The Tale of The Green Witch

The Green Witch travels far and wide, country to country, sea to sea, across the deserts and the poles. Her emerald green, tattered cloak dusts the ground behind her, leaving no trace other than the natural beauty she spreads. When she looks at you, her almond shaped eyes changed colour, from deep purples to electrifying greens, you’ll feel her searching for your soul, working out which side you are on. She has a kind face with gold dusted skin, her sharp nose has the sensitivity of a bloodhound and always leads her to where she is needed.

One chilly morning, The Green Witch’s nose led her to a large desolate area of land, there was nothing but sand, grit and gravel as far as the eye could see. The Green Witch had never heard silence so loud. She sighed and closed her eyes. She took three deep breaths and suddenly a rush off wind blew around her head – striking her with a vision. Images of daisies, bluebells, dandelions, rabbits, foxes, deer, huge trees of oak, ash and aspen flashed through her mind. Her mind transported her body into a never-ending forest, with winding paths and birds singing tuneful melodies above her.

Her eyes shot open, and were jet black in colour. She knew she had to create a haven for animals and humans alike. Like a hound locked onto a scent, her nose guided her to various houses in the surrounding villages. The Green Witch explained her vision to the villagers, and they were overjoyed, they’d grown tired of staring across the deadland. After she’d travelled around the village, she came across a hill overlooking the deadland. Following her nose, she clambered up. A barren house loomed over her; loneliness draped around the brickwork like poison ivy. The Green Witch looked around, taking a sharp inhale of breath, she walked towards a large wooden door.

Before she had a chance to knock and introduce herself, a voice bellowed,

“Leave us in peace!”

The Green Witch was taken aback. “Please, open your door, heart, and mind. I come with only the purest intentions. I wish to transform this so called deadland you look out on.” She pressed her forehead to the door, “I want to create a thriving natural area for humans and wildlife alike.”

The huge door creaked open a few inches, and two meek eyes peered out.

“May I come in?” The Green Witch gestured beyond the door. “I think I can help you.”

The eyes pushed the door further, revealing a short man. His body bowed beneath the weight of the heavy wooden door. He grunted, huffed, puffed, and moaned. The Green Witch reached to help, but her advance was met with a look of daggers. She took a step back and watched with sympathy in her eyes. A large, echoey room came into view. From floor to ceiling, vines of dried, brown, curling plants clung to the walls and empty pots lay strewn across the work tops.

The Green Witch cleared her throat and spoke softly.

“Your heart is pure.”

The small man shuffled around the room, cradling a cracked teapot.

“We have similar missions, you know.” She added, studying him.

The man scoffed, and, not so subtly, rolled his eyes. He filled the kettle from a rusty tap, hidden behind plant debris, and placed it onto an equally hidden stove.

“You don’t believe me?” The Green Witch raised her eyebrows. “Tell me your story, and I’ll tell you mine.”

The man stood up straight, looking the witch in her eyes. “I just wanna grow one plant. One tiny plant.” He gestured vaguely around at all the pots in the room. “Nothing grows here, and nothing ever will. Everything shrivels up and dies. Including me.”

“When I was fourteen, I started working as groundskeeper on the deadland, before it was, you know, dead. The Wickher family who owned the estate were dead nice to me and it was an honour to work for them.” A smile flickered across his face. He looked down at his dusty shoes, the toes had worn out and a striped sock was poking out.

“I musta been there 30 years or somethin’ and that’s when the letters started to come. They came thick and fast, almost daily the Wickhers were getting hounded with them. Hand delivered, through the post man, even other villagers started dropping them off. Mr and Mrs Wickher told me not to worry, but I knew somethin’ weren’t right.”

The Green Witch gently stroked the hardened leaves of a raspberry cane that was leaning over her. A soft whistle told them the kettle was nearly boiled, and as it grew louder the man rustled around cupboards gathering tea leaves and mugs. Before the scream of the kettle became unbearable, The Green Witch swiftly moved the kettle off the hot plate.

The man turned away from the witch and busied himself making tea.

“So anyway, where was I?” He paused to gather his thoughts. “Ah, yeah, right. So, one night I finished my final rounds of the day, making sure all the animals were okay, gates were locked, and any lanterns put out. Nothing seemed wrong so I headed to bed.” He gestured towards a door at the back of the room. “Now, usually I’d look out that window there every night.”

The Green Witch turned and realised one of the walls was a floor to ceiling window, which had been painted over.

“Even in the dark, the place had a beauty to it. Gardens, wildlife, forests, lakes, and when the moon was right it lit the place up like somethin’ out a fairy tale.” The man reminisced.

“But that night, I didn’t look out the window. I dunno why I didn’t look. If I had maybe I woulda seen somethin’.” His eyes welled up as he spoke. “The next morning, I woke up to see the land had been massacred, the family had vanished- along with my livelihood. I ran round the whole estate, and everything looked just as it does today.” The man dabbed at his eyes with his sleeve and sniffled.

