The Witch Who Stole the Songs

Once upon a time, in a faraway forest, there lived a very serious witch. She never sang and couldn’t stand hearing others sing. She believed singing had no place in the world. Armed with her small magic wand and a large sack, she roamed the land, capturing every song she could find and tying them up securely in her sack.

One day, the witch wandered into the forest and heard a cheerful little bird singing on a tree branch. The witch sternly said, “Stop that! Singing has no place here!”
The bird shook its head and replied, “But I love to sing. Singing makes me happy.”
The witch, furious, waved her wand and opened her sack. With a flick of her wrist, she cast a spell that captured the bird’s song and trapped it in the sack. From that day on, the little bird could no longer sing.

The witch continued her journey and soon came across a deer softly humming to itself in a meadow. “No singing allowed!” the witch snapped.
The deer stubbornly responded, “But I love singing. It makes me feel calm.”
The witch, enraged, waved her wand once more, trapping the deer’s song in her sack. The deer, too, lost its voice.

As the witch walked on, she heard croaking from a nearby pond. It was a little frog happily singing by the water’s edge. “Silence!” the witch barked. “This world doesn’t need songs!”
The brave frog replied, “But I love to sing. It makes me feel free.”
The witch swung her wand, capturing the frog’s song and adding it to her growing collection. The frog’s cheerful voice was gone.

Satisfied, the witch continued walking until she reached a valley. Suddenly, a deafening chorus of music filled her ears. Infuriated, she stormed into the valley and found a grand concert underway. Singers on stage and the audience below were joyfully singing together.

The witch leapt into the air, shouting, “Stop this singing at once!” But her voice was drowned out by the music. She waved her wand, struggling to capture the songs. It took all her strength to trap the singers’ and audience’s voices in her sack. Angrily, she turned to leave, her sack bursting with stolen songs.

On her way home, the witch didn’t notice she was being followed. She returned to her cave, set down the sack, and fell fast asleep. Quietly, the bird, the deer, the frog, the singers, and the audience snuck into her cave. They untied the sack, and in an instant, the songs flew back to their owners. Overjoyed, everyone left the cave.

Soon after, three thieves heard rumors about the witch’s powerful wand and decided to steal it. They crept into her cave, ready to take it. The witch woke up and pleaded, “Please don’t take my wand! It’s my most treasured possession!” But the thieves wouldn’t listen.

Not far from the cave, the bird, the deer, the frog, the singers, and the audience heard the commotion. They began singing loudly as they marched back to the cave. The thieves were so terrified by the booming chorus outside that they fled in panic.

The witch sat in her cave, astonished by the music. For the first time, she found the songs beautiful. Overcome with emotion, she joined in, singing with the others.

Realizing her mistake, the witch sincerely apologized. Everyone forgave her and invited her to the next concert in the valley. From that day on, the witch no longer despised singing. Every morning, she would sing a duet with the little bird, delighting in the happiness that music brought.