Watch the Toad! (Next instalment of Be True to The Broom!)

After all three companions in witchcraft were reasonably clean and tidy again, the afternoon was still young. Witch La Boo was drying her flowing pink tresses, while The Broom was wiping his handle with a clean cloth, supposed to be a duster.

Griselda had paddled through the whole swamp experience, she had loved a new environment. The ugly toad decided she did not like staying indoors when the sun was shining so merrily, but all the doors were sealed for the evening ahead. She decided to explore the Potions Room, which was its usual clutter of recipes and vital ingredients needed for conjuring magic charms and enchantments.

Many a failed potion were left there, totally useless for Witch La Boo. As Griselda hopped into the dim, dusty back corner there, the Witch was checking her cauldron. It bubbled with a smelly purple soap that had an aroma of old socks and peppermint.

The Broom leant against the wall, dispensing free cooking tips.

"I told you to stir that 17 times. No more, no less. Listen to one who knows this magic scene."

Witch La Boo replied, "I tried that, it did not work. Nothing happened. I am mixing things my way. 21 times, see what happens next. Might create a unique healing soap. The hand lotion for smooth skin comes next."

"Watch the toad," The Broom whispered, "She looks like she is plotting world domination. Or at least lunch."

Griselda blinking her large, bulging yellowish eyes. She hopped onto a stack of heavy spell books. Thump. From there, she sprang onto the wooden shelf holding a fogged up jar of glowing blue beetle eyes. The toad's back foot slipped and slid off the edge.

"Crash!" The glass jar and its entire contents fell off the shelf. La Boo spun around, "Griselda! No!"

The jar smashed on the stone tiles on the floor. Blue beetle eyes bounced everywhere like rubbery balls.

Griselda opened her always hungry mouth, and began to snap up the eyes as fast as she could. Feast time, and early dinner for the toad. Each time she ate one, her throat gleamed bright blue like a tiny fluorescent light bulb.

"Well," The Broom sighed, sweeping away a bouncing beetle eye under the cabinet. "At least you won't need a night light in here any more. Save the cost of the electricity bill. You two are as useless as each other. Can't you cook anything else? That swamp made me nauseous."

"Naughty Griselda." La Boo was feeling quite okay, she would worry about collecting more beetles tomorrow. Then she would make a cake for Professor Plumpy. One day soon, she was going to take over MasterChef.

"There. At least my purple soap worked. Yah!"

"Only a fluke. You need more witch vibes."

"Or a new broom."

"Ha ha. Good luck with that." The Broom always had its last, sarcastic word on every conversation, down there in the little home in Cobblestone Lane.

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The following day began with Witch La Boo collecting more beetle eyes and beetles for her pet ugly toad. She was never game to let Griselda go hunting. That would be the last she saw of the toad and all her warts. Her pet was clumsy, annoying, fat bottomed, but so gross she was lovable.

There was still no word when the dreaded Professor Plumpy was arriving to check witchcraft in Cobblestone Lane. Witch La Boo was planning to be well prepared. The morning had been occupied with some necessary tidying, dusting and sweeping the stone floors. After lunch, she was going to sort the food delight, bake a Glamour Cake. This best and new recipe came from a traditional, once innovative cake plan from an old family book. It had been compiled by her ancestral, witchy grandmas.

This creative cooking did not begin well. First, she dropped the recipe in the bowl of frog spawn. Griselda and The Broom gazed on, in gruesome fascination. Witch La Boo added green star powder instead of baking soda. She kept on mixing, trying to make an impressive, unique cake to tempt the Magic Inspector.

She popped the cake in her wood-fired oven, even washed the bowls.

"Pick your own poisoni here," The Broom was always ready. He thought he was funny, anyway.

"Shoosh, Broom, From negativity, positives can bloom."

"One sure fire way to snuff the Professor, give him cake. End of Witch Certificate."

Meanwhile, the oven and stove turned neon purple, belching unappealing blue smoke, clouds of it. Griselda started coughing. Soon enough, a lopsided fluorescent green cake was sitting on the rack.

Then it awakened. The Glamour Cake opened two large, yellow icing eyes. Witch La Boo was horrified. The very unglamorous end result of her best creativity grew a wide mouth, with marshmellow teeth. There was a long, drooling licorice tongue, testing the kitchen aromas, sliding past its fangs.

The cake quietly shook off the cake pan, and tumbled onto the floor. It spotted Griselda, who looked both stunned and horrified. The cake was wandering, inch by inch, towards the window. Even The Broom was too amazed to comment.

As Griselda quietly hopped from the window sill, the hungry cake leapt up there. With a loud crunch, it opened its wide jaws. Heavy red curtains, newly dusted, disappeared down the cake's cave of a throat. Tassels snapped, and the fringes vanished too. Burping gold dust, the horrified cake settled for a minute, as it gazed at its new home.

"Oh, La Boo, you've really done it this time. That time wil eat our whole home. And us." The Broom gulped.

Griselda was in hiding. This cake was serious competition for eating food group.s. Witch La Boo took up the wooden spoon, while the cake rubbed its bloated belly and burped.

"We really haven't got time for this," she said.

"I think it likes it here," The Broom commented, "It's blowing kisses at you. You might be on its menu for din-dins."

"You have to believe in magic," she muttered to her broom. " Looks like I have brand new pet. Where did I put Griselda's spare leash?"

"In this muddle of a cottage, your guess is as good as mine," The Broom replied. It was trying to appear invisible, in case the unglamour cake ate him too.

La Boo tried to look unthreatening as she approached the Living Cake. "Welcome to my world, cooking disaster!" She was still trying to watch her toad, anything could happen.