert now, still flicking her long, sticky tongue, as the fly was teasing her. One final slurp, and Griselda was going along for the ride.

"Hold your horses," The Broom grumbled, "or your bats. My left twig has a cramp."

Witch La Boo was used to all this moaning. She hopped again on board her unreliable broom. The basic necessities for being an effective witch begins with having a top class broom. Hers had failing flight patterns, but Witch La Boo could rely on herself to keep going.

"Up! Fly high!" she commanded.

The Broom did not move. It merely hovered only one inch above the piles of dust bunnies. A sudden jerk, then he shot straight up. He zoomed past the ceiling, clipping the hanging lantern.s. La Boo laughed, slightly nervously, and held on tight as they burst through the open doorway, into the sunny skies over the leafy enchantments of Wonder Woods.

Soon The Broom was zooming along at its speed, which was really a slow jaunt, barely skimming the forest canopy. Just as Witch La Boo noticed that Griselda had hitched a free trip for bug hunting, the ugly slime of the toad did a back somersault and posed dramatically on the bristles.

"What is wrong with you, woman!" The Broom yelled, as it went spinning in a drastic tail dive, headed right for the depths of the swamp. The Broom turned on its megaspeaker.

"MAYDAY. EMERGENCY! Calling all witches! Rescue needed, Broom down. We're in the sloshy swamp. This is not a drill. URGENT"

"Tell the world," shouted Witch La Boo, as she braced herself for splashdown.

"This is Armageddon," said The Broom, as Witch La Boo emerged from under the murky, stinky, muddy swamp. She stood up, and grabbed the spluttering broom. It was minus even more twigs. Witch La Boo looked around thi segment of Wonder Woods.

"Griselda, come back! Right now! You are one very naughty familiar. Why didn't I have a black cat?"

"Because you're not even an excuse for a witch," The Broom was not amused.

Annoyingly, in flew Pippy the Perfect Witch, with matching socks and shoes. She even had her pointy hat on the right way. Always clean and immaculate, she flew over and was snickering.

"Why is your broom so useless and unkind?" Pippy sneered. The Broom took offence at Pippy's attitude.

"You're supposed to rescue witches in distress. I don't like your cheeky attitude, young Pippy. We're a team here. Team work means dreams work." The Broom was crosser than ever.

The arch rival for witch supremacy zoomed away on her state of the art, spotless and speedy broom. Latest model.

"Save yourselves. Grumpy failures. Pippy sped away.

Griselda splashed back, keen to chase dragonflies. She did not want to be left behind.

"Home time," sugggested The Broom.

Witch La Boo and the toad clambered on board The Broom again, and cruised along very sedately home to freshen up.

"We're going to smash that Witch License somehow. We shall never surrender. I am a very resilient broom, it's in my broomline. Into the shower with the three of us."

Witch La Boo was suddenly filled with optimism.

"You might win a certificate for brooming if we win Witch of the Woods License."

"Time to stop dreaming and focus on happy and positive plans for this week ahead. I am marching with you, Witch La Boo. United our team will overcome."

Witch La Boo hoped that this would be the end of all The Broom's very snippy comments about daily life down there in Cobblestone Lane.