The Green Witch pulled a handkerchief from her cloak, passing it to him she asked, “What do you think happened to them?”

The man stood straight up and in a quieter tone he said, “Well, I heard rumours a curse was placed on the land by the businessmen of the town up the river. They wanted to buy the land of the Wickhers and when they refused…” The man waved around him.

“The problem is, they didn’t know the curse would make the entire land dead and useless to everyone. So, they gifted the villagers the land to do as we please.” The man rolled his eyes, tutted, and sipped his tea.

Before his very eyes, the soil in the pots started to darken, the leaves started to uncurl and slowly flush with colour, the seeds began to plump out. The man rubbed his eyes and looked at The Green Witch with a confused smile. She smiled back, and her eyes softened into an amber hazel colour.

Before the man could ask what was happening, The Green Witch softly smiled and chuckled to herself. “That’s better.”

“H-h-how’d you do that?” He stuttered.

The Green Witch spoke clearly and with purpose. “My life’s purpose has always been to help nature. This deadland is one of the hardest challenges I have faced, and now, I need your help. These plants and seeds you have cared for will need to be used for a potion which will transform the deadland into a thriving hub for everyone.”

For the first time since the man had opened the door, he grinned and chuckled, filling the room with joy. His excitement was palpable. “What do you need me to do?” He asked.

The Green Witch strode to the door, swung it open and beckoned for the man to follow. From her robe, she pulled out a cauldron the size of the house. She turned towards the man, “I need you to gather all the villagers together, get them to bring seeds, flowers, plants, anything they have. Meet me back here by dusk.”

The man scurried off down the hill and disappeared. The Green Witch gathered all the plants and seeds from the house and threw them into the cauldron. Immediately, a thick purple fog rose above the top of the cauldron. The Green Witch began to hum softly and gently. It was a familiar tune, but one which no one would be able to quite place their finger on.

Dusk began to draw close, but The Green Witch had faith that the villagers would arrive.

Her humming gradually got louder and louder. Villagers began to appear over the horizon, carrying bags, baskets and buckets loaded with seeds, plants, greenery, fruit, and vegetables. The villagers who lived further away from the deadlands had managed to grow small crops each year and had been more than willing to share their goods. The Green Witch stopped humming to welcome the crowd.

“Good evening, thank you so much for bringing me all of this goodness. I am absolutely thrilled that you have all come to help grow the deadlands into the beautiful space that it once was and should be. I’ve heard that the land belongs to you now, so before I start the transformation, I need to know that you will care for it and keep it as safe from destruction as possible. You will help me to scatter this potion, and once you do, you will have the power of nature inside of you. This power will help you keep this area alive. If anyone objects or does not wish to help, please leave now.”

The Green Witch paused for a moment and the villagers looked around.

“Well, if nobody has any objections, then let’s begin. One by one, you need to throw your offerings into my cauldron.”

The villagers lined up, following the witch’s orders. Once all the ingredients were added, she began to hum again. She started quietly, barely audible, but as she began stirring the pot, her voice grew louder. Soon the ground began to shake and the more the ground shook, the louder she hummed. A wind created a hurricane around The Green Witch, and it travelled around the deadland, shifting the ground, and building new landscapes. Once satisfied that the ground was suited to purpose, The Green Witch poured her potion into hundreds of wooden bottles. She called for the villagers and handed them all a bottle.

The Green Witch smiled warmly, “You will see your hard work pay off by morning, go and create our new land.”

The villagers worked through the night spreading the potion, an excited buzz spread through the air. As dawn broke, The Green Witch looked around. She could hear the pitter patter of paws; the buzzing of wings; the tweets of birds, and the groaning of the trees. The land was evolving before her eyes, huge forests were sprouting out of the ground; animals were digging burrows; flowers blooming everywhere; and blankets of different grasses covered the once desolate land. The villagers found themselves speechless.

The Green Witch cleared her throat before commencing her speech, “From my travels, I have learnt that we must grow with nature, not against it. We have blessed this land with wildlife of every kind, trees, flowers, animals, bugs, some you may not have even seen before. My only request is that you all take an oath to protect this land. Keep it safe from destruction. This oath must be passed down your generations. I wish for yourselves and your families to continue to bless this land, take care of it, provide for it and it will provide you with everything you need. My name is Sulima, and I name this land Sulham.”

The villagers cheered and gleefully explored the expanse of the newly found Sulham. As they dispersed, they created safe pathways to use, avoiding trampling on the freshly bloomed flowers. The land kept evolving, creating deeper forests, ponds turned into lakes, seeds grew, and the villagers continued to follow the first paths they ever created. Today, hikers, horse riders, dog walkers, cyclists, and all kinds of animals can be seen enjoying the beautiful land. Sulima had created a safe haven for us, and through dedication to the land, the villagers ensured that she has never had to return.