Witchy-Boo's 2,000th Birthday Party

One day after Johnny had given Witchy-Boo her new Crystal Ball, she cackled wildly. All the gargoyles and trolls and gnames and ugly magic creatures and beasties in her cave danced and shouted. It was great to have their witch have her power back.

The ole witch made all sorts of magic potions with her crystal ball. She put them in black bottles on her shelves. Sshe poured gurlgling brew from the great caldron. Oh, she was happy to be a REAL witch again!

As Boo was bottling the last of thebrew, the ugliest gargoyle said, "Witchy-Boo, Witchy-Boo, when is your birthday?"

The witch was so surprised by the question that she dropped her black, pointed hat into the gurgling caldron. She had to flip it out with the wand.

"Why do you ask?" she shrieked.

"Oh," said the gargoyle, "it's just just been a long time since we had a party in the cave, and I thought our birthday would be a good excuse to have one. We could invite all the creatures and beasties and ..."

Witchy-Boo held the dripping hat that oozed and drooled.

A smile came over her wrinkled face. It made the hair on the wart on her nose twitch. She opened her mouth to cackle and her broken, black teeth seemed to quivver.

"Ugly gargoyle, it's true that my birthday is coming up soon.

As fir a party, I think that's a great idea. I think it's SUCH a great idea I will grant you one wish. What do you want?"

The gargoyle yelled instantly, "Make me into a BOY!"

Witchy-Boo almost fell into the caldron. "Preposterous! No self-respecting beastie should ever want to lower himself into BOY."

"But you promised. You said you would grant me one wish."

"Ah!" shrieked the hag. She wrung out her goey hat and slapped it on her head. "Whoever heard of such a thing. Wanting to become a PERSON." But a promise was a promise, so the ole witch raised her wand. Just as she was about to touch the beastie she said, "But why in all of Witchdom would you want to become a BOY, gargoyle?"

The crature drew circles in the dust. Quietly he said, "Because."

"That's no answer!" shrieked Boo. "Blast you anyway!" and she lowered Zobie wand.

"Hot zingo!" shouted the new boy and he ran off.

"Hot zingo, hot zingo, hot zingo. What's this cave coming to?" Witchy-Boo dismissed it from her mind and began planning for the party.

Meanwhile Johnny Carmel practiced with his new wand. In the Vacant Lot he repeated the magic word, "Wunginell." First he got a football. Then a baseball bat. Then a croquet set He got so many things he knew he couldn't take them all home. So he raised Zobie, said Wunginell, and ordered, "Make them disappear!"

After supper Johnny crawled into bed and closed his eyes. He

was so tired he did no magic. Not with his wand or broomstick or crystal ball. Now that's a tired boy.

Back in the cave, Witchy-Boo finished her list. AT the toop was Head Witch. Then Witch of the East, of the West, North and South. Then Rain Witch, Fire Witch, Smoke, Thunder, and Lightning Witches. When she added them she found there were ninety-nine names.

"Ninety-nine?" she shrieked. "That's too close to one hundred. I must think of one more." But no matter how hard she tried she couldn't. Not until the thought came to invite a non-Witch. The name she came up with startled her.

"The brat-BOY who gave me my powers back? Indeed, whatisthis cave coming to that even I would think such a thought?" But it was the only name she could think of.

The next morning Johnny Carmel woke early. He had to. Two ugly gargoyles pulled at his toes.

"Witchy-Boo sent us to invite you to her two-thousandth birthday party," gurgled Gargoyle One.

"Where?" asked Gargoyle Two. "At her cave, where else?"

"At what time?" asked Gargoyle One. "Midnight, when else?"

"How should you dress?" said Number Two. " So witch-like that the ninety-ninerealwitches will think you're one of them, that's how."

"And how do you look like arealwitch?" asked Number One. "By using your Crystal Ball, that's how."

"Should you bring a present?" laughed Gargoyle Two. "Howcouldyou? I mean, what could a BOY bring a witch on her two thousandth birthday!"

"Besides," giggled Gargoyle One, "shehas a present foryou."

Johnny was barely awake when the gargoyles pulled his toes. The many questions and answers had confused him. It wasn't unti Recess at school that he realized what they'd said.

"A witch's party? At midnight? Wow!"

That night the boy pretended to sleep. When it got close to twelve o'clock he whispered, "Crystal Ball, Crystal Ball, get bigger. Crystal Ball, Crystal Ball, make me into a REAL witch. I mean, one that will scare even the ugliest of witches! But remember," he added quickly, "it's only for as long as I'm at the party!"

"Okee dokee!" Poof. And he stood in front of the mirror. Johnny was not surprised that he won the Ugliest in the costume contest -- and that was against ninety-nine of the ugliest creatures he'd ever seen!

The rest of the party was also a success. Oh, he kept away from drinking magic potions and cackling -- he hadn'thad enough time to perfect it. And he shied away from the present-giving. Throughout the night the boy wondered just why Witchy-Boo had invited him, especially since she ignored him all night.

After the witches flew to their castles and dungeons and caves and haunted houses, the birthday witch approached young mister Carmel.

"I'm glad you came, Johnny What's-your-name. I couldn't have had this party if it wasn't for you. You knowk because you gave me my magic toys back. I appreciate that so much I want to give you a present." So, the gargoyles were right.

The boy opened the small box. "I don't know what I'll do with a

necklace, Witchy-Boo, but my mother has told me to be thankful for whatever anyone gives me. So, thank you."

"Aren't you going to ask what magic it has?" asked Boo.

"Oh, I'm sorry. What does it do?"

"One thing and one thing only. All you have to do is THINK candy and there it is. As much as your sweetest tooth will ever want. Oh, Celia is one of my favorite toys!"

Johnny felt strange putting a necklace named Celia around his neck. Especially when he heard the witch give a slight sob. He didn't know what was going on but it seemed to make her happy.

Something strangewasgoing on inside the witch. But we won't know what that was in this story. That will have

TO BE CONTINUED