Throwback: The Singing Witch
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Welcome to Stories Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Weldon. Today's story is a throwback episode. Tune in to hear one of our classic stories from the archive that you might have missed the first time around.

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and great value tomorrow. Vehicles projected resale value is specific to the 2025 model year. For more information, visit kellybluebookskbb.com. Kelly Blue Book is a registered trademark of Kelly Blue Book Co. Inc. Toyota, let's go places. Thanks, enjoy the episode. The Singing Witch Once upon a time, the great wizard Balazar the Blue got careless when making a potion.

Now, when you're a careless baker, maybe the cookies come out a little burned or the cake doesn't rise. Those are tragedies in their own right, true, but potion problems tend to be a little more extreme. As a result, Balazar found himself completely, suddenly, and quite violently covered in magenta feathers.

What's worse, he was also rendered blind as a bat. Well, not my best work, he said to himself when the explosion had died down a bit. He said it loudly because his ears were still ringing. It had been, after all, a rather large explosion. But still, I guess it's true what they say. Poe, but he's nerfect.

He took a handful of feathers and plucked himself. Unfortunately, they immediately grew back with a pop. Okay, so that may be a problem, he mused. Of course, being a great wizard, as Balazar was, he could make himself an antidote. But it was a lot harder to do when you couldn't see. And the potion would require an exotic ingredient.

Well, a wise man knows when to ask for help, he reasoned. And an even wiser man knows when to make his kids do the work for free. Kids, he bellowed. Get up here. From three different rooms in his wizard tower, he heard three different sets of doors open and shut. Three sets of footsteps came slapping up the stone steps, and three different voices began bickering when they got to the door. Come.

Then come in and stop that racket, he said. The door flew open and his kids tumbled inside in a tangle of elbows. There were his two strapping sons, Frog and Newt, and his youngest and only daughter, Fenny. Frog and Newt were both wizardly boys with neat robes and long beards and smug, bookish faces. The kind of faces that were just dying for a good hex.

Fenny, on the other hand, was cut from a different cloth, with a different pair of scissors, and most likely in the dark. Where her brothers and father were the pictures of dignified wizardry, Fenny preferred a more natural, witchy sort of magic. She was forever collecting strange plants and animal parts, spending all her time knee-deep in the bogs and woods around the tower.

Every day, she came home awash with dirt and mud and scabs and even a couple particularly witchy warts. Her hair was the worst of it all, though. A famous wreckage. The kind of gnarled mess that people might pay a fivepence to see. Dreaded and knotted, stretching all the way down her back and always tangled and dirty.

Her brothers would tease her, saying that she probably had birds living in there too. But that wasn't fair. Jeffrey the Finch had moved out months ago. Too bad, too. She missed the chickadees peeping in her ears. Now, now, said Balazar. As you can see, I've had a little mishap.

You look like a bird fell into a paint bucket, said Frog. And then just sort of like... Flapped around like a maniac, offered Newt. Yeah, that. Enough, their father said. I'm also blind, so I'll need your help. There's a simple potion to fix this, but I need a peacock feather. You three run and get me one.

Newt and Frog started to complain at the same instant, but Balazar held up a long-nailed finger, still faintly singed from the explosion. He said, "'I've recently obtained some very potent lizard tails and a vial of the blackest wolf's bane you've ever seen. Whoever brings me back a feather can have both!'

That was all the motivation the kids needed. Like a pack of ravening, magical lions, they ran from the tower and started their hunt. Newt and Frog, as always, worked as a team. Together, they looked all day, but they weren't used to being outdoors. They scared off every wild peacock for miles around with their crashing footsteps and loud chatter and occasional buzzing spell.

Fanny, though, she was perfectly at home in the forests and was on a first-name basis with at least a dozen peacocks. Well, Nancy the peahen was still mad about the plumage incident, but 11 peacock friends is still pretty good, and Larry was happy to lend her a feather.

On her way back to the tower, her brother saw her walking, bright feather in hand. She had stayed close to the bog, hoping they wouldn't find her there, but they always seemed to find her anywhere. Look at that, Frog called. It's the Incredible Fenny, the girl with the dead raccoon pelt for hair. They both cracked up laughing. Why are you walking near the bog? Newt said. Looking for some new lice to add to your collection?

Fenny sighed. She was used to being bullied by her brothers and couldn't be bothered to fight. She had the feather. That's what mattered. Thinking of the feather, she tried to tuck it away in her sleeve before they spotted it. She was too late, though. Look, old dirt hair found a feather, Newt said. Why don't you give that to us before your lice eat it? No,

I found it and I'm giving it to Dad and getting the lizard tails and the wolf's bane. So just leave me alone, please. Her brothers looked at each other darkly. Well, I guess we'll have to make sure Dad doesn't know you're the one who found it. With that, they whipped out their wands and cast a spell on Fanny before she could even shout.

