Star polishing 1/11

The witch on guard duty at the Witches’ Home looked round as Jennifer Jane came in from the courtyard. Without being asked, she fetched the special book so that Abigail’s human apprentice could write ‘visit to Tasmin’ and scribble her signature, before taking her broom.

“It’s Martha again isn’t it? You seem to be on duty a lot these days. I think you must have been here the last three times I’ve gone out.”

“Too true,” replied the Martha, “I made a mess of a simple spell and was put on star polishing for a month. Just because I put the wrong label on a spell box!”

She heaved a deep sigh; “all I did was write ‘five’ instead of ‘five hundred’ on a wind spell. The goblin who asked for transport, nearly got blown right out of the country instead going as far as the next village. I’d loved to have seen his face when it happened,” she chuckled, “then someone recognised my writing and here I am!”

She sighed once more and stared out of the window again. “The only things to look at are Esme and Dulce and the occasional woodsman.”

“I thought ‘star polishing’ meant polishing the stars to keep them shining brightly!"

Martha looked at her in amazement. “You are joking aren’t you? Stars are suns millions of miles away, you couldn’t get anywhere near them let alone polish them!”

Jennifer Jane looked rather embarrassed. “I thought it was one of the magic things that the fairy folk did, rather like making rain and snow, or keeping the sea salt.”

“What do sailors do when they ‘splice the mainbrace’?”

“They used to have a drink of rum after doing a difficult job, and then it just came into the language meaning ‘have a drink.’”

“Well there you are then, over here being punished is to be put on star polishing.” She looked out of the window again. “Esme and Dulce aren’t much fun these days either, they haven’t made a smoky fire for ages, so I don’t even have to go over there and tell them off!”

“Well I’m away to Tasmin’s cave,” said Jennifer Jane as she carried her broom over the drawbridge and flew off.

“Lucky you,” sighed Martha as she watched her go.