Fussy Felicity &
Grotty Griselda
Far away on two hilltops, there lived two old
witches.
Griselda Grotbucket's castle was almost a ruin.
It was black outside with lots of broken windows. Inside it was
dusty, dirty, and smelly. There were skeletons in cupboards and
cobwebs in corners. But Griselda didn't mind. In fact she
preferred it that way. Even her black cat, Basil 'purrferred' it
that way too.
Felicity Fusspot's castle was like a palace. It was
white outside with beautiful stained glass windows. Inside it was
spotlessly clean and smelt of roses. Felicity worked very hard
cleaning. But she didn't mind. In fact she wouldn't have had it
any other way. She didn't have a cat. Cat's needed litter trays.
And litter was another word for rubbish. So Felicity had decided
to do without one.
Although Felicity and Griselda were neighbours they
didn't speak to one another. They had fallen out over a year ago
after Felicity had accused Griselda of stealing one of the spell
books she had written.
' Why would I pinch one of your silly old spell books? They
probably don't even work.' Griselda had said, angrily.
' How dare you! Why my spell books are best sellers all over the
kingdom.' Felicity had protested.
' That doesn't mean they work.'
They had argued for a while until Felicity had stormed off and
flown away on her broomstick. And they hadn't spoken since.
But all that was about to change. And all because of
a terrible, terrible accident.
Felicity Fusspot wrote spell books and in spite of
what Griselda Grotbucket thought, they were very good spell books.
She would spend hours at her cauldron testing all the spells to
make sure they worked.
One day, however she was so busy cleaning, she
forgot to keep an eye on her bubbling cauldron. There was an
almighty bang and smoke bellowed from the kitchen.
' Bumbling broomsticks!' she shrieked,' How silly of me.'
She hurried into the kitchen then hurried back out again
shouting, ' Fire! Fire!'
Luckily Griselda was flying by on her way to Wizcos supermarket
when she saw the smoke. Without a second thought she flew
straight through an open window and rescued Felicity. They got
out just in time as the fire spread quickly through the rest of
the castle.
' My beautiful, spotlessly clean home!' cried Felicity, hardly
able to look back. ' Where will I go? What will I do?
' Don't fret now dear.' Said Griselda, ' You'll come and stay
with me in the meantime.'
' Stay in that...' Felicity was about to be rude but caught
herself just in time. It was kind of Griselda, she supposed. And
she had nowhere else to go.
So Felicity moved in with Griselda. But things did
not go smoothly.
Felicity hated Griselda's castle. It was everything
she loathed. Dirty, dusty and smelly. She even hated Basil the
cat.
Immediately, she bought a new bed and tidied up the
bedroom Griselda had given her. Then she shut herself up in her
bedroom all day. She rarely went out and never came down to watch
T.V or have meals.
' Ungrateful old witch!' thought Griselda, ' Who does she think
she is. Miss high 'n mighty that's what.' Then one day Felicity
did come down. She was bored and asked Griselda if she could work
on some spells at her cauldron.
' Suit yourself.' Griselda agreed.
Felicity got to work mixing spells in the cauldron. Griselda
watched, sceptically.
' You know there's nothing that difficult about thinking up the
spells and potions in your books' she muttered.
Felicity frowned at her. ' You think so. Well if it's that easy,
be my guest.'
' What?' Griselda looked startled.
' Let's see what you can do!' Felicity said, handing her the
wooden stick.
' Okay then.' Said Griselda, defiantly. 
Griselda chopped some bat wings, frog's legs and
wiggly worms into the gooey water and stirred them all up.
Felicity watched. The contents started turning into a horrible
green slimy stuff. Griselda muttered some magic words. The
cauldron began to splutter, then wobble, then...Splat! A huge
dollop of gunge shot straight up in air and landed on Griselda's
head.
Felicity burst into a fit of laughter. Griselda froze, looking
very cross. The gunge trickled down her face. Then she started to
giggle.
' If only you could see your face.' Laughed Felicity.
' My face!' chuckled Griselda, ' What about...yours!' she cried,
and she threw a handful of gunge at her.
' Direct hit!' Griselda shrieked, hitting Felicity plum on the
face.