There was a crackle of light and magic. The world swirled like melting marshmallows in hot chocolate. In mere moments, poor Fenny was turned into a reed, one of the long, woody tubes that grew all around the bog. She blended in so perfectly no one would ever find her, and the peacock feather drifted slowly to the ground.

When they got home, the brothers gave their father the peacock feather and told him that Fenny had decided to stay in the woods forever. That came as a terrible blow to poor Balazar's heart. As soon as he had brewed the antidote to his feathery problem, he went out looking for her. But he never thought to check the reeds growing along the bog. Eventually, he sadly accepted that she had left him behind.

Of course, she hadn't. And poor Fanny was trapped as a reed for days that stretched into weeks that stretched into almost a month. She tried to call for help, but she couldn't speak. She tried to do magic, but she couldn't move. The most she could manage was a faint voice when the wind blew over her top. The wind made all the reeds howl, and with a lot of effort, she could make words. It's me, Fanny!

Fanny sang any time the wind blew, and finally, after weeks of trying, her song was heard by a passing farmer. He couldn't make out the words, not exactly, but he could tell that this was a reed with a voice, a reed with something important to say. He dug her up and brought her home and with a little work made poor Reed Fanny into a simple flute. If she still had feelings, it may have hurt.

But she didn't, so it felt like getting a haircut. And, wonder of wonders, the farmer turned out to be a beautiful player. After a few test blows, he started a tune, and Fennie found more of her voice returning, shaping the words through his wind. Hello, it's me, my name's Fennie. I look like a reed, which is confusing. I'm really a person, and there's been aversion, but I'd like to go home, can you help me?

Now for a quick ad break. We'll be back with the rest of the story after this. If you'd like Stories Podcast and other favorite kid podcasts ad-free, subscribe to Wondery Plus Kids on Apple Podcasts.

Here's something magical for our listeners. Imagine turning the adventures you hear about from stories into real-life experiences. With Groupon, your family can discover activities that mirror the tales we share, like visiting a castle, exploring a zoo, or crafting your own masterpiece in an art class. When I checked out Groupon offerings in my area, I saw an amazing deal on a whale watch right nearby. Groupon is a great place to start your day.

My family and I will definitely be doing that this summer. Your next magical family day might be hiding in the Groupon app too, just waiting to be discovered. Groupon is offering our listeners a very special promotion to get your adventure started. Use code STORIES30 to get 30% off when checking out at Groupon before May 31st. That's code STORIES30. Groupon. Adventure is just around the corner.

Toyota is the best resale value brand for 2025, according to KelleyBlueBooksKBB.com. That means when you buy a Toyota, you can feel confident that your investment will last. Toyota has dependable vehicles for any lifestyle, including the 2025 Tacoma, Tundra, and 4Runner, the plug-in hybrid RAV4, and even the hot new Supra. These five models rank in the top 10 for resale value of all vehicles,

according to kellybluebookskbb.com, and have a retained value after five years that's thousands higher than the average vehicle. So after countless carpools, road trips, and off-road adventures, your Toyota will still have plenty left to give. Shop buyatoyota.com for a great deal today.

and great value tomorrow. Vehicles projected resale value is specific to the 2025 model year. For more information, visit kellybluebookskbb.com. Kelly Blue Book is a registered trademark of Kelly Blue Book Co. Inc. Toyota, let's go places. Thanks, and now back to the story. The farmer was so shocked, he dropped flute fanny onto the ground and she rolled under the table.

He screamed and ran from his house, knocking over his chair and table in the process. For a while, he stood outside, cursing about ghosts and too afraid to move. Slowly, though, the shock subsided, and he remembered that weird wizard who lived nearby.

What was his name? Ballyguy? Baldiger? Balazar! Balazar the Blue! That was it. Hadn't he been looking for a daughter? Maybe it wasn't a ghost after all.

Slowly, he crept back inside. The flute was still where he dropped it, and there didn't seem to be anything spooky in the area. He lit a bundle of sage, just to be sure. Someone had once told him that sage could cleanse spirits. The farmer didn't know if it was true or how it worked. Were they allergic? More into citrus scents? It didn't matter. He lit some, just to be safe. Air properly cleansed, he picked up the reed flute and turned it over in his hands.

Everyone knew wizards got up to all sorts of crazy things, but could they be turned into reeds? Why would they do that? Just for a change of pace? It was wild, but how else could it have sung? Feeling half crazy himself, the farmer held up the flute and then asked aloud, Are you the wizard's missing daughter? He pursed his lips and blew a note.

It sounded. The poor farmer was so shocked, he almost dropped the flute again. He looked at the crude holes he had made and flushed. I'm sorry for making you into a flute. Are you upset with me? Well, that's a relief. I've never wanted to get in the middle of wizardly affairs, but I want to make it up to you. What can I do?

