"Oh Shucks! That's easy!" I said. "We'll make Posie be the Witch!"
When I hopped out this time I stayed hopped! I hopped right up on the wall! And stroked my ears!
When Posie-with-the-Sick-Bones saw me she began to laugh! And clap her hands! And kick the Black Woman with her toes!
"Oh, I want to be the Witch!" she cried. "I want to be the Witch for ever and ever! And change everybody into everything! I'm going to wear it home in the automobile! And scare the Cook to Death! I'm going to change the Cook into a cup of Beef Tea! And throw her down the sink! I'm going to change my Poodle Dog into a New Moon!" she giggled. "I'm going to change my Doctor into a Balloon! And cut the string!"
The Rich Man seemed perfectly delighted. I could see his face in the bushes. He kept rubbing his hands! And nodding to me to go ahead!
I went ahead just as fast as I could.
The Black Woman began to giggle a little. She giggled and opened the automobile door. She giggled and lifted Posie out. She giggled and carried Posie to the Witch's chariot. She giggled and tied the Witch's hat under Posie's chin. She giggled and tied the humped-back cape around Posie's neck.
Posie never stopped clapping her hands except when the Witch's Wig itched her nose.
It was when the Witch's Wig itched her nose that the Rich Man slunk away on all fours to be washed. He giggled as he slunk. It looked friendly.
Carol came. He was pretty tired. But he had the Pink Breeze in his hands. It was Phlox! It was very pink! It was in a big flower pot! He puffed out his cheeks as he carried it and blew it into Breezes! It was pretty! It was very heavy! He knelt at the Witch's feet to offer it to her! When he looked up and saw the Strange Child in the Witch's Chair he dropped it! It broke and lay on the ground all crushed and spoiled! His mouth quivered! All the shine went out of his face!
It scared Posie to see all the shine go out of his face.
"Oh, Boy-Boy, put back your smile!" she said.
Carol just stood and shook his head.
Posie began to scream.
"Why doesn't he speak?" she screamed.
"He can't," I said. "He hasn't any speech!"
"Why doesn't he cry?" screamed Posie.
"He can't," I said. "He hasn't any cry!"
Posie stopped screaming.
"Can't he even swear?" she said.
"No, he can't," I said. "He hasn't any swear!"
Posie looked pretty surprised.
"I can speak!" she said. "I can cry! I can swear!"
"You sure can, Little Missy!" said the Black Woman.
Posie looked at Carol. She looked a long time. A little tear rolled down her cheek.
"Never mind, Boy," she said. "I will help you make a new Pink Breeze!"
"Oh Lor, Little Missy," said the Black Woman. "You never helped no one do nothin' in your life!"
"I will if I want to!" said Posie. "And we'll make a Larkspur-Colored Breeze too, if we want to!" she said. "And I'll have it on my window-sill all blue-y and frilly and fluttery when everything else in the room is horrid and hushed and smothery!-And we'll make a Green Breeze--" She gave a little cry. She looked at the Waving Meadow where all the long silver-tipped grasses ducked and dipped in the wind. She stretched out her arms. Her arms were no bigger than the handles of our croquet mallets. "We'll dig up all the Waving Meadow," she cried. "And pot it into Window-Sill Breezes for the hot people in the cities!"
"You can't!" I said. "It would take mor'n an hour! And you've got to be the Witch!"
"I will not be the Witch!" said Posie. She began to scream! "It's my Game!" she screamed. "And I'll do anything I like with it!" She tore off her black pointed hat! She kicked off her stubby wooden shoes! She screamed to the Black Woman to come and bear her away!
While the Black Woman bore her away Carol walked beside them. He seemed very much interested that any one could make so much noise.
When Posie saw how much interested Carol was in the noise, she stopped en-tirely screaming to the Black Woman and screamed to Carol instead.
While Carol walked beside the Noise, I saw the New Minister come down the Road and go away. His face looked red.
Our Aunt Esta came running. She was very business-like. She snatched up her wooden shoes and put them on! She crammed on the scraggly gray wig and the humped-back cape!
"Foul Menial!" she called. "Come at once and resume the Game!"
The Black Woman stepped out of the bushes. She looked very much surprised. But not half as surprised as our Aunt Esta.
Our Aunt Esta rubbed her eyes! She rubbed them again! And again! She looked at the Black Woman's face. It was a real black face. She looked at the Black Woman's woolly hair.-It was real woolly hair! Her jaw dropped!
"Ruthy-the-Rabbit, hop here!" she gasped.
I hopped.
She put her lips close to my ear.
"Ruthy-the-Rabbit," she gasped. "Do I see what I think I see?"
"Yes, you do!" I said.
She put her head down in her hands! She began to laugh! And laugh! And laugh! It was a queer laugh as though she couldn't stop! The tears ran out between her fingers!
"Well-I certainly am a Witch!" she laughed. Her shoulders shook like sobs.
The Rich Man came running! He had his watch in his hand! He was all clean and shining! He saw the Black Woman standing by the Witch's chair! He saw the Witch in the chair! He thought the Witch was Posie! He grabbed her right up in his arms and hugged her!
"Though I'm late for a dozen Directors' Meetings," he cried, "it's worth it, my Precious, to see you laugh!"
"I'm not your Precious!" cried our Aunt Esta. She bit! She tore! She scratched! She shook her scraggly gray wig-curls all over her face! It was like a mask! But all the time she kept right on laughing! She couldn't seem to stop!
The Rich Man kissed her. And kissed her! Right through her scraggly gray wig-curls he kissed her! He couldn't seem to stop!
"Now, at last, my Precious," he said. "We've learned how to live! We'll play more! We'll laugh more!"
Our Aunt Esta tore off her wig! She tore off her hump! She shook her fist at the Rich Man! But she couldn't stop laughing!
The Rich Man gave one awful gasp! He turned red! He turned white! He looked at the wood-shed window to see if my Father had seen him.
My Father had seen him!
The Rich Man said things under his breath. That is, most of them were under his breath. He stalked to his car. He ordered the Black Woman to pick up the Real Posie and stalk to his car! He looked madder than Pirates!
But when he had climbed into his car, and had started his engine, and was all ready to go, he stood up on the seat instead, and peered over the hedge-top at our Aunt Esta! And grinned!
Our Aunt Esta was standing just where he had left her. All the laughter was gone from her. But her eyes looked very astonished. Her cheeks were blazing red. Her hair was all gay and rumpled like a sky-terrier's. It seemed somehow to be rather becoming to our Aunt Esta to be kissed by mistake.
The Rich Man made a little noise in his throat. Our Aunt Esta looked up. She jumped. The Rich Man fixed his eyes right on her. His eyes were full of twinkles.
"Talk about Be-Witchments!" he said. "Talk about-Be-Witchments!-I'll be back on Tuesday! What for?-Great Jumping Jehosophats!" he said. "It's enough that I'll be back!"
My Father stuck his head and the tip of one battered wing out the wood-shed window. He started to say something. And cocked his ear instead.
It was towards the village that he cocked his ear.
We all stopped and cocked our ears.
It was a funny sound: Clack-Clack-Clack! Clack-Clack-Clack! Clack-Clack-Clack!