' Right this is war.' Declared Felicity rolling up her sleeves
and scooping a big handful of gunge.
Griselda and Felicity had an extremely messy gunge fight until
they both collapsed from laughing so hard.
From then on, they started getting along much better. Felicity
stopped staying in her room and spent more time helping around
the castle, watching T.V, and making meals. She even taught
Griselda some spells.
Then one day, Griselda announced she had to go into
town. She had to deliver her entry form and photograph for the
'Dingiest castle of the decade' award. She didn't tell Felicity,
as she knew she wouldn't approve.
' See you tonight.' Griselda called as she flew off.
When Griselda had gone, Felicity had an idea. Can you guess what
it was? Now they were friends, Felicity had been trying to think
of a way of repaying Griselda for letting her stay.
' You know she can't really like living in all this dust and dirt.'
Thought Felicity, ' I'm sure if she saw it tidy she'd love it.'
So Felicity cleaned. And cleaned. And cleaned. From the top of
the castle to the bottom. With a little magic and a lot of elbow
grease. She worked from dawn to dusk until it was totally
transformed.
But when Griselda arrived home that evening, she screamed.
' Howling Halloweens! What on earth have you done?'
Felicity looked deflated. ' I thought you'd like it.'
' Like it!' Griselda shouted, ' It's..It's..It's like your castle.
I hate it.'
Felicity stormed off.
Griselda was fuming for days. She tried messing things up but it
still looked tidy. She was so mad. Especially as Felicity
wouldn't stay in her room but insisted on prancing around the
castle like she owned it.
' You'll get used to it.' She kept saying.
Eventually Griselda could stand it no longer. She packed up her
things and flew over to Felicity's burnt castle which had stopped
smouldering. At least Felicity wouldn't bother her there.
And that is where she stayed. Until one day there
was a knock on the door, (or on the plank of wood that had been
the door). It was two men in strange black cloaks.
' Can I help you?' Griselda said.
' Are you Griselda Grotbucket?'
' I am.'
' Splendid, we're the judges of the dingiest castle award.'
Griselda froze. ' You are.'
' Yes. And we're delighted to tell you you've won third prize.'
Said the judge handing her a little trophy.
' Congratulations!' said the other judge. ' You know this really
is a dingy old place. It's even worse than the photograph you
sent in.'
' Eh thanks but to be honest this isn't my castle.' Griselda
owned up.
' It isn't.'
' No. That's mine on the other hill.'
The judges stared disbelievingly. ' Had a bit of work done eh?'
one said.
' I see.' Said the other.
Griselda handed back her trophy and explained about the fire and
about Felicity's spring-cleaning. The judges listened carefully.
Then one of them took out two colourful rosettes.
' I still think you both deserve a prize. For being so honest.'
' And to cheer you up.' Said the judges.
Griselda smiled. ' Thank you very much.'
After the judges left, Griselda set her rosette on top of the
charred mantelpiece and admired it. It was quite nice winning a
prize she thought. But it wasn't much fun if you'd no one to show
it too. She was still staring at it when the moon came out behind
the hillside. She noticed the lights on in her castle across the
valley.
' I miss Felicity.' She thought, remembering the gunge fight
they'd had. 'Maybe I should deliver her rosette.'
Suddenly she heard a noise in the hallway.
' Cooeee!'
Griselda rushed out. ' Felicity!' she said surprizedly.
' I wondered if you'd come over for a cup of tea.' Felicity asked.
' Great.' Said Griselda, ' I was just about to drop this over to
you.'
Felicity looked quizzically at the rosette. ' What's that?'
' I'll explain over tea.' Griselda smiled.
Felicity made Griselda a lovely cup of tea and Griselda told her
all about the competition.
' I wish we wouldn't always be falling out over things.' Said
Griselda, ' especially as we make such good friends.'
Felicity nodded. ' You know I've been thinking long and hard
about all that.' She announced, ' And I think I've come up with a
solution.'
' You have.' Gasped Griselda.
' Simple really. We rebuild one castle, half messy and half
spotlessly tidy. Then we each live in our own halves while still
keeping each other company.'
' Brilliant.' Griselda applauded.
And would you believe...
It was!
The End
Copyright © 2002 Derek Keilty. All rights reserved.
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