The farmer nodded and stood up then and there. No sense waiting around, and besides, he didn't want to be mixed up with magic any longer than he had to be. He knew the old stories, and one wrong move here would see him turned into a flute, or a pig, or some sort of pig flute, perhaps? One that smelled like ham and oinked out Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. No, nope, no sir, that wouldn't be him.

He set out running and made it to Balazar's Tower in record time. He hammered on the door like an overeager woodpecker until the wizard let him in, muttering and scowling. Yes, yes, what do you want? He said.

Well, uh, wizard, uh, Mr. Wizard, sir, uh, your magicness, uh, you know, you- Balazar is fine, he said, softening a little. Relax, man, I'm not gonna turn a neighbor into a mushroom or anything like that. You're okay, just spit it out.

"'Thank you, you're, uh, Balazar, you're... I, uh, I found this reed.' He held it up awkwardly, tongue-tied like an old shoelace. "'Well, I see you've made it into a lovely flute. Good job?' "'No, no, it's more, um, it's her, it's, uh...' He stopped and took a deep breath. "'Just, uh, let me play it real quick, okay?'

He put it to his lips, and that's when Newt and Frog came running down the steps. No, no, Dad, don't let this maniac play. Yeah, we need to get him out of here. Who is this guy anyway? What are you talking about? A maniac? The farmer stumbled back, visions of pig flutes dancing through his mind. No, no, it's your daughter, honest. What did you just say?

Balazar's voice was a whip crack, freezing everyone in the room like an ice spell. Oh, come on, he's crazy, said Newt. Yeah, lunatic, Dad, come on, said Frog. From you too, Balazar replied, giving them the glare that only an angry parent can muster. Now, please, what's this about my daughter?

Better I show you, sir, the farmer said. And then he put the flute to his lips and began to play. Dad, it's me, your daughter, Fanny. That day that you were feathered and the three of us all ventured. I was the one who found the cure. Immature. They couldn't stand to lose, so they told a lie to you and they turned me into a reed. They're so mean to me, but I made it home.

Balazar cried when the song had finished. In an instant, he had drawn his wand and pointed it at the farmer. Hey, easy now. Set it on the chair. Hurry. The farmer set it down and Balazar moved his wand in a mystic arc.

There was a wet noise, and the flute disappeared in a smeared cloud of purple. The cloud grew and grew and then started to dissipate like smoke, fading away to reveal Fenny, back in all her dirty, muddy, scabby, filthy-haired glory. Fenny! Balazar cried, scooping her up in a hug. At the back of the room, Newt and Frog were starting to sneak up the steps.

Not so fast, you two, the wizard said, setting down his daughter. I think we need to have a little talk about being nicer to your sister and about your punishment. The boys shrank back like cornered manticore pups. Fenny smiled wide. In the end, Balazar gave Fenny the lizard tails, the farmer a magic goose, and Newt and Frog three weeks of being grounded.

Now, when you're grounded, maybe you have to do a lot of chores or sit in your room and be quiet. Those are tragedies in their own right, true. But being grounded as a wizard tends to be a little bit more extreme. As a result, Balazar decided that the boys would have to spend three weeks transformed, just like Fenny had as a Reed. And because they had been so mean to their sister, she got to choose what they became.

She thought long and hard about it. She considered a doormat or a fly swatter or even the chamber pot. But in the end, she settled for something simpler. She made one a brush and the other a comb. And every day, she'd go out and do all her dirtiest jobs, from spider silk milking to mud eel excavating to

And then, before she went to bed, she was sure to brush out every nasty gnarle and comb out every mash of mud. And for those three weeks, each blessed night, Fenny the witch went to sleep with her locks smooth and shining. The End

Today's story, The Singing Witch, was inspired by many different European folktales, written for you by Daniel Hines and performed for you by me, Amanda Weldon, with songs also by me. If you would like to support Stories Podcast, you can leave us a 5-star review on iTunes. Check out all of our merch available at storiespodcast.com slash shop, commission a special video on Cameo, follow us on Instagram at storiespodcast, or simply tell your friends about us. Thanks for listening!

Toyota is the best resale value brand for 2025, according to KelleyBlueBooksKBB.com. That means when you buy a Toyota, you can feel confident that your investment will last. Toyota has dependable vehicles for any lifestyle, including the 2025 Tacoma, Tundra, and 4Runner, the plug-in hybrid RAV4, and even the hot new Supra. These five models rank in the top 10 for resale value of all vehicles, according to KelleyBlueBooksKBB.com.

according to kellybluebookskbb.com, and have a retained value after five years that's thousands higher than the average vehicle. So after countless carpools, road trips, and off-road adventures, your Toyota will still have plenty left to give. Shop buyatoyota.com for a great deal today.

and great value tomorrow. Vehicles projected resale value is specific to the 2025 model year. For more information, visit kellybluebookskbb.com. Kelly Blue Book is a registered trademark of Kelly Blue Book Co. Inc. Toyota, let's go places!