The Tigress Witch

By Ezrema Vasilibrè-Ullah

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Strolling through my grandparents' attic one afternoon I came across this old wooden chest filled papers and other momentos from my grandpa's collection including this paper who supposedly written it based on a work originally by Ezra Stone.

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A long time ago, the many peoples of the Isle of Formosa believed not in the bible nor Islamic Monotheism. The pagan peoples believed in many different deities and paranormal beings such as ghosts and witches. They had gods and goddesses associated with the sun, the moon, the earth, the rocks, and the trees. There were even animal deities. These naive natives feared that animals over a certain age achieved a shape shifting ability to change into a human being — to devour other humans.

Once upon a time in Taiwan there was a lady who lived with her two daughters "Akeem" the older one and "Agwok" the younger one. Despite their extreme poverty they lived a joyous, peaceful life until one day Mama left to see her friend in the city.

"Now don't leave the house until I get back!" she said worried something might happen to her children. "Don't open the door for anyone!" Not even me! I got my own key."

She locked the door and made her way to the city. About an hour or so after she left there was a loud knock at her door.

"Who is it?" cried Agwok.

"It's your mother darling!" said the visitor.

Forgetting the rule Agwok opened the door and to her surprise a horrible disgusting beast entered. It had the aura of a cat but the feeble body of an eighty-eight year old woman with watermelon sized breasts that boasted a million or so blue veins that were similar to the ones on a cow's udder. Her hair was long and disheveled, her teeth were long and jagged, and her putrid face was wrinkled like an eight hundred year old.

Little Agwok now realized why her disgraced Uncle Gow-gow preferred men.

"Who are you?" said Akeem as she traversed down the stairs.

"I'm your aunt, my sweet little buttercup." said the beast.

"But Mama has no sisters." Akeem stated.

"I'm your father's sister." replied the beast.

"Well begone" said Akeem "go to the city and ask Mama's permission."

Angered the beast flew up the stairs and slapped little Akeem's delicate face so hard Akeem fell over and tumbled down the stairs. Blood poured out of her nose.

"You little wretch!" shouted the beast. "You ruined the floor! Have you no manners? Didn't your poor mother teach you some manners?"

Akeemm was about to reply but the beast sent the girls to their room. Tiny Agwok lifted her sister and accompanied her up the stairs to their room where she ripped a part of her sleeve to mend Akeem's nose.

"Thank you dearest sister." Akeem said to Agwok.

"Your welcome bestest sister, just rest here, while I go draw you a picture."

"Thank you." said akeem as her little sister made her way to the other side of the room by the window.

There was no dinner that night so little Agwok had plenty of time to draw pictures but not enough ink. So when the ink went dry she made up stories about them to tell Akeem.

The moon was full that night so they spent some time counting the stars. Agwok grew sleepy and retired to her mattress. Akeem did the same.

As they slumbered the beast walked through the house. She climbed up the stairs and encountered the altar dedicated to the girls' father, Prang. She stared into the eyes of the effigy. The flames of the red candles intensified nearly engulfing the room. She closed her eyes and stepped back. She then turned around and made her way to the girl's room.

There she tiptoed to the foot of little Agwok's bed and swallowed her whole. Next the beast tiptoed to Akeem's bed and started nibbling at her toes. Venom from her teeth numbed Akeem's foot for she felt no pain but was awoken by the sounds coming from the beast's mouth which sounded like someone chewing roasted peanuts or dogs chewing bones.

Akeem saw the horrid beast at the foot of her bed and asked it what it was eating. The beast replied "Ginger roots" as Akeem looked over to her sister's bed.

"Where is my sister Agwok?"

"Oh, she went to use the outhouse." replied the beast.

Akeem could not believe it. Why would her little who was petrified of the dark go alone to the outhouse when she had a chamber pot under the bed?

A sudden hunger overcame her so she asked the beast for a bit of her ginger root but the beast refused. She said it was too bitter for children to eat but Akeem would have none of it. She demanded to have a piece and after a few minutes of constant battling the beast gave in and tossed her a bit.

When Akeem realized it was a toe she felt bad for her sister. Akeem declared she had to use the bathroom and scurried out of the room. Dashing down the stairs and hurried to the backyard where she climbed a tall tree. Unfortunately the beast followed her and tried to climb the tree but luckily her claws were too dull so she couldn't go to far.

Thinking quickly Akeem came up with an incredible plan. "Hey Aunty," she told the beast "I'll come down so you don't have to waste your energy on me if you would kindly send up some boiling peanut oil so I can cook some birds and become full so you may have a delightful feast."

"A very good idea." said the beast who now appeared fully as a tiger.

The tigress witch now boiled some oil and tossed a rope over one of the limbs. Then she lifted the bucket up to Akeem. Akeem grabbed the bucket and after a moment she said she was ready so the witch opened her mouth but instead of Akeem the witch swallowed the boiling oil and disintegrated leaving only Agwok in her place.

Akeem came down and held her sister.

"Where are we?"

"We're in our backyard." Akeem replied.

"Why?" asked Agwok. "Where's Aunty?"

Not wanting to tell the whole story to her little sister Akeem explained Aunty had to return to her house to feed her dog and they shouldn't tell their mother about Aunty leaving early. Agwok yawned. Akeem walked her inside and tucked her back into bed.

"Good night, Akeem." Agwok said as she closed her eyes.

"Good night, little sister." Akeem said back to her before slipping into her own bed.

The End