Research source

There was only a broom left in the room, and when the old witch returned she mounted upon it, and flew through…

Date of account: Published 1906
Source: Simla Village Tales; Or, Folk Tales from the Himalayas
Reference: Simla Village Tales; Or, Folk Tales from the Himalayas · selected passage 10
Rights: public_domain
Language: English
Record updated: 2026-08-25

Record summary

There was only a broom left in the room, and when the old witch returned she mounted upon it, and flew through the air in hot pursuit

Published source text

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Source passage

Source text · mention only

There was only a broom left in the room, and when the old witch returned she mounted upon it, and flew through the air in hot pursuit. As she went along she found her things strewn on the road, and began picking them up one after another. This gave the child time to run further and further away, until, at last, she came to a peepul tree, and said: "O tree, shelter me!" and the tree opened, and she was hidden within it, all but her little finger, which remained outside, as the tree closed. This the old witch saw and promptly bit off: while she ate it, she regretted more than once that such a dainty morsel had escaped, but she knew there was no getting out the child; so she went away disappointed.

Historical context

Contextual commentary · mention only

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Modern context

Contextual commentary · mention